My opinion

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It is shocking to note that there are more dreadful HIV infection among innocent housewives than sex workers in Malaysia. This is according to the statistics of AIDS/STI Unit Ministry of Health Malaysia.
Females are infected with this deadly disease without their knowledge. Innocent housewives become victims due the misbehaviour of their faithful husbands.
When 551 sex workers with multiple partners were found to have  HIV infections 2,865 housewives have been found to be infected with HIV
Unfortunately the HIV infected woman will not manifest any symptoms unlike many other illness. For  example Malaria and urine infection will manifest fever but HIV has no symptoms. Therefore the victim may harbour the illness for many years before presents with serious complications.
It is also disturbing to note that 205 students were infected with HIV.
What a pathetic suffering and what is the future of this tender teenagers?
593 babies under two years of age were found to have HIV. These babies were infected during delivery. Proper screening and treatment during pregnancy are important to prevent infection during pregnancy and delivery. HIV screening during pregnancy must be made compulsory to prevent the unborn babies
More than 75,000 cases are between the ages of 20- 50 years. These are the people in the reproductive age and infect their innocent wives. Can’t we do some efforts to prevent this unfortunate victims?
There is no difference between ethnic groups with regards to HIV. No religion has any influence to reduce the incidence of incidence. Malaysia is a country with rich cultural heritage and great moral values. Where are we?

Mode of transmission

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Injecting drug users the most vulnerable group to HIV infection.

692 babies got HIV during pregnancy and labour. It is our responsibility to look after these babies.

Eighty per cent of them contract AIDS through intravenous drug use, and 13 per cent both by homo and heterosexual transmission. Roughly 0.7 per cent was due to mother to child vertical transmission.

Although the total number of HIV cases among housewives appears to be greater than sex workers in Malaysia, this is mostly due to the high prevalence of HIV among  IV drug abusers.  The Malay men are the highest number of IV drug abusers  in Malaysia. Thus, it is coherently possible that, the housewives contracted the dreadful disease from their respective husbands who are IV drug abusers, instead of the norm perception of the husbands are  involved in illicit sexual contacts with sex workers who are HIV positive.

Most sex workers are aware of HIV infections and the mode of transmission. They ensure use of barrier methods (most prominently the use of condoms) when servicing their clients. This contributes to the relative low numbers of HIV among sex workers.

It is also possible that most sex workers do not have the financial means to seek medical attention as frequently as the housewives do, due to their predisposition. Most of the sex workers are either from poor foreign countries or illegally smuggled in. This renders the statistics unreliable. The prevalence among  sex workers are under reported.

The incidence of HIV are more in some districts in Malaysia. In the year 2009, the highest incidence 596 cases were reported from Kelantan. Pahang reported 431 cases. There were 378 cases were in Selangor and 315 cases were in Terengganu. (4) It is sad that most of the victims are aware of mode of transmission.

A Always Condom Use With Pay and Non Pay Client, BBS Malaysia 2004lways Condom Use With Pay and Non Pay Client, BBS Malaysia 2004

Prevention

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Apart from injecting drug users, sexual transmission is an important  mode of transmission. Difficult to eliminate sex workers since this is the oldest profession in the world. However the sex workers should be advised on regular medical check and barrier method of safe sex. There are advertised red light areas in many Western countries. However HIV infection among sex workers are not very high since they follow proper health guidelines.

The housewives are mostly infected by their husbands. The chance of infection from man to woman is much higher than woman to man.

Most of these men are not aware that kissing in the breasts and mouth also can transmit the disease. They should understand that one woman in many position is much safer than many women in one position

References

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1. The Malaysian AIDS Council- Annual report 2009
2. The Malaysian AIDS Council- Annual report 2009
3. The Malaysian AIDS Council- Annual report 2009
4. http://www.bintulu.org/news/2010/06/10/72-hivaids-sufferers-in-malaysia-are-muslims-aids-council.php #ixzz1Dpkk4lIC

Source(s) of Funding

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No funding

Competing Interests

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No competing interests

Disclaimer

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