HIV Infections Rising in Hong Kong

Public health and HIV/AIDS experts warn that if prevention programs don't take hold in Hong Kong, as many as one third of the city's gay and bisexual men could be infected with HIV by 2020. The number of infections among that group has risen every year since 2003, while the rate of infection for heterosexuals has stayed steady over that same amount of time, Reuters reports.

BY admin

October 18 2008 12:00 AM ET

Public health and
HIV/AIDS experts warn that if prevention programs don't
take hold in Hong Kong, as many as one third of the city's
gay and bisexual men could be infected with HIV by
2020. The number of infections among that group has
risen every year since 2003, while the rate of
infection for heterosexuals has stayed steady over that same
amount of time, Reuters reports.

"If all our
actions fail, by 2020 we can have one third infected in
the community," Wong Ka-hing, a consultant to Hong Kong's
Center for Health Protection, told Reuters. "Some of
them may go on to infect women," he added.

At the moment, 4%
of Hong Kong's gay and bisexual men are HIV-positive.
(The Advocate)