Study finds high HIV infection rate among the married ( updated )
A recent study into HIV/Aids transmission has uncovered a case where a couple transmitted the virus to each other after each had been infected by their secret lovers.
The study was conducted last year by Phitsanulok province's Disease Prevention and Control division area 9 to learn how HIV infection is being spread among people in the northern region.
The study showed that 53 per cent of new HIV infection cases in the northern provinces, who answered the survey, said they had got the HIV virus from their husbands or wives, Dr Somyos Kittimankhong of the Department of Disease Controls (DDC) anti-Aids division said.
He was speaking at a three-day National Aids Conference, which began on March 29 at Impact Arena Muang Thong Thani. About 3,500 people from civic groups, health activists and experts joined the conference to discuss progress of HIV treatment and prevention.
Somyos said that his agency found 20,000 civil servants had been given anti-retroviral medicine to treat HIV/Aids, and 50,000 employees under the Social Security Fund had received medicine from hospitals. Over 140,000 people received the Aids drug under the universal healthcare scheme.
Somyos said most people did not know that the National Health Security Office conducted free HIV testing twice a year. He found that only 300,000 to 400,000 people went to hospital to take the HIV test. About 7 per cent were found to be HIV positive.
"If we want to reduce new HIV cases, we need at least 10 million people to undergo the HIV test," he said.
Dr Chawetsan Namwat of the department's Epidemiology Division said the Public Health Ministry estimated 10,100 people would become new HIV/Aids cases by the end of this year.
Gay men remain the group most affected by HIV in Thailand, followed by housewives, men who have sex with sex workers, men infected by their wives, and injecting drug users.
To curb the rise in HIV infection, the Disease Control Department's Anti-Aids Bureau will install condom boxes to provide free condoms in three different sizes. They will be placed at saunas, sex and entertainment venues and among the gay community.
Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanavisit said about 27 provinces have a large number of HIV/Aids cases, comprising more than 70 per cent. The ministry will give priority to controlling the spread of HIV/Aids in these areas.
To curb the increasing number of HIV cases, the Disease Control Department's Anti-Aids Bureau will install condom boxes to provide free condoms of three different sizes - 49 millimetres, 52mm and 54mm.
Aids Access Foundation's director Nimitr Tienudom said the government should implement a 100 per cent condom-use project to provide free condoms to all Thais, not only the risk group. Government spending should be boosted for projects fighting HIV as budgets have been cut over the past few years.
Mit Samphan Harm Reduction Centre's manager Jirasak Sripramong said government should cease compulsory therapy for injected drug users, as they were often abused during the 45-day programme. The government should provide voluntary therapy and a counselling centre for the users who are not criminals.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011/03/30/national/Study-finds-high-HIV-infection-rate-among-the-marr-30152091.html
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