Update Of HIV Infection In 2003

24 Nov 2003

New cases of HIV infection reported this year

In the first ten months of 2003, another 201 Singaporeans were detected to be HIV infected. About 88% of the new cases detected this year were males and 12% were females. 

Sexual transmission remains the main mode of HIV transmission among Singaporeans. Of the 201 cases reported this year, 198 cases acquired the infection through the sexual route with heterosexual transmission accounting for 78% of infections, homosexual transmission 15% and bisexual transmission 5%. The remaining 2% was due to intravenous drug use. There was no perinatal transmission. Among those who acquired the infection through the sexual route, about 88% had sexual exposure to prostitutes (locally and overseas) and/or casual sex partners.

Those aged between 30 to 49 years of age accounted for about 63% of all new cases reported this year. Those aged between 50 to 59 years accounted for 14% and 20 to 29 years accounted for about 13% of new cases this year. Of the new cases, about 46% were single while about 38% were married, 13% were divorced and 3% were widowed.

Total number of HIV infected Singaporeans

This brings the total number of HIV infected Singaporeans as of 31 October 2003 to 2034 including 17 children (Table 1) . Of these, 770 are asymptomatic carriers, 488 have full-blown AIDS and 776 have died

Heterosexual transmission has been the most common mode of HIV transmission among Singaporeans since 1991 (Table 2). Most of these cases contracted the infection through casual sex and sex with prostitutes in Singapore and overseas.

The majority of the HIV infected Singaporeans are males with 1780 cases; 254 are females (Table 3) giving a sex ratio of seven males to one female. Among the males, 60% were single at the point of diagnosis. For the females, however, the majority (63%) were married. 

About 84% are Chinese, 8% Malays, 5% Indians and 3% others ethnic groups (Table 4). About 20% of the HIV infected Singaporeans were working in the sales and service sector and another 18% were production craftsman and plant/machine assemblers (Table 6).

Ministry's advice

The Ministry would like to emphasise that the only way to avoid AIDS is to remain faithful to one?s spouse 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 casual sex or sex with prostitutes are advised to lower their risk by wearing condoms. 

The Ministry reminds those who are at risk of being infected with the HIV virus not to donate blood. Those who are at risk of being infected are advised to see their doctors for HIV screening. All women who are pregnant are also encouraged to go for HIV screening so that measures to prevent transmission from mother to infant could be taken early for those who are found to be HIV infected. The identities of persons who come forward for testing and those who are found to be HIV positive will be kept strictly confidential.

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. The AIDS virus has to go directly into your bloodstream before it can infect you.