AIDS in the Republic of China, 1992

The medical population in Taiwan in the early 1980s regarded AIDS as a novel disease confined to the homosexual populations of the Western world. In February 1986 however the first case of autopsy-proven AIDS in a native Chinese was officially reported while a preliminary serological survey conducted during 1985-86 found HIV infection to be limited among only homosexual men and hemophiliacs. While the prevalence of HIV infection and AIDS in Taiwan has remained low the detection of HIV infection has nonetheless increased rapidly since 1988 with infection going well beyond the homosexuals and hemophiliacs among whom it was confined before 1987. 5931032 serum samples from eight population groups were tested for antibody to HIV-1 from May 1985 to December 1992. Mandatory testing was conducted upon blood donors military recruits immigrants and prisoners. Nonhomosexual sexually transmitted disease patients homosexuals/bisexuals hemophiliacs patients with TB and others were tested with consent. 4381457 blood donors were tested thereby providing the overwhelming majority of samples. 407 samples were seropositive. 63 of those individuals developed AIDS: 37 homosexuals 15 heterosexual six hemophiliacs four with no known risk factors and one IV drug user. 59 were male and four were female; 53 have died of whom three committed suicide. The authors note that most infection with HIV has shifted to heterosexuals while the number of infected IV drug users has surpassed the number of infected hemophiliacs.