The number of reported new AIDS cases in Japan in 2011 was a record high 473, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare reported this week.
According to the ministry, between May 2011 and May 2012, 473 HIV sufferers were diagnosed with AIDS. Medical experts say that patients can live with HIV for up to 10 years before their immune systems deteriorate to the point at which they are diagnosed with AIDS. The ministry said that AIDS infection records began in 1985, TV Asahi reported. The highest numbers were in the Tokai and Kyushu regions, the ministry said.
The ministry said that in the last year, 1,056 people in Japan were diagnosed with HIV. Although the number of diagnoses was slightly lower than the previous year, the ministry's advisory committee on the AIDS virus said this is likely due to the fact that the number of people undergoing tests has decreased. "We strongly urge everyone to get themselves tested for the virus," a committee spokesperson said.
© Japan Today
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Elbuda Mexicano
Geez, according to my Japanese amigos, only gaijins get AIDS and somehow the Japanese are more clean?? And that AIDS was not a problem in Japan or for the Japanese?? No surprise here. Who said ignorance is bliss! Not blissful to be dying of AIDS etc..at some crappy hospital, here in Japan or anywhere, my guess many of these Adult Video actors etc..must also be full of nasty diseases too!
OMGhontoni
This scares the hell out of me, mostly because of the ignorance surrounding it - things like Elbuda says above. A male friend of mine caught a disease from a "service provider" and everyone Japanese who knew about it said "Was he on a business trip?" (no) "There are a lot of in that area" (she was Japanese) and when I said that, the instant reaction was "Oh no, she couldnt have been!"
Couple that kind of ignorance with all the unprotected sex going on here and its a ticking bomb
OMGhontoni
Sorry - "there are a lot of foreigners in that area"
nath
With the drugs now available that keep HIV manageable/stop the progression to AIDS, this statement, coming from a "medical expert" is surprising, in an otherwise advanced country.
A very prominent US sports figure and businessman, Magic Johnson, has been open about his HIV, since the 80's, a few more more than 10 years. He lives and manages his HIV with drugs.
The denial and fear needs to be replaced with information, behavior modification, testing, and up to date drugs.
TheBigPicture
Radiation exposure attacks the immune system. Just a thought.
nath
Japan still uses very old drugs to treat HIV, unlike the single pill now available in first world countries.
I once went to a doctor here to ask for an HIV test. He asked me to drop my pants, took a look, then said I wouldn't need such a test as I looked fine. With Japanese doctors like this ten to the dozen, I bet there are a lot of people in Japan walking around with undiagnosed, symptomless HIV. Scary.
PeaceWarrior
@pamelot,
The expert is talking about the period between the time of infection, and the deterioration of the infected person's health to a level where they will chose to go to a doctor and be diagnosed.
PeaceWarrior
Sigh, "chose" in bold should be choose. Sorry.
OMGhontoni
when you are pregnant here you are routinely given an HIV test. I have often wondered how many people find out they are infected in that way. I also wonder what the true number is, because given cultural norms here, I find it very hard to believe the official numbers are so low.
PeaceWarrior
bilderberg_25, I am sorry but I find your story to be difficult to believe. I know many, many doctors and not one of them would ever do what you've described. Was that story from the mid-eighties?
Ewan Huzarmy
Does this country even provide free, confidential testing ?
showmethemoney
Yes it does. And I wish you lots of luck fitting it in with your scedule on the day they choose to do it every few months. And I wish you more luck that they are not booked up.
And I strongly reccomend the ministry get up off its ass and actually do something to encourage test rather than just give us this lip service.
I too went a VD clinic for tests just to get some tests. The doc seemed nearly as inept as bilderberg's story. I got the results over the phone, but I suspect everything was fudged. Not to say every VD clinic here is like that, but its far from the first Japanese doctor I went to that just seemed completely unqualified and more fit to be in a profession that does not involve people.
sillygirl
when you have surgery in japan they test for aids as well. they do usually ask you if it is ok to test.
sillygirl
had surgery twice and both times they asked. came up clean.
warallthetime
@sillygirl They don't test for AIDS they test for HIV.
globalwatcher
Solutions
1) everyone to get themselves tested for the HIV virus
2)Use Condom
3)Start educating healty sex proactively.
sillygirl
yes, thank you for the correction
nath
@PeaceWarrior
Oh, OK, I got you now... This makes more sense. There are, after all, drugs out now, for a diagnosed person, to keep it manageable...
willynilly
globalwatcher@
wow! talk about new ideas--now that's a interesting approach--hope it catches on
LFRAgain
Here's that explosion of HIV in the population that WHO was warning Japan about almost 10 years ago. Of course, then, as now, most Japanese felt it was almost exclusively a foreign disease, leading to today's headline.