Spain registered 1,873 new cases of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in 2005, 11.5 percent lower than 2004 but remaining one of Europe's highest infection rates.

Since 1981, when the epidemic was first registered, there have been nearly 72,100 AIDS cases in Spain, but the presence of anti-retroviral medicines since 1996 has made possible an substantial reduction in the number of cases that develop from a Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection to full-blown AIDS.

Among those who had contracted the virus via sexual transmission, about 55 percent learned they had HIV for the first time when they were diagnosed with AIDS. Some 77 percent of the newly diagnosed AIDS patients were men, with the average age being 40 years old.

About 48 percent of new AIDS patients contracted the virus through intravenous drug use, by sharing syringes, and another 46 percent were infected via sexual activities.

Among those infected through sexual activities, 31 percent were heterosexuals and 15 percent homosexuals. Over 52 percent of the newly diagnosed heterosexuals were women.

Source: Xinhua