Health Ministry: Homosexual intercourse main of cause of HIV spread
PUCHONG: Homosexual intercourse is now the main cause of HIV infection among Malaysians.
In an infographic posted by the Health Ministry, the government said that the pattern of HIV spread among Malaysians have changed since it was first detected back in 1986.
“In 1990, most of HIV infection happened due to the sharing of tainted injection needle among drug addicts, which stood at 61% of the cases.
“The number dropped to 48% by 2010. However, the spread of HIV through heterosexual intercourse soared from 5% in 1990 to 40% in 2010,” it said.
However, the pattern changed in 2018, when more than half of recorded HIV infection cases happened through gay sex among men, at 57%.
In 2010, HIV spread through homosexual intercourse stood at only 8% but it shot up drastically last year.
“Only 3% of the cases now involve the use of tainted needles by drug addicts,” it said.
The ministry then reminded Malaysians that HIV can also spread from infected mothers to their unborn child, blood transfusion, organ transplant and the use of tainted injection needles.
The Health Ministry will be celebrating the World AIDS Day in Ipoh, Perak, which falls in Dec 1.
By G Vinod
