Characteristics of HIV Infection/AIDS in Korea

Since its initial appearance in 1985, human immunode-ficiency virus (HIV) infection and its late-stage manifestation , the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) have affected a growing number of persons across Korea and around the globe 1). Worldwide, by the end of the year 2000, 36.1 million persons are living with AIDS , and an estimated 21.8 million had died since the beginning of the epidemic. As of Decembe r 2000, more tha n 1,280 HIV infections a nd 286 deaths from AIDS in Korea have bee n re ported to the Korea n Nationa l Institute of Hea lth (Korea n Ministry of Hea lth a nd Welfa re , 2000). The number of cases includes only the reported cases , but the factua l numbe r is pres umed to be at least three to five times la rge r. The e pide mic in As ia n countries , particula rly India a nd Tha iland, has lagged te mpora lly be hind that in Africa ; howeve r, the numbe r of new cases in this region is acce le rating ra pidly, a nd the magnitude of the e pidemic is projected to exceed that of sub-Saharan Fig ure 1. Cumulative prevalence of HIV infection in Korea from 1985 to 2000. The number of new cases are persistently increasing each year.(Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2000) Africa in the early pa rt of the twe nty-first century 2). In Korea , the incide nce of new infections a re pe rs i-ste ntly increas ing each yea r(Figure 1). A g e a nd S e x Dis t rib ut io n of H IV Infe ct io n in Ko re a The a ge distribution of HIV-infected individua ls in Korea is 0. a rs a nd 2.9% in ove r 60 ye a rs of a ge. Among the tota l numbe r of 1,280 cas es in Kore a , ove r 60% a re in the age ra nge of 20 to 39 which is the most s ocioeconomica lly a ctive a ge. Ma le to fe ma le ratio is 7:1 (fe ma le , 12.5%). The proportion of wome n a mong US AIDS cas es ha s increa se d a nnua lly, from 10% in 1988, to 19% in 1995, to 23% in 1999 …