Japan's AIDS Experts Alarmed as HIV Infections Hit Record High

Today, Japanese officials said the annual number of new HIV/AIDS cases topped 1,000 for the first time in 2004. They voiced concern that lack of awareness may have led to the virus's spread.

A health ministry survey showed that new HIV infections, while still low by global standards, increased by 17 percent to 748 in 2004 -- the highest figure Japan has registered. The number of HIV-positive patients who developed AIDS in 2004 also reached a record high of 366, an 8.9 percent increase from 2003.

The new infections bring Japan's number of HIV-positive patients to 6,528, of whom 3,258 have AIDS. However, health ministry official Masanori Suzuki said the government estimates the true figure of HIV-positive to be 14,000. Many people have not been tested.

"We must launch more aggressive and vigorous campaigns to make people aware of AIDS issues," Suzuki said of the 2004 figures, noting that early detection is key. Japan offers free, anonymous HIV testing at public health-care centers.

Men accounted for 90 percent of the 748 new HIV patients. More than 60 percent, according to the survey, were infected through gay sex.

Activists warn that the relatively low rate of HIV in the country has left the Japanese indifferent to condom use and other preventive measures, making the nation vulnerable to a sudden spike in HIV infections. Health ministry data show domestic sales of condoms sunk 43 percent, to 419 million in 2003, from a 1980 high of 737 million.

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