How big is the HIV-infection?

How big is the HIV-infection in the DR? I think the most people over there use a condom.

Could not resist giving you some sobering statistics and hope others will read also. Especially to address your comments about condoms.
The following is a quote from the report by WHO (World Health Organization).

Since the onset of the HIV/AIDS epidemic 15 years ago, the virus has infected more than 47 million people in the world. With more than 2.2 million deaths in 1998, HIV/AIDS has now become the fourth leading cause of mortality and its impact is going to increase. Over 95% of all cases and 95% of AIDS deaths occur in the developing world, mostly among young adults and increasingly in women.

In 1999 and during the first quarter of 2000, UNAIDS and WHO worked closely with national governments and research institutions to recalculate
current estimates on people living with HIV/AIDS. The Statistics below are for the Dominican Republic and provided by WHO?UNAIDS. These calculations are based on the previously published estimates for 1997 and recent trends in HIV/AIDS surveillance in various populations. A methodology developed in collaboration with an international group of experts was used to calculate the new estimates on prevalence and incidence of HIV and AIDS deaths, as well as the number of children infected through mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Different approaches were used to estimate HIV prevalence in countries with low-level, concentrated or generalized epidemics. The current estimates do not claim to be an exact count of infections. Rather, they use a methodology that has thus far proved accurate in producing estimates that give a good indication of the magnitude of the epidemic in individual countries. However, these estimates are constantly being revised as countries improve their surveillance systems and collect more information.
Adults in this report are defined as women and men aged 15 to 49. This age range covers people in their most sexually active years. While the
risk of HIV infection obviously continues beyond the age of 50, the vast majority of those who engage in substantial risk behaviours are likely to
be infected by this age. The 15 to 49 age range was used as the denominator in calculating adult HIV prevalence.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC:
_ Estimated number of adults and children living with HIV/AIDS, end of 1999
These estimates include all people with HIV infection, whether or not they have developed symptoms of AIDS, alive at the end of 1999:
Adults and children 130000
Adults (15-49) 130,000 Adult rate (%) 2.80
Women (15-49) 59,000
Children (0-15) 3800
_ Estimated number of deaths due to AIDS
Estimated number of adults and children who died of AIDS during 1999:
Deaths in 1999 4900

_ Ever use of condom
Percentage of people who ever used a condom.
Year Area Age Group Male Female All

1991 All Total 11.8%
1996 All Total 16.8%

Even more sobering. It's scarry to me that people actually teach that using a condom will prevent you from getting AIDS or other STD's. Condom manufacturers claim that their products are %90 effective in preventing pregnancy if used properly. The real figure is between %80 & %90. In the %10 - %20 "mishaps", the sperm manages to make it out of microscopic holes in the condom. Now take into consideration that most of these viruses are roughly 1/3 the size of a sperm cell, and you've got problems. "Casual sex" has become the Russian roulette of our generation - even with a condom.

And quite efficient treatment (not cure!) exist today. For
the rich. That means they can live much longer, and expose many
more. The inevitable dilemma...

Coming from a lawyer guy that doesn't know much more than how to read and write and use percentages of 1/3 very well, that was a great post that we all should keep in mind all over the world.

While it is true that a condom will not be 100 percent safe, it is sure as Hell better than nothing. And as you cannot prevent people from having sex, I think it is sound advice to tell people to use one. (And I don't want to hear the moral lecture here about waiting untill you are married and sticking to one partner all your life. I agree that it would be efficient - but it isn't going to happen. Face up to reality.)

As for the safety: It depends on the manufacturers and storage. The usual estimate in Scandinavia is a safety beyond 90 percent, and we have yet to see a sexually transmitted case of HIV/AIDS that did not come from an unprotected intercourse.

The health authorities in Denmark - and I GUESS it would be the same in most Western countries, providing they have an opinion on this - suggest to bring condoms bought at home when you are travelling. The quality of condoms is usually high in most Western countries, whereas you don't know the local quality in a lot of less developed countries.

Another point is: If you buy condoms from a place where they are used to selling them, you can get the advice with it and you can also be fairly certain that they have been stored correctly and not too long. Condoms are ruined or at least a lot less safe when they are kept in wrong conditions and for a long time. So bring your own - if you think there might be even a slim chance that you want to have sex on your holiday. And - of course - use them.

Regards,
Susanne

Re: Proportion of population with HIV

I read recently that in the DR roughly one adult in forty is HIV positive. 1 in 40! Not great odds for the unprotected.

Excuse me, but I find your comment highly offensive and ignorant. While not myself HIV-positive, I certainly do know other people who are, and they are certainly not running around infecting others.

With the exception of the occasional lunatic who makes the newspapers once a year or so, the danger of HIV transmission is primarily from morons who have been running around engaging in multiple unsafe sex acts without ever bothering to get tested for HIV because they think they're not at risk. Does that include you?

Perhaps you would rather exterminate the ill, but any real progress in the worldwide fight against HIV/AIDS has to involve educating everyone as to their vulnerability to this illness and encouraging them to get tested on a regular basis if they're sexually active.

Quite many, however, can mistake "treatment" for "cure". And act
"in good faith". That was my point. It is true I haven't taken
any HIV test since 8-dec-1998, when I met my current wife. But
then, I havent had any blood-transfusions or engaged in any
other "body-liquid-mixing" activities with anyone else since.
Sorry, right bark but wrong tree...