HIV sufferers in Bulgaria - statistics

A third of those diagnosed as HIV-positive in 2007 are under twenty-five years of age. The announcement was made by Dr. Tonka Vurleva, national coordinator of the national Prevention and Control of HIV-AIDS programme.

A national Anti-AIDS information campaign aimed mainly at raising young people’s awareness and understanding of HIV infection and prevention begins on December 1st. The campaign is entitled "Be in the Know" (Bulgarian: "Budi v Chas").

Official figures for HIV sufferers in Bulgaria as of November 22 showed 803 people. Nationally, a total of 200,000 people have undergone HIV testing since the disease was first discovered. Eighty-three per cent have been infected through sexual contact; 13 per cent through blood contact; 3 per cent from blood transfusions; and under 1 per cent contracted the virus in the womb.

Newly-registered sufferers for 2007 were 114 people (14 per cent of the total), 95 of whom were men and 19 - women. A significant rise in the number of HIV-positive males has been noted recently, Dr. Vurleva said. The average age for male sufferers is 32, for female - 34. All age groups are affected, ranging between 16 and 68 years of age. A sharp drop in the lower age boundary has recently been noticed.

Of newly-registered cases, 36 per cent were intravenous drug users, 24 per cent were men who had had sexual contact with other men, and 18 per cent were diagnosed once bedridden. The worrying rise in new intravenously-infected cases continues, Dr. Vurleva said. Since 1986, their number has come to total 105 people.

Seventy per cent of newly-discovered cases are from Sofia and thevicinity of Plovdiv.

BTA