Last year, more than 1,005 new HIV infections caused sexual contact between same sexes
Dec 06, 2024
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AIDS, called acquired immunodeficiency, is a disease in which HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) invades the human body, attacks and destroys immune cells, and weakens a person's immune function.
Here, HIV is the causative virus of AIDS, and AIDS refers to a state in which the immune system is severely damaged due to HIV infection. In other words, people with HIV are 'HIV-infected persons', and not everyone is AIDS.
According to the annual report on the status of HIV/AIDS reporting by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of new HIV infections in 2023 is 1,005. Among them, there are 749 Koreans and 256 foreigners. In particular, the number of new domestic infections is on the decline, but the number of foreign infections is continuously increasing every year.
HIV infection can occur in sexual contact with an infected person, exposure to infected blood, and joint use of needles, and most of the domestic infection routes are 'sexual contact'. In fact, 564 (99.6%) of the 566 people who responded to the survey on the infection route of new HIV infections were infected through sexual contact, and 54% (306) of them were infected through same-sex sexual contact.
HIV is not infected by contact in everyday life, such as handshaking, hugging, eating, or sharing objects. As 99% of the infection routes are sexual contact, it is a sure prevention method to avoid unsafe sexual contact such as ▲anonymous contact ▲ prostitution ▲ non-use of condoms.
HIV infection was known to be a disease that led to death until only a few years ago, but in recent years, it has been evaluated as a manageable disease like a chronic disease due to the development of treatments. In addition, active treatment in the early stages of HIV infection can prevent progression to AIDS.
Professor Kim Jun-hyung of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Catholic Kwandong University's International St. Mary's Hospital said "HIV-infected persons can maintain a healthy life if they reduce the amount of virus in their bodies and keep their immune cells high through initial appropriate treatment."As a result, rapid diagnosis and treatment of HIV is essential in terms of individual health, and furthermore, it plays an important role in preventing infection by preventing transmission to others."
In other words, rapid diagnosis and treatment are of paramount importance. To this end, local health centers anonymously conduct HIV diagnosis tests for free, and the government provides out-of-pocket expenses for medical treatment.
Professor Kim recommends visiting a nearby public health center for diagnostic tests if you think you have been exposed to HIV. Recently, rapid testing can tell the result in 20 minutes. "If you are tested positive for HIV, the only way to prevent the progression to AIDS is to visit a hospital and receive treatment."
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
