A total of 397 HIV infection cases were reported last year, compared with 409 in 2022, the Centre for Health Protection announced today.

The centre said sexual transmission remained the major mode of HIV transmission and advised the public to use condoms consistently and properly to reduce the risk of infection.

Of last year’s HIV cases, 326 were reported in males and 71 in females.

A total of 209 cases involved homosexual or bisexual contact, 110 were via heterosexual contact, and eight were contracted through drug injection. One case was related to blood or blood product transfusion outside the city, and another was via mother-to-child transmission. The remaining 68 cases have yet to be determined.

The fourth quarter of last year saw 95 new HIV cases, taking the cumulative total of infection cases to 12,038 since 1984.

Of the 95 new cases, 50 were attributed to homosexual or bisexual contact, 19 were related to heterosexual contact, two were via drug injection, and the remaining 24 cases have yet to be determined.

Since 1985, a cumulative total of 2,483 confirmed AIDS cases have been reported in Hong Kong.