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Continued from
FrontPage of Article
Prevention of HIV
infection
The most effective way to prevent HIV infection is to remain
faithful to one's spouse/partner and to avoid casual sex and sex
with prostitutes. A HIV infected person looks and feels normal
during the early stage of the infection. It is therefore not
possible to tell if a person is infected or not by looking at
his/her appearance.
Persons who engage in high-risk behaviour i.e. multiple sexual
partners, casual sex or sex with prostitutes, are strongly advised
to use condoms to reduce their risk of HIV infection. It is a
criminal offence for persons who know that they are infected with
HIV not to inform their sex partners of their HIV status before
sexual intercourse. Persons who engage in high risk sexual practices
are advised not to donate blood.
Persons who have unprotected sex while engaging in high-risk
behaviour have a higher risk of HIV infection. They should go for
HIV testing regularly so that the disease is detected as early as
possible. Treatment can significantly delay the onset of AIDS and
reduce the risk of death. HIV testing is available in most medical
clinics. The identities of persons who come forward for testing and
those who are found to be HIV positive will be kept strictly
confidential. All women who are pregnant are also encouraged to go
for HIV screening so that treatment to prevent transmission from
mother to infant could be taken early for those who are found to be
HIV infected.
AIDS is not transmitted through normal day-to-day contacts with a
HIV infected person at home, in school or at the workplace. You
cannot get AIDS from coughs, sneezes, shaking hands, hugging,
sharing of food and cutlery, sharing of toilets, etc.
TABLE 1 NUMBER OF SINGAPOREANS REPORTED WITH HIV
INFECTION/AIDS (1985 - Jun 2006)
|
Year
|
HIV/AIDS
|
AIDS
|
|
Male
|
Female
|
Total
|
Rate*
|
Male
|
Female
|
Total
|
Rate*
|
| 1985
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
0.8
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| 1986
|
6
|
1
|
7
|
2.8
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0.4
|
| 1987
|
10
|
0
|
10
|
3.9
|
3
|
0
|
3
|
1.2
|
| 1988
|
15
|
0
|
15
|
5.8
|
6
|
0
|
6
|
2.3
|
| 1989
|
9
|
1
|
10
|
3.8
|
5
|
0
|
5
|
1.9
|
| 1990
|
17
|
0
|
17
|
6.2
|
8
|
0
|
8
|
2.9
|
| 1991
|
39
|
3
|
42
|
15
|
12
|
0
|
12
|
4.3
|
| 1992
|
49
|
6
|
55
|
19.3
|
17
|
1
|
18
|
6.3
|
| 1993
|
58
|
6
|
64
|
22
|
19
|
3
|
22
|
7.6
|
| 1994
|
76
|
10
|
86
|
29
|
44
|
4
|
48
|
16.2
|
| 1995
|
102
|
9
|
111
|
36.8
|
51
|
5
|
56
|
18.6
|
| 1996
|
123
|
16
|
139
|
45.3
|
89
|
3
|
92
|
30
|
| 1997
|
157
|
16
|
173
|
55.4
|
80
|
8
|
88
|
28.2
|
| 1998
|
167
|
32
|
199
|
62.7
|
112
|
13
|
125
|
39.4
|
| 1999
|
171
|
35
|
206
|
63.9
|
125
|
15
|
140
|
43.5
|
| 2000
|
193
|
33
|
226
|
69.3
|
128
|
15
|
143
|
43.8
|
| 2001
|
204
|
33
|
237
|
71.4
|
136
|
16
|
152
|
45.8
|
| 2002
|
206
|
28
|
234
|
69.3
|
133
|
13
|
146
|
43.2
|
| 2003
|
212
|
30
|
242
|
70.4
|
130
|
13
|
143
|
41.6
|
| 2004
|
290
|
21
|
311
|
89.2
|
162
|
11
|
173
|
49.6
|
| 2005
|
287
|
30
|
317**
|
89.2
|
91
|
9
|
100
|
28.1
|
| Jun 2006
|
140
|
9
|
149
|
|
63
|
3
|
66
|
|
| Total
|
2,533
|
319
|
2,852
|
|
1,415
|
132
|
1,547
|
|
* per million population
** An additional 62 cases who were diagnosed with HIV in late-2005 have been
added to the figures for 2005. The total number of cases reported in 2005 has
thus been revised to 317 from 255 previously
TABLE 2
DISTRIBUTION OF HIV INFECTED SINGAPOREANS BY MODES OF TRANSMISSION
(1985 - Jun 2006)
|
Mode of
Transmission |
1985-99 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
Jan - Jun 2006
|
|
Sexual Orientation
|
|
Heterosexual
|
789
|
190
|
181
|
181
|
177
|
188
|
185
|
88
|
|
Homosexual
|
157
|
12
|
22
|
30
|
40
|
72
|
87
|
39
|
|
Bisexual
|
114
|
16
|
16
|
12
|
14
|
22
|
14
|
6
|
|
Intravenous drug use
|
23
|
3
|
6
|
6
|
4
|
7
|
4
|
7
|
|
Blood Transfusion
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
Renal Transplant overseas
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
Perinatal (mother to child)
|
12
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
4
|
3
|
0
|
|
Uncertain
|
33
|
4
|
10
|
3
|
6
|
18
|
24
|
9
|
| Total |
1136
|
226
|
237
|
234
|
242
|
311
|
317
|
149
|
TABLE 3 HIV
INFECTED SINGAPOREANS BY MARITAL STATUS (1985 - JUN 2006)
|
Marital Status |
1985 - 2005 |
Jan - Jun 2006
|
|
Male |
Female |
Total |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| Single |
1442
|
63
|
1505
|
87
|
1
|
88
|
| Married |
668
|
191
|
859
|
42
|
5
|
47
|
| Divorced/Separated |
224
|
32
|
256
|
8
|
2
|
10
|
| Widowed |
59
|
24
|
83
|
3
|
1
|
4
|
| Total |
2393
|
310
|
2703
|
140
|
9
|
149
|
TABLE 4 HIV/AIDS
INFECTED SINGAPOREANS BY ETHNIC GROUP (1985 - Jun 2006)
|
Ethnic Group |
1985 - 2005 |
Jan - Jun 2006
|
|
Number |
% |
Number |
% |
| Chinese |
2255
|
83.4
|
122
|
81.9
|
| Malay |
241
|
8.9
|
18
|
12.1
|
| Indian/Sikh/Pakistani |
123
|
4.6
|
7
|
4.7
|
| Others |
84
|
3.1
|
2
|
1.3
|
| Total |
2703
|
100
|
149
|
100
|
TABLE 5 HIV
INFECTED SINGAPOREANS BY AGE AND SEX (1985 - Jun 2006)
|
Age at Diagnosis (Years) |
1985 - 2005 |
Jan - Jun 2006
|
|
Male |
Female |
Total |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| 0 - 9 |
11
|
13
|
24
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| 10 -19 |
18
|
4
|
22
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| 20 -29 |
371
|
112
|
483
|
27
|
2
|
29
|
| 30 -39 |
848
|
85
|
933
|
40
|
4
|
44
|
| 40 - 49 |
634
|
48
|
682
|
30
|
0
|
30
|
| 50 - 59 |
290
|
33
|
323
|
26
|
3
|
29
|
| 60 & above |
221
|
15
|
236
|
17
|
0
|
17
|
| Total |
2393
|
310
|
2703
|
140
|
9
|
149
|
TABLE 6 HIV/AIDS
INFECTED SINGAPOREANS BY OCCUPATION (1985 - Jun 2006)
|
Occupation
|
1985 - 2005
|
Jan - Jun 2006
|
|
Number
|
%
|
Number
|
%
|
| Service/Sales |
516
|
19.1
|
19
|
12.8
|
| Production Craftsman / Assemblers |
440
|
16.3
|
11
|
7.4
|
| Cleaner / Labourers |
315
|
11.7
|
13
|
8.7
|
| Managerial |
231
|
8.5
|
7
|
4.7
|
| Technical |
194
|
7.2
|
10
|
6.7
|
| Clerical |
142
|
5.3
|
2
|
1.3
|
| Professional |
133
|
4.9
|
26
|
17.4
|
| Housewives |
128
|
4.7
|
1
|
0.7
|
| Others |
257
|
9.5
|
31
|
20.8
|
| Unemployed |
347
|
12.8
|
29
|
19.5
|
| Total |
2703
|
100
|
149
|
100
|
Source:
www.moh.gov.sg Press Release
27 Nov 2006
|
Health Ministry forms national
committee to combat HIV/AIDS
All rights reserved
