HIV cases on the rise among Sri Lankan youth – health expert

The National STD/AIDS Control Programme (NSACP) of the Ministry of Health says that HIV infections among the country’s youth has increased owing to factors such as the use of mobile phones and modern technology to find partners, as well as the lack of proper sex education.

The Director of NSACP and Specialist in Community Medicine, Dr. Vindya Kumarapeli, stated that 15% of the HIV cases reported last year were young people aged between 15 and 24 years.

Speaking at a press conference held at the Health Promotion Bureau, Dr Kumarapeli emphasized that the number of new HVI-infected patients is rapidly rising, with 694 new cases reported within the past year.

“Especially when looking at the data available on the young people, 15% of new patients are between the ages of 15 to 24. When we look into this further, we see that the reason for this is seeking partners through various modern technologies including mobile phones, or not getting proper sex education. Things like addiction to certain drugs contribute to an increase in new infections among young people,” she added.