221 Die of HIV/AIDS in Armenia in 2010

Out of the 921 HIV patients registered in Armenia since 1988, 98 were diagnosed during the past 9 months of the current year.

The virus occurs predominantly among males whose number totals 666 (72.3%). The number of incidences of the disease among females and children has 225 (27.7%) and 20 (2.1%) respectively, Arshak Papoyan Head of the Epidemiological Surveillance Department at Republican AIDS Prevention Centre said.

The majority of the patients – 57.8% – are between ages 25 and 39.

HIV in Armenia is mostly transferred heterosexually (50.9%) or through intravenous drug injections (39.8%). Cases of homosexual, as well as mother-to-child transmission of the virus have also been registered.

443 of HIV-infected individuals (105 women and 10 children) were diagnosed with AIDS. So far 221 deaths have been registered, with 37 of them being women (4 children).

All those infected through drug injections were males whose major part temporarily resided in Russia or Ukraine. In the meantime, the majority of male patients (55.6%) contracted the virus through drug injection, while almost all female patients (98.4%) were infected through sex.

The majority of HIV cases were registered in Yerevan (389 patients). Shirak marz (province) comes next (10.5%).

According to HIV/AIDS situation assessment in Armenia, there is an estimated number of 2000 HIV infected patients in the country.