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SHANGHAI, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai has reported fewer new HIV infections this year than last year, while the figure in young males has seen a significant growth, the city's health authorities said Wednesday.
Data from Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning shows, from Jan. 1 to Nov. 20 in 2016, Shanghai reported 1,959 new HIV infection cases, 0.8 percent lower than the same period last year.
The city reported 318 new HIV cases in males aged 18 to 24 during that period, a surge of 79.7 percent year on year.
Wang Panshi, deputy director of the commission, said sex is the main transmission channel of the virus. Some 96.7 percent of the city's newly reported HIV infected were sexually transmitted, and 64 percent were through male homosexual behavior.
The city has been organizing all kinds of activities to spread health knowledge and arouse the awareness of HIV tests and protected sex.
Meanwhile, Shanghai reported 760 new cases of AIDS patients from Jan. 1 to Nov. 20 this year, up 2.3 percent from last year. A total of 178 HIV/AIDS related new death were reported, growth of 17.9 percent.
According to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of people living with HIV/AIDS in China had hit 654,000 by the end of September, with 201,000 deaths.
Over 94 percent of the newly reported infections during the first nine months of 2016 were sexually transmitted.
