Indiscriminate Spread of AIDS Regardless of Job And Age

Religious people are also infected. People in the press are infected. Policeperson and medical personnel are also infected. AIDS is spreading in all over the nation regardless of job and age.

According to the Dong-a Ilbo reporters who collected the data from major hospitals in the nation, it was revealed that AIDS is spreading regardless of job, including Buddhist monk, pastor, broadcasting producer, medical doctor and nurse. A National Institute Of Health (NIH) official said that "the range of the AIDS infected people is even." However, the official did not revealed the infected people`s jobs in public.

Experts agree that the trend of the increasing number of AIDS infected people is on the verge of `explosion`. As of September, AIDS infected people totaled 1,515, which increased by 43 percent compared with the last year.

The NIH announced that "according to the result of the analysis of the rising curve of the domestic AIDS patients, it drew the slow increasing curve, but drew the sharply increasing curve in 1998 to 1999."

Experts warn that the domestic trend of the increasing number of the AIDS infected people may repeat the errors of Thailand where the number of AIDS patients totals 750,000 currently. This is an omen that the number of the AIDS infected people may reach above 100,000 in 2010 if we neglect to take measures against AIDS prevention. According to the Thai government`s official announcement, the number of the AIDS infected people in Thailand was one in 1985, 107 in 1990, 453 in 1991, 1,463 in 1992, and 5,713 in 1992, and it sharply increased to 128,000 in the end of 1999.

Following the spread of AIDS, social problems, such as `AIDS orphan`, `infection of the golden age couple`, and `vertical infection`, are likely to show itself.

According to the UNAIDS and WHO`s recent document in the Internet, the number of the AIDS infected people in South Korea totaled 3,800. `AIDS orphans` were estimated to be 85 whose parents or mother died of AIDS. Although many point out that such estimation could be wrong, others argue that it is quite a possible estimation.

Among AIDS infected people whose infection was newly confirmed this year, 21 were over 60 years old, doubled up from last year`s 10. Especially, 4 women among 21 were confirmed that they were infected through their husbands. There is a man in his 70s among new AIDS patients.

`Kim` (60, female), recently confirmed as a AIDS infected person, was infected by AIDS in her golden age after raising her children as medical doctor and nurse while supporting her husband (65) throughout her life. Kim was greatly vexed saying that "although I have sacrificed my life for my family throughout my life, shockingly, my `husband`s gift` was AIDS."

As six teenagers who are infected by AIDS were newly found in September, there is a high probability that `AIDS among teens` will become a social problem. Although previously AIDS took place among the teens through blood transfusion or blood solution, recently teens were infected through sexual contact.

Route of infection is diverse. Recently, it was assumed that a man in his 50s was infected by AIDS through sexual contact with a Russian prostitute. There are increasing cases in which people are infected by AIDS in China and Vietnam, which are mistakenly known as `AIDS safety zone`. At least three people were confirmed to have been infected by AIDS through drug needle.

Professor of Internal Medicine Oh Myong-Don at Seoul National University Medical School said, "Everyone should be self-consciousness about AIDS. Healthy sexual life is first of all important, and people should protect themselves from AIDS by using condom if possible."

"I thought it was somebody else`s issue. Since I was aware of my infection in 1995, I reluctantly let my lover leave me. I didn`t realize my mistake could lead to such a consequence. If I had used condom at the time…." Kim (34), who is infected by AIDS, said regretfully in time of isolation.

Seong-Ju Lee stein33@donga.com