Iran Publicly Announces 18,000 Registered HIV-Positive Citizens
The Iranian government rarely discloses information that it perceives would draw international criticism, but it announced yesterday that the country has a total of 18,320 people who have tested positive for HIV. That figure represents all those who have been tested; however, the UN AIDS Agency estimates that number to be far higher, including 86,000 people or 0.1% of the total population. The Iranian government is worried that this number will soon rise as a result of the majority of young people that make up the population. Officials cited that approximately 69% of the HIV cases occurred as a result of illegal drug use and the other 30% were the result of sexual conduct. In recent years, the government has been increasing efforts to provide education about AIDS and HIV and encouraging young people not to have sexual relations outside of marriage. Booklets have been distributed in high schools to teach preventative measures to the epidemic and the government has stepped up efforts to emphasize religion and family values.
Steven Craig
