74% of Malta’s HIV cases are male

57% of the HIV cases recently registered in Malta were due to heterosexual contact, while 31% of them were due to homosexual contact.

30 November 2014, 7:45pm
by Staff Reporter

1 min read

74% of the 300 new HIV cases that were registered in Malta in the last 10 years were male, statistics from the Health Department show. In 172 (57%) instances, the virus was transmitted through heterosexual contact, while in 92 (31%) instances the virus was transmitted through homosexual contact. 10 instances were due to drug instances while one was due to haemophilia.

47 of these infected people ended up suffering from AIDS.

“Everyone who is sexually active is in risk of HIV infection,” Gabi Calleja, President of the Malta Gay Rights Movement told Sunday newspaper Illum. “The stigma of HIV and AIDS is problematic because it can keep people back from seeking the help and care that they need.”

“We are exploring the possibility of setting up a support group for people suffering from HIV/AIDS as part of the services offered by the Rainbow Support Service, and we hope that the health services will collaborate with us in this initiative.”