Japan’s HIV Cases Double in Ten Years

According to a report released by UNAIDS, the number of annual HIV cases reported in Japan more than doubled to 780 in 2004 from the number reported in 1994 to 1995.

The report states that this rising trend is largely due to increasing infections among men who have sex with men. Furthermore, about one-third of the cases in 2004 were in people under 30, showing that unsafe sex is being practiced by younger men and women.

Although national infection levels in Asia are low compared to Africa, the high population concentration means that even a low HIV prevalence translates into large numbers of people. Latest UNAID estimates indicate that 8.3 million people in Asia were living with HIV in 2005.