Health in the news: Updates on HIV/AIDS in Iran

Below is the latest update on the number of people with HIV/AIDS in Iran according to the MOH periodical report on the incidence of HIV/AIDS.
The latest HIV/AIDS statistics (December 20, 2006) show:
1- HIV positive or AIDS: 14,090 diagnosed cases (13,308 (94.4%) male and 782(5.6%) female).
2-From the total mentioned above, 789 male and 75 female have diagnosed as AIDS.
3-4407 of them are in the age range of 25-34 years (most frequent affected age group) followed by the age group of 35-44 years with 3338 cases. Among cases with AIDS: 25-34 years:298 cases, and 35-44: 296 AIDS patients.
4-Most frequent route of the infection transmission was IV drug abusing (64.9%) followed by unknown (25.5%), Sexual (7.5%), blood and blood products transfusion(1.7%) and finally vertical (maternal) transmission(0.5%). Among those died of AIDS: IV drug abusing (72.1%), unknown (10.5%),sexual(9.1%),blood and blood products transfusion(7.1%), and vertical transmission(0.6%).
5-Mortality: 1760 deaths (96.3 % male) up to the date of this report.

Source: http://pezeshkan.ir, Jan 6 2007
My comment: According to different sources some 2 (an official report) to 6 (WHO estimates) million individuals in Iran are opium addict. A considerable majority of the addicts are IV drug abusers. If drug addiction continues to be this high, IV drug abusing will remain the main route of HIV transmission in Iran. It seems that the contribution of sexual contacts (mostly heterosexual) as a route of HIV transmission in the total number of HIV positives will considerably rise in near future.
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