NewsWhore
07-02-2009, 05:10 PM
AIDS is prevalent among gays, transvestites and drug addicts, according to a study released today that says that 1.1% of the adult population is infected with HIV. This information is contained in the First Survey on Risky Sexual Behavior with Serological Ties carried out in the country. The study showed the prevalence of HIV in people who use drugs to be 8% and in homosexuals and transvestites 6.1%. The study also shows that amongst sex workers the HIV rate is 4.8%.
The study, carried out in 2008 and released yesterday by the Presidential Council on AIDS (Copresida), covered the Dominican capital and the provinces of Santiago, Barahona and La Altagracia.
La Altagracia province has the highest rate of HIV among homosexual men at 7.6%, and at the same time the study showed that the highest proportion of sex workers (prostitutes) with HIV+ was found in Barahona at 8.4%.
The study also found that the prevalence of the virus is greater in the older segment (25 years or older) of the prostitutes. Syphilis was the most prevalent disease among the sex workers, with 11.3% reporting infections.
Copresida executive director Gustavo Rojas Lara stressed that "historically these groups are discriminated against and stigmatized, and this makes getting any information on their sexual behavior all the more difficult, a factor that was taken into account by the survey."
The study was carried out by Copresida and Ministry of Public Health staff with financial and technical assistance from the World Bank, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations HIV/AIDS Program (UNAIDS) and other organizations. The survey used 3900 subjects divided into 1300 sex workers, 1400 homosexuals and 1200 drug users.
According to USAID, 50 of every 100,000 Dominicans lives with the disease and 58,000 children have been orphaned by the illness.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#6)
The study, carried out in 2008 and released yesterday by the Presidential Council on AIDS (Copresida), covered the Dominican capital and the provinces of Santiago, Barahona and La Altagracia.
La Altagracia province has the highest rate of HIV among homosexual men at 7.6%, and at the same time the study showed that the highest proportion of sex workers (prostitutes) with HIV+ was found in Barahona at 8.4%.
The study also found that the prevalence of the virus is greater in the older segment (25 years or older) of the prostitutes. Syphilis was the most prevalent disease among the sex workers, with 11.3% reporting infections.
Copresida executive director Gustavo Rojas Lara stressed that "historically these groups are discriminated against and stigmatized, and this makes getting any information on their sexual behavior all the more difficult, a factor that was taken into account by the survey."
The study was carried out by Copresida and Ministry of Public Health staff with financial and technical assistance from the World Bank, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations HIV/AIDS Program (UNAIDS) and other organizations. The survey used 3900 subjects divided into 1300 sex workers, 1400 homosexuals and 1200 drug users.
According to USAID, 50 of every 100,000 Dominicans lives with the disease and 58,000 children have been orphaned by the illness.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#6)