'Record-breaking numbers' of HIV cases recorded in Hong Kong as gay men still at highest risk

With World Aids Day just a week away Hong Kong has released figures showing gay men are still at the highest risk of contracting HIV in the city.

“We’ve had record-breaking numbers each quarter this year. It’s very likely the numbers this year will surpass last year,” said Dr Wong Ka-hing, consultant for the Health Department’s special preventive programme, as he released data for the third quarter’s new infection rates.

“It’s also the highest among the MSM (men having sex with men) community.”

The department recorded 153 new cases in the third quarter this year. 125 men and 28 women contracted the virus which can cause Aids, a disease which suppresses the immune system and makes a person weak and vulnerable to other diseases. 23 new cases of Aids were also detected.

Around half of the new HIV cases were suspected to have been acquired through unprotected gay or bisexual sex, a quarter through heterosexual sex and two of the cases through drug injections. The causes of the rest of the infections were unknown or inconclusive.

Dr Wong said that most of the infections were contracted locally, though for heterosexual couples around 35 per cent were suspected to have been contracted overseas.