New HIV Infections Surpass 1,000 Again Last Year... 10% Increase from Previous Year

Last year, the number of newly infected individuals with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) exceeded 1,000 again. HIV is a virus that damages the human immune system and causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Before COVID-19, the number of new HIV infections was on the rise, but due to reduced person-to-person contact after 2020, the number dropped below 1,000 in 2021 (975 cases), the first time since 2012 (953 cases) in nine years.

On the 29th, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced that "the number of new HIV infections in 2022 increased by about 10% compared to the previous year, reaching 1,066 cases." Among them, Korean nationals accounted for most cases with 825 (77.4%), while foreigners accounted for 241 (22.6%). The KDCA stated, "The proportion of foreigners among new HIV infections is gradually increasing."

Regarding the gender of newly infected HIV patients, most cases occurred in men (984 cases, 92.3%). Among all genders, those in their 30s accounted for the largest share with 352 cases (34.9%), followed by those in their 20s with 293 cases (31.5%), and those in their 40s with 148 cases (16.5%). Young people in their 20s and 30s make up 66.4% of new HIV infections. An epidemiological survey conducted on 577 of these individuals showed that 99.1% of respondents (577 people) reported having had sexual contact. Among them, 60.3% (348 people) reported having had same-sex sexual contact.

Since the first HIV infection case was reported in South Korea in 1985, the number of living HIV-infected individuals as of last year is 15,880. This is an increase of 683 people (4.5%) compared to the previous year (10,197). Due to the availability of treatments and government support for treatment, the survival rate continues to improve steadily.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.