© AFP
Yesterday, Iranian state television quoted Health Minister Hassan Ghzaizadeh saying there has been a nine-fold growth in the number of HIV/AIDS patients in the decade, Associated Press reported.
The report said number of registered HIV-positive citizens is about 27,000, though estimates suggest there are some 100,000 people infected in Iran. It said a third of those infected said they contradicted the virus through sexual intercourse, while the rest got it from using infected syringes.
"Today people in Iran are frightened of Aids because of misinformation and unscientific claims. This is why it remains a taboo," Mr Ghzaizadeh said at an event in Tehran marking World Aids Day yesterday, according to local media. "There has been a ninefold growth in the number of people with Aids in the past 11 years and an 80% increase each year."
The Health Minister warned that the majority were unaware of their infections and that the trend was shifting from drug use to sexual transmission. "This is more than the rate of our inflation or the rise in house prices," he said. According to Hashemi, social stigma makes HIV patients and their relatives keep the disease secret. "Unfortunately, in our country, the status of awarness among patients, social support and education and prevention is poor," he said. "In Iran, the trend is shifting from transmission through drug addicts sharing syringes to transmission through high-risk sexual activities." About 5% of HIV patients in the country are child workers, the Minister said.
The report said number of registered HIV-positive citizens is about 27,000, though estimates suggest there are some 100,000 people infected in Iran. It said a third of those infected said they contradicted the virus through sexual intercourse, while the rest got it from using infected syringes.
"Today people in Iran are frightened of Aids because of misinformation and unscientific claims. This is why it remains a taboo," Mr Ghzaizadeh said at an event in Tehran marking World Aids Day yesterday, according to local media. "There has been a ninefold growth in the number of people with Aids in the past 11 years and an 80% increase each year."
The Health Minister warned that the majority were unaware of their infections and that the trend was shifting from drug use to sexual transmission. "This is more than the rate of our inflation or the rise in house prices," he said. According to Hashemi, social stigma makes HIV patients and their relatives keep the disease secret. "Unfortunately, in our country, the status of awarness among patients, social support and education and prevention is poor," he said. "In Iran, the trend is shifting from transmission through drug addicts sharing syringes to transmission through high-risk sexual activities." About 5% of HIV patients in the country are child workers, the Minister said.
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