‘Yolo’ may be partly why HIV infection rising among men, Senate told

 

Lukanisman Awang Sauni said data from the National AIDS Registry shows 90% of HIV cases involve men, with 75% affecting individuals aged 20 to 39. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

Deputy health minister Lukanisman Awang Sauni said the Yolo (you only live once) mindset among the younger generation may have contributed to the rising HIV infection rate among men aged 20 to 39.

Lukanisman said such a mentality encouraged these men to experiment sexually, including same-sex relationships.

“These individuals are influenced by global trends which normalise and promote this lifestyle. This is a generational issue.

“The desire to experiment, including grooming, drives individuals to engage in activities beyond natural norms, often without considering the consequences,” Bernama quoted him as saying in the Dewan Negara today.

Lukanisman was responding to a supplementary question from Senator Dr RA Lingeshwaran on factors that heighten the risk of HIV transmission among men who have sex with other men, and whether the health ministry has implemented aggressive awareness programmes to reduce stigma, particularly among young men.

He said that according to 2024 surveillance data from the National AIDS Registry, 90% of HIV cases involved men, with 75% affecting individuals aged 20 to 39.

He also said Malaysia has seen a decline in new HIV infections, from 6,978 cases in 2002 – at a notification rate of 28.5 per 100,000 population – to 3,185 cases last year, with a notification rate of 9.4 per 100,000 population.

Last year, Malays accounted for 52% of reported HIV cases, followed by the Chinese at 14%, he said.

Ethnic-specific rates were highest among Sabah Bumiputeras at 14.2 per 100,000 population, followed closely by Sarawak Bumiputeras at 14 per 100,000 and Indians at 12.1 per 100,000.

Selangor recorded the highest number of new HIV cases, with 1,085 cases (34.1%), followed by Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya with 365 cases (11.4%), and Sabah with 344 cases (10.8%).

On the health ministry’s initiatives to curb the spread of HIV, Lukanisman said its HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) prevention programme is 99% effective in preventing the transmission of the virus through sexual contact.

However, despite its effectiveness, the PrEP approach faces opposition from certain groups, even though it remains the best available solution at present, he said. - FMT