Italy Adds New HIV Infection Every Three Hours

A new HIV infection occurs in Italy, on average, once every three hours, the national health department said on World AIDS Day.

Italy saw about 3,000 new HIV infections last year, almost one-third of which affected non-nationals. At least 157,000 people in Italy are thought to be HIV-positive; most cases are in the northern regions; and almost 90 percent of new patients acquired the virus through unprotected sex.

The average age of those testing positive in 2010 was 39 for men and 35 for women. More than one-third of those testing positive were already at an advanced stage of illness.

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.

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