1066 AIDS Infections, 92% Male... Majority Due to 'Sexual Contact'

91 More Cases Than Last Year's 975
60.3% Infections from Same-Sex Sexual Contact

Last year, the number of reported cases of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) infections in South Korea exceeded 1,000. Most patients were infected through sexual contact, with 60.3% of cases resulting from same-sex sexual contact.

According to data on the "AIDS infection status over the past five years" submitted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency to Choi Young-hee, a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee from the People Power Party, the number of newly reported infections in 2022 was 1,066. This is an increase of 91 cases (9.3%) compared to 975 cases in 2021.

By gender, 984 of the infected were male, accounting for the majority (92.3%), while females numbered 82 (7.7%). Additionally, 825 cases (77.4%) were reported among Korean nationals, and 241 cases (22.6%) were among foreign residents in the country.

Among the 582 domestic new infections last year who responded to the survey, an overwhelming majority of 577 (99.2%) were infected through sexual contact, of which 60.3% (348 cases) were infected through same-sex sexual contact. From 1985 to 2018, heterosexual sexual contact was the most common route of AIDS infection, but since 2019, infections through same-sex sexual contact have surpassed those through heterosexual contact.

Five individuals who were not infected through sexual contact were confirmed to have contracted the virus through sharing drug injection needles. Cases of infection due to shared needles have been reported annually, with 2 cases in 2019, 2 in 2020, 1 in 2021, and 5 in 2022. In the past, infections from drug injection were rare, with one case each reported in 1992, 2000, 2008, 2010, and 2017. However, as drug-related crimes have increased recently, cases of infection through shared needles have continued for four consecutive years.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Infection Status [Image Source: Office of Choi Young-hee, People Power Party, Yonhap News]

Lawmaker Choi Young-hee stated, "With syphilis patients exceeding 10,000 in Japan and sexually transmitted diseases spreading worldwide, South Korea is also seeing new AIDS infections surpass 1,000 again, highlighting the need for active prevention education and public awareness campaigns by health authorities."

Meanwhile, since the first reported case of AIDS in South Korea in 1985 until the end of last year, the cumulative number of reported surviving AIDS-infected Korean nationals is 15,880. Of these, 14,882 (94.7%) are men, and 998 (6.3%) are women.

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