Husbands and boyfriends
Wed, December 03 2008
Meanwhile there could be 500,000 new cases each year as infection rates rise among men.
Some 50mn women are being endangered by the high-risk behaviour of husbands and boyfriends, said Amala Reddy, of the Joint UN Programme on Aids in Manila.
The new estimates were announced by officials at the unveiling of an online database on HIV/Aids in the Asia-Pacific region.
The site, at www.Aidsdatahub.org, contains information on HIV prevalence, risk behaviour and government response in various Asian countries and even in regions within these countries.
It brings all information on HIV/Aids in Asia to one place where it can be accessed by governments, non-government organisations and researchers, the experts said at the Asia Development Bank headquarters in Manila.
In Asia, the disease would likely infect 3% to 5% at most and was still concentrated among high-risk groups like sex workers, intravenous drug users and men having sex with men, she said.
But she warned there was still a great risk as there were an estimated 75million men in Asia who frequented prostitutes and 10million prostitutes.
There were 20mn intravenous drug users and men who had sex with men—both bisexuals and homosexuals.
In addition, there were 50mn women at risk because they were the wives or girlfriends of men who engaged in high-risk behaviour, she added.
She warned that in many Asian countries, the HIV/Aids prevalence was rising among men who engaged in sex with other men.
In some Asian countries, such men may continue to have sex with their wives and other women, she added.
