Health | 15 HIV infections recorded until September

This year, from January until September, a total of 15 cases of HIV infection among local residents were reported, according to the Health Bureau.

Ten cases were related to infection through homosexual or bisexual contact, three were related to infection through heterosexual contact, and the remaining two cases were of unknown cause.

All cases were referred to the Conde. S. Januário Hospital.

According to the head of the drug treatment and rehabilitation division of the Social Affairs Bureau (IAS), from January until September of 2018, a total of 154 patients received methadone treatments, accounting for 80 percent of the cases that were followed up.

By the end of this year, the government will launch a new treatment center located at Ilha Verde, and will provide comprehensive treatment services to people who have requested help.

In addition, the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ) reported some updates to the government’s sexual health promotional campaign. Currently, the city’s schools are fully implementing the formal education curriculum framework, which includes sexual health education.

In order to enhance sex education amongst parents, the education authority will in December launch the Sex Education Parent Booklet. Furthermore, the education authority will also sponsor local schools, through the city’s school development program, to carry out parental sex education activities.

The education authority has pledged to carry out deeper sex education promotion among teaching professionals. 

During 2017, 179 people in Macau undertook a methadone treatment. In 2016, 30 HIV infection cases were recorded in Macau.

Previously, the health authority remarked that, for the past ten years, the number of HIV infection declarations had increased significantly. However, SSM explained that the increase is related to more people having received a check-up.