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We
can’t
be complacent about our sexual health
That’s the
message from the Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland
(HPA) as it adds support to World AIDS
Day, the annual event which aims to raise awareness of the
disease.
Latest figures from the Genito-urinary Medicine Clinic at
the Royal Victoria Hospital show that by the end of September
this year 444 people in Northern Ireland are reported to
have the HIV virus, and to date there have been 142 deaths
from AIDS.
Dr Brian Gaffney,
Chief Executive of the HPA, said: “The
latest figures show that in the majority of instances the
virus has been acquired through sexual intercourse between
men (56%), this is followed by more than one in four cases
(28%) occurring through sexual intercourse between men and
women.”
On a global scale women are increasingly infected with the
disease and they are now making up almost half of the 37.2
million people currently living with HIV worldwide. Many
of these women have become infected through blood transfusions
and women who are unaware that they have acquired the disease
have passed it onto their babies.
Dr Gaffney continued: “Complacency towards sexual
health is the killer. Thinking it won’t happen to you
is as good as sticking your head in the sand. Don’t
put yourself or your partner at risk – practice safer
sex. The best protection against a range of sexually transmitted
infections (STIs) is simple - use a condom.”
The HPA continues to run its sexual health information
campaign aimed at increasing awareness of safer sex
for 18 – 30
year olds. The campaign takes the form of posters with hard
hitting messages, which are displayed in a number of pubs, clubs and
student unions popular with this age group throughout Northern
Ireland.
The HPA will be working closely with the Department of
Health, Social Services and Public Safety to implement
the Sexual
Health Promotion Strategy which aims to reduce the number
of new diagnoses of HIV /STIs by 25% by 2009. More information on the annual 1 December event can be found
by visiting www.worldaidsday.org
END
Notes
to the editor
World AIDS falls on 1 December each year.
For further information
Contact Jenny Dougan on 028 9031 1611 / 9031 1514.
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