Number of HIV-positive cases on the rise

Prague, June 28 (CTK) - Eighty-six new HIV-positive patients were registered in the 10.5-million Czech Republic in the first five months of 2012, AIDS developed in six cases and three died of it, the National Reference Laboratory of the State Health Institute has told CTK.

Since the beginning of HIV testing in the country in 1985, the infection has been confirmed in 1761 Czechs and foreigners with permanent residence. A total of 350 people have fallen ill with AIDS and 181 of them have died.

In the past 12 months, from May 2011 to May 2012, 171 people tested positive for HIV.

In May 2012, doctors carried out 106,384 HIV tests only 1739 of which were at the patient's own request. Over 75,800 blood and organ donors and some 9700 pregnant women were tested.

Since the autumn of 1985 over 18.68 million HIV tests have been carried out.

Foreigners in the Czech Republic have undergone 133,500 tests since 1985. A total of 354 foreigners have tested positive for HIV (248 men and 106 women). One-third of the HIV-positive came from Eastern Europe.

The number of new HIV cases in the Czech Republic has been rising year-on-year in the past ten years.

While in 2002, 690 HIV cases were registered, in 2010 it was 180. Last year experts registered 153 new HIV-positive cases, which was almost the same as in 2009 (156).

According to experts and NGOs, the HIV/AIDS risk must be constantly stressed.

They point out that the fear of the disease has recently subsided, also thanks to new medicines that considerably prolong the HIV-positive people's life ads improve its quality.

As a result, many people no longer use protective means to prevent HIV infection, experts warn.