Stating that there are 2 thousand 438 AIDS cases in our country, Yılmaz said, “There are 45 thousand 835 HIV positive people and 2 thousand 438 AIDS cases in our country, whose confirmation test was detected positive and reported, from 1985 to 07 November 2024. Of the total HIV and AIDS cases, 81.8 percent are men, 18.2 percent are women, and 16.1 percent are foreign nationals. “The cases are mostly seen in the 25-29 and 30-34 age groups, respectively,” he said.
80 PERCENT OF CASES ARE MALE
“There are 45 thousand 835 HIV-positive people and 2 thousand 438 AIDS cases in our country, whose confirmation test was positive and reported from 1985 to November 7, 2024,” said Yılmaz, adding, “81.8 percent of the total HIV and AIDS cases are men, 18 percent 2 of them are women and 16.1 percent are foreign nationals.
ATTENTION 25-29 AND 30-34 AGE GROUPS
Cases are most common in the 25-29 and 30-34 age groups, respectively. When we look at the distribution of cases according to the route of transmission, the route of transmission has not been reported in 58.9 percent of the cases reported in our country since 1985, when the first case was seen. Among the reported cases, sexual transmission is 94.4 percent, transmission through intravenous drug use is 1.2 percent, and transmission from mother to baby is 1.2 percent. Multiple modes of transmission were reported in 2.2 percent of cases.
Between January 1, 2024 and November 7, 2024, a total of 1,567 cases, including 1,527 HIV-positive people and 40 AIDS cases, were reported with positive confirmation tests. Of the reported HIV and AIDS cases, 84.6 percent are men and 15.4 percent are women. 10.5 percent of the cases are foreign nationals. Among the cases reported in 2024, the 25-29 age group was reported in higher numbers than other age groups.
An increase in the disease trend is observed over the years. While the number of HIV-positive people was 3 thousand 137 in 2020, the number of HIV-positive people was 6 thousand 185 in 2023. 70 percent of the world’s HIV positive cases are in Sub-Saharan Africa. In some countries in Africa, more than 10 percent of the population is living with HIV. According to the 2021 report of the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), 79.3 million people have been infected with HIV since the beginning of the HIV epidemic in the world. “36.3 million people lost their lives due to AIDS-related diseases,” he said.
WAYS OF TRANSMISSION
Pointing out that HIV is a treatable disease, Yılmaz said, “The first way HIV is transmitted is sexual intercourse without protection (condom). Another is the common use of uncontrolled blood and blood products, tissue and/or organ transplantation, and all kinds of needles and syringes that go under the skin. Transmission to the child may also occur from a pregnant woman living with HIV who cannot access treatment. HIV is not transmitted by social behavior. HIV is not transmitted by social relations, kissing, hugging, being in the same environment, or using the same cutlery.