Jones Oroh, manager of National AIDS Commission (KPA)-North Sulawesi, said there were 787 cases of AIDS in the whole province of which 313 were to be found in Manado, the provincial capital. Of the total 313 patients in Manado, 101 were HIV and 212 AIDS patients.
The port city of Bitung, some 60 km from Manado, had the second highest prevalence of patients, namely 183, consisting of 100 HIV and 83 AIDS patients.
Oroh said there were HIV/AIDS patients in each of the 15 districts, towns and cities in North Sulawesi. KPA-North Sulawesi had been giving counseling to those patients to help them overcome the psychological impact of the disease.
Despite the usual conception that HIV/AIDS had something to do with sexual behavior, in North Sulawesi however there were interesting facts as the largest number of infected people there were ordinary workers or business persons.
As many as 202 HIV/AIDS patients were employees or business people, housewives 138 cases and sexual workers 72 cases, seamen 53 cases.
On gender category, the largest number of patients were male numbering to 468 cases, 134 HIV patients and 334 AIDS patients. Female patients number to 319 cases, 148 HIV patients and 171 AIDS patients.
Heterosexual cases make up the largest number of HIV/AIDS incidence in North Sulawesi, 607 cases, followed by narcotics-related cases 95, and homosexual cases 14 patients and bisexual cases two patients.
(Uu.KR-VFT/HAJM/H-YH)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
