Based on this information, write a new short title in English: Ministry of Health: HIV infection can be prevented, preventive measures are more effective and cheaper than treatment – ​​BRTK

The Ministry of Health pointed out that HIV infection is a preventable disease and that preventive measures are more effective and cheaper than treatment.

The Ministry also emphasized that HIV-positive people who start drug treatment at an early stage can survive without disease.

Underlining that the most common form of transmission is sexual intercourse, the Ministry of Health said, “Preventing this situation is the use of correct condoms in risky sexual contact, as well as monogamy. “This method is the safest and simplest way to protect against sexual transmission of the disease,” he said.

Underlining that in suspicious cases, it is necessary to contact a health institution without wasting time and get tested, the Ministry of Health noted that HIV testing can be done in all public hospitals in the TRNC.

The Ministry gave the following information about HIV testing: “All that needs to be done is to consult an infectious disease specialist. According to the notification and notification system of infectious diseases, notification of HIV/AIDS cases is mandatory, but the notification of diagnosed patients is made using codes, without mentioning their names.”

The Ministry of Health made a statement on December 1, World AIDS Day.

-“This year, 24 people were detected HIV positive.”

In the statement, it was stated that a total of 24 people were detected to be HIV positive in the TRNC between January 1 and November 30, 2024. It was noted that 13 of these people were male TRNC citizens, and 1 of the patients who were not TRNC citizens was female and 10 were male.

-How is it transmitted?

In the statement, it was stated that transmission can occur through all kinds of unprotected sexual contact, administration of infected blood and blood products, and intravenous drug use through shared syringes.

It was also stated that the disease can be transmitted to the baby from its mother during pregnancy, during birth or after birth through breastfeeding, and that the disease can also be transmitted through procedures such as tattooing or piercing.

-How not to get infected

In the statement, it was emphasized that HIV infection is not transmitted by working in the same workplace, going to the same school, social relations, hugging, being in the same environment with HIV-positive people, using the same fork and spoon, the same pool, the same toilet, mosquito bites, insect bites or sweat. “In order to protect against contamination by blood and blood products, all blood and blood products are tested for HIV, and necessary tests are also carried out before organ and tissue transplants.”

In the statement, World Health Organization (WHO) data was conveyed as follows:

“According to WHO, HIV has claimed the lives of approximately 42.3 million people so far. “While there were an estimated 39.9 million HIV-positive people by the end of 2023, 630,000 people died from HIV-related causes and 1.3 million people were infected with HIV in 2023.”