Call to carry condoms - The Star

By Lisa Goh

PETALING JAYA: In view of the rising number of women contracting HIV, every woman should carry a condom with her for her own protection, said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad.

“This is not to debase them but to protect them. Women are the first ones to get exploited by their partners. But this is just a suggestion, it’s up to them,” he told the press after delivering his speech at the International AIDS Memorial Day here yesterday.

It was the first time that the International AIDS Memorial Day was celebrated openly in Malaysia. The celebration was attended by about 1,000 people.

According to Health Ministry figures, 745 women contracted HIV last year. It is a slight dip compared to 2006 (875), but the general trend is that the numbers are on the rise.

As for AIDS cases, 193 women were diagnosed with the syndrome, and 131 women died from it, while in 2006, 222 women were diagnosed positive and 80 died from it.

Malaysian AIDS Council president Prof Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman said apart from sex workers, many women who contracted HIV were housewives, infected unknowingly by their husbands who could be drug addicts.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/6/1/nation/21423252&sec=nation]