[procaare] 455 More Test Positive for HIV/AIDS in Korea

[Korea Herald <procaare@healthnet.org>]

"455 More Test Positive for HIV/AIDS"
Korea Herald (10.21.04)
Lee Sun-young
*********

REPUBLIC OF KOREA:
On Oct. 20, health authorities reported that 455 people tested positive
for HIV in the first nine months of 2004, raising the number of resident
Koreans who have been infected with the virus to 2,994. The new cases
represent a 14 percent increase over new cases in the same period the
previous year.

All 305 cases whose route of transmission has been determined were
infected sexually: 51 percent heterosexual vs. 49 percent homosexual,
according to the Korean Center for Disease Control and Prevention
(KCDC). Since 1985, when the nation's AIDS epidemic began, 591 people
died of AIDS, leaving the number living with HIV-infection at 2,403.

A survey last year found that only 12 percent of adults reported using
condoms during sex. In an effort to boost their use, KCDC recently
launched a major campaign to improve the image of condoms. Beginning
this month, KCDC and the Korea Anti-AIDS Federation introduced
commercials promoting condom use. These public service announcements,
aired nationwide on MBC-TV, are scheduled to run twice daily Monday
through Thursday and once daily Friday through Sunday.

In addition, 132 foreign residents were found to be HIV-infected: They
are not included in the 455 figure. The number of foreign cases in the
first nine months of 2004 was more than double the 59 foreign cases
found in all of 2003. Some 80,000 formerly illegal foreign workers have
undergone a required check-up that includes an HIV test, and health
authorities say this explains the sharp increase in cases detected among
foreigners. Immigration officials say foreigners who are diagnosed with
HIV/AIDS may face deportation if they do not return home on their own.

Source: CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update 10/25/04

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