Brazil Says It Has AIDS Under Control

“The AIDS epidemic remains stable” in Latin America’s largest country, Brazil, Health Minister Alexandre Padilha said at a recent press conference.

The number of new HIV cases fell 0.61 percent between 2009 and last year, from 35,979 to 34,212, Brazil’s latest epidemiological report shows.

However, the health ministry is concerned by a rise in cases among young men who have sex with men. The rate of HIV-infected gay and bisexual men ages 15-24 rose from 25.2 percent of the total in 1990 to 46.4 percent in 2010, the ministry said. “Last year, for every 16 homosexuals in the age group there were 10 heterosexuals. In 1998, it was 12 for 10,” it noted.

The number of HIV/AIDS cases since records began in 1980 totaled 608,230 through last June. Brazil’s number of AIDS-related deaths fell from 12,097 in 2009 to 11,965 in 2010.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!