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New HIV infections, AIDS patients fall for second year in Japan

Aug 30 (Japan Times) - The combined number of people newly found to be infected with HIV and new AIDS patients in Japan fell for the second straight year in 2018, the health ministry said Thursday.

The total stood at 1,317, down by 72 from the previous year, the ministry said.

Noting that it is possible to prevent HIV infection, an official at the ministry’s committee for AIDS surveillance called on people not to hesitate to take HIV/AIDS tests. Consultations are available at public health centers, the official added.

Last year, 940 people were newly confirmed to be infected with HIV, down by 36, and the number of new AIDS patients came to 377, down also by 36, according to the ministry.

Japanese accounted for 1,143 of the total, down by 50, and foreign nationals for 174, down by 22.

Of the total, 875 were infected through sexual contact between same-sex individuals, down by 60, and 246 through heterosexual contact, down by two.

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