Sexual contact remained the predominant route of HIV transmission in Hong Kong with 89 new cases of HIV infections being reported in the first quarter of 2008, revealed a diseases prevention official here Tuesday.

Dr. Wong Ka-hing, Consultant (Special Preventive Program) of Center for Health Protection, told a press conference here Tuesday that the new cases, among whom 70 were men, have raised the cumulative reported HIV infections to 3,701 in Hong Kong since 1984.

Of the 89 new HIV cases reported, 27 acquired the infection via heterosexual contact, 28 via homosexual or bisexual contact, 10 via injection of drugs, according to the Center for Health Prevention.

Wong said the routes of transmission of the remaining 24 cases were undetermined due to insufficient data.

Meanwhile, 17 new AIDS cases were reported in the first quarter, raising the confirmed AIDS cases to 951 since 1985.

Wong called on the public who had a history of unprotected sex to go for an HIV test while stressing the importance of using condoms and practicing safe sex in reducing the risk of HIV infection.

"They can call the Department of Health's AIDS hotline for a free, anonymous and confidential HIV test," he added.

According to the Center for Health Protection, the most common AIDS defining illness was Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP), a kind of chest infection, which was closely followed by Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in the first quarter.

(Xinhua News Agency June 18, 2008)