The (Singapore) Sunday Times reported that for the first time since 1990, the number of homosexual and bisexual men diagnosed with HIV has overtaken that of heterosexual men.
Quoting statistics provided by the Ministry of Health in an update published last November, it noted that in the first half of 2011, homosexuals and bisexuals comprised 54 per cent of the 195 people found to have the human immunodeficiency virus which causes AIDS. All were infected through sex. Heterosexuals made up the rest.
The report quoted AIDS activists as saying that the surge is significant as men who had sex with women were the majority of those diagnosed with HIV for most of the past two decades.
In 2000, gays and bisexuals accounted for 13 per cent of infection rates, 35 per cent in 2005, and 47 per cent in 2010 before hitting an all time high in the first half of 2011.
Infographic from The Straits Times
While the ministry's update noted that a higher proportion of gay men had their HIV infection detected via voluntary screening compared to heterosexuals (27% vs. 2%), the Times report quoted Action for Aids executive director Donovan Lo as saying that many gay men have become complacent about HIV and AIDS.
"They can't relate to the seriousness of this silent epidemic," he said. "They don't know or see anyone with HIV. So they think their chances of getting it are very low, especially if they have tested negative before."
When asked for his comments Brenton Wong, former vice-president of Aids advocacy group Action for AIDS, told Fridae he believes the increased infection rates could be due to an increase in unsafe behaviour. "Also no one is talking about recreational drug use as a driver for new infections," he said.
According to Fridae's international MSM Sex Survey in 2009 and 2010, 13% of 7993 respondents in 2009 reported consuming recreational drugs (e.g. Viagra, ecstasy, poppers, methamphetamines) before or during sex compared to 15% of 13,882 respondents in 2010.
From January to June last year, 38 of the 195 people diagnosed and who were infected through sex were men aged 20-29 and 2 were aged 15-19. In 2010, 66 of 432 people infected through sex were men aged 20-29, and 5 were aged 15-19.
Anonymous HIV Testing & Counselling
Action for AIDS operates an Anonymous HIV Testing & Counselling Clinic at the DSC Clinic at 31 Kelantan Lane #1-16 S200031 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Test results are available within 20 min of doing the test. The The clinic provides HIV and syphilis testing at $30 each.
Tuesdays & Wednesdays
6.30pm to 8.30pm (Last walk-in will be at 8.15pm)
Saturdays
1.30pm to 3.30pm (Last walk-in at 3.15pm)
Women-Friendly day
Every last Tuesday of the month.
AIDS Information & Counselling Hotline Number: 6254 0212
Monday to Friday, 10:00am to 5:30pm
The Hotline provides information and counseling services on all aspects of AIDS.
Important Note on Window Period before coming down for a test:
The time period between when a person is actually infected with HIV and when antibodies to HIV can be detected in the test is called the window period.
Nearly everyone who is infected with HIV (99%) will have antibodies detected by 3 months after infection.
However, currently used antibody tests are more sensitive than those used in the past.
Most people will develop detectable antibodies by 30 days after infection with HIV.
You are therefore able to do your HIV test at our clinic from the first month of exposure, then confirm your status once more in the third month.
For more info, click here.
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Reader's Comments
USE A CONDOM, GUYS
The bottom line is simple. Assume that everyone you meet is HIV positive and act appropriately....And for god's sake try to foresake all your hangups and paranoias and use some commonsense so you can enjoy your sex life.
On another note, I am truly appalled at this tendency to 'cream pie' as the latest trend in gay porn. That is nothing more than hi risk sex pretending to masquerade as ethics simply to sell more porn
http://www.moh.gov.sg/content/moh_web/home/pressRoom/pressRoomItemRelease/2011/hiv_update_for_worldaidsday2011.html
I expect a follow-up!
Guys, treasure and preserve your and others' lives, be responsible to your partner, and be careful for free sex, and always using a condom in both ORAL and ANAL sex.
A few improvements should be implemented:
1) Include HIV in the 3M Health Financing System (Medisave, Medishield, Medifund)
2) Allow use of Medisave to co-pay for PEP. After exposure to HIV, if preventive treatment is received within 72 hours, it is possible to cure a person of HIV permanently. The window of opportunity is only 3 days, so it's important for us to remove as much obstacles as we can for those who suspect they had been exposed to HIV, so that they can undergo the preventive treatment. By allowing one to used his OWN Medisave to pay 80% of the PEP costs, he'd need to pay around S$280 out-of-pocket to receive the treatment. The cash payment can discourage abuse because it is enough to cause a pinch, but not out of reach, to most people. We can further discourage abuse by requiring those who undergo PEP using Medisave to go through the trouble of receiving counseling and safer sex education (which prevents future exposure to HIV). The total cost of PEP is around $1,400, which is peanut compared to the lifetime financial and health costs of HIV infection. Most younger working adults contribute around 6% of their salary to Medisave.
3) Increase awareness on PEP. Make it a more patient-friendly and efficient to receive PEP. Consider to offer it 24/7 if it's logistically possible. Otherwise, extend the business hours available for PEP medical consulting.
I have questions:
1，It was 10years or 20years ago? who confirmed it? Was it by USA grovement or some "special" "DR.s"? Is there any "Dr." re-announced of this confirmation after a few decades?
2, Why It is easier? because of the anal sex? Does not any heto do anal sex? Perhaps we talk about ratio。There is 97% heteo。is there 3%（even if less than）of does anal sex? If so， The total number of heteo who had anal sex will be much much more then homo？Therefore should we focus on the heteo rather then homo? Why always on homo？
3, People talk about free sex and HIDS, Auto will clicked to Homosexuals. Why? Does someone’s deliberately been lead us to?
4，Who provides This statistic? (The Ministry of Health of Singp). Let us assume It is by the Government of the Congo or some anti homo group? Should we believe it?
5, Each year, the Number of death of cancers or other sickness much much more then death of AIDS, and discovery of the cancer virus is much longer than AIDS, Why so on AIDS? Perhaps that cancels is the "Majority" of the sickness and AIDS is a "Minority" of sickness, Or for the other "purposes"？
6, Some governments or groupes for a conspiracy purpose to cover up the truth. Such cases we have become commonplace (Too many examples of deception). Therefore, Is there any anti homosexual conspiracys linked to some other anti purpose?
There are always some scams "professionals, Dr.s". continue to appear b'coz of some people believe that "ex- gay" can be. There are some groups are obviously using "God" for their conspiracys, B'coz of some peopel are so “piety” of “GOD”？Some of us too easy to believe these so-called statistic evidence, so deception easly pass through to fooled us.
We should be having safe sex to reduce the spread of HIV and STD, but we also shouldn't be easily trust those statistics and something's been "proved" by some grovements and we shouldn't easily be deceived by some of those “professional & Dr.s"。
everyone has a brain.....
everyone should know un safe sex can get you HIV ....so i suppose to them ignorance's is a bliss because gay people are still rolling around doing un safe sex with others
i don't discriminate but people with HIV are a bit silly
even if it's not accurate fact still remains that people are doing un safe sex so lets not forget that
everyone has a brain.....
everyone should know un safe sex can get you HIV ....so i suppose to them ignorance's is a bliss because gay people are still rolling around doing un safe sex with others
i don't discriminate but people with HIV are a bit silly
even if it's not accurate fact still remains that people are doing un safe sex so lets not forget that
that's because Gay and Bi men are targeted by the medical establishment and thankfully the non-profit NGO for Gay Rights to get tested all the time. The more you get tested, the better the chances to hit the "Jackpot". Even the doctors and medical staffs acknowledged HIV testing is like a "Russian Roulette", it's just a gamble, a probability. Keep testing for HIV until one day your test result come up POSITIVE, then you don't need to worry about testing anymore, because they say you "got" it (HIV) for Life, and they got you for Life (life-long HIV "medication"). Infact, HIV+ people do get tested NEGATIVE after a few months/years, or simply by sending the same blood sample to be analyse by a different lab.
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