Japan reports record new HIV infections, AIDS patients in 2006

This article was original posted on AIDS ASIA. Courtesy of Dr. Joe Thomas.

The number of people reported infected with HIV in a year in Japan reached a record high of 914 in 2006, while that of people reported to have developed AIDS also grew to a record high of 390, bringing the total to 1,304, preliminary data released Wednesday by the government's AIDS Surveillance Committee showed.

A majority of new HIV infections were attributed to male homosexual contacts, the committee's report noted. By age bracket, 2006 saw an increase in HIV infections among those aged 30 or older, with HIV infections generally spreading among those between their 20s and their 40s, it said.

This was the third year in a row in which the reported total of new HIV infections and new AIDS patients topped 1,000 and reached a record high.

"While the number of people getting checks is growing, we believe infections themselves are on the increase," Aikichi Iwamoto, who chairs the committee, said.

"Given most were infected through sexual contacts, we hope people will understand that HIV is increasingly common, take preventive measures and get examined early if they are worried about anything," said Iwamoto, who is professor at the University of Tokyo's Institute of Medical Science.

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