KUALA LUMPUR: Johor has registered a 35.7 per cent increase in HIV cases compared to cases reported last year.
State Health and Unity Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said there were 494 cases logged up to the second week of December compared to 394 cases within the same period last year.
Of the number, 203 were new cases. These new cases also occurred at a ratio of 5 cases per 100,000 people.
Johor also recorded a rise in AIDS infections with 244 such cases recorded so far this year, compared to 183 cases recorded within the same period last year.
"This increase in AIDS cases is due to health facilities identifying and reporting AIDS cases, according to the set criteria," he said in a statement yesterday.
The number of HIV and AIDS deaths have also increased to 19 and 62 cases respectively, from 11 and 43 deaths recorded in the same period last year.
Districts that reported the highest number of HIV cases are Johor Baru with 60 per cent or 122 cases, Kluang and Kulai logged 6.8 per cent or 14 cases each and other districts made up 15.7 per cent or 32 cases.
Men make up 180 cases or 88.7 per cent of the cases.
He said men aged 20 to 39 make up 78.8 per cent or 160 of the HIV cases, followed by those aged 50 and above attribute to another 9.8 per cent or 20 cases, while those aged 40 to 49 make up 9.6 per cent or 19 cases.
"Of the total, two per cent or four of these cases also involve those age 13 to 19.
"The main contributory risk factor for new HIV cases up to the Epidemiological Week of 49/2022 is through homosexual or bisexual contact. They made up 116 cases or 57.1 per cent of the cases, followed by heterosexual contact of 78 cases or 38.4 per cent of the cases and one case or 0.5 per cent which occurred through the sharing of needles."