HIV/AIDS in Japan

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HIV/AIDS in Japan has been recognized as a serious health issue in recent years. [1] However, overall awareness amongst the general population of Japan regarding sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS, remains low. [2]

Contents

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) first came to attention in the 1980s in the United States, followed by global interest in the years that followed. Among the many countries affected, Japan's population of affected people remains low in comparison to other developed countries such as the United States and European countries. The number of cases continues to rise. Official reports indicate that 6 homosexual men were diagnosed in 1985, which grew to 100 people infected by 1990.

The primary group affected in the 1980s was hemophiliacs, but that shifted to sexual transmission in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Due to poor media coverage and the lack of momentum from activist groups, large misconceptions about the disease, homosexuals, and foreigners spread about the general population.

Today, Japan remains one of the top providers of funds for global efforts such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria and World Health Organization for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.

Epidemiology

In April 2016, sexual contact was the primary mode of HIV/AIDS transmission. In homosexuals, it accounted for 57.3% of all HIV cases and 38.7% of AIDS cases. Heterosexual transmission is responsible for 27.2% of HIV infections and 35.7% of AIDS infections. [3] The age distribution is mostly people in their twenties and thirties and are more likely to be in an urban setting than a rural one, and infected people are mostly male (15,567 males; 2,342 females diagnosed with HIV from 1985 to 2015). [4] One study found a positive correlation between population density and the number of HIV/AIDS cases in the given area. [5] They proposed that the increased number of people in an area of space increases the chance of possible encounters with an infected person as well as increased the general mobility of the disease.[ citation needed ]

People were reluctant to get help during the offset of the disease due to the country's conservatism in dealing with issues surrounding sexual orientation. This delay and apprehension to get treatment lead to a greater population being diagnosed with AIDS. In 2015, 30% of the HIV/AIDS diagnoses were made once the virus had already progressed to AIDS. [4]

Initially, the disease was seen in hemophiliacs receiving it from tainted blood supply in the early 1980s, however, in the mid 80s to the present, there was increasing prevalence in homosexual and then heterosexual demographics. About 1,500 HIV/AIDS cases arise each year, of this group, homosexual men dominate this group, followed by heterosexual men, heterosexual women, intravenous drug use, and maternal transmission. [4]

HIV-tainted blood scandal

Japan started HIV/AIDS surveillance in 1984 and the following year, the first homosexual infection was observed. However, in 1982–1985, the disease primarily infected hemophiliacs. About 40% of hemophiliacs were infected by the means of contaminated blood supply.[ citation needed ]

In 1989, HIV-infected hemophiliacs filed lawsuits against Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare and five pharmaceutical companies. The companies were accused of importing blood products from the United States without heating them with the knowledge that doing so has serious repercussions and risks. This became known as the HIV-tainted blood scandal.[ citation needed ]

Foreigner and homosexual discrimination

The first official report of HIV/AIDS was a male artist who lived in America for years and then returned to Japan. The continued trend of homosexual infection and the portrayal in the media of AIDS as a "foreign" disease gave the illusion that native Japanese heterosexuals were at low risk. [6]

Owing to the lower number of cases relative to the rest of the world, the HIV/AIDS crisis seemed distant and unimportant. In a poll conducted in 1987, 68% of Americans deemed HIV/AIDS to be the most urgent health problem facing the country, 39% of the French thought the same, but only 13% of Japanese people thought this to be true. When the severity of the disease increased, much of it was attributed to foreigners due to lack of general information. [6]

Foreigners were fired from their jobs, prevented from entering certain public facilities, and some removed from their apartments. [6]

In 2015, non-Japanese people accounted for 108 (88 male; 20 female) out of 1,006 cases. This indicates that the population of infected people in Japan has shifted since the first emergence of the disease in the country. [4] Homosexual men remain the most affected demographic of people. [7]

Funding

Japan does not rely on global funds to finance their AIDS research and treatment. AIDS spending is a domestic cost. In 2011, they issued US$67.91 million for domestic HIV/AIDS expenditure. [8]

In contributing to HIV/AIDS as a global crisis, Japan has a role in the funding. Japan was a founding country contributing to the Global Fund. In 2016, Japan pledged US$313 million to help the cause. Since its founding, the Global Fund has saved the lives of 20 million people. [9] In 2019, Japan continued to make significant contributions to the Global Fund. [10] [11]

Related Research Articles

The spread of HIV/AIDS has affected millions of people worldwide; AIDS is considered a pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that in 2016 there were 36.7 million people worldwide living with HIV/AIDS, with 1.8 million new HIV infections per year and 1 million deaths due to AIDS. Misconceptions about HIV and AIDS arise from several different sources, from simple ignorance and misunderstandings about scientific knowledge regarding HIV infections and the cause of AIDS to misinformation propagated by individuals and groups with ideological stances that deny a causative relationship between HIV infection and the development of AIDS. Below is a list and explanations of some common misconceptions and their rebuttals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS</span> Epidemic of human immunodeficiency virus

The global epidemic of HIV/AIDS began in 1981, and is an ongoing worldwide public health issue. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of 2021, HIV/AIDS has killed approximately 40.1 million people, and approximately 38.4 million people are infected with HIV globally. Of these 38.4 million people, 75% are receiving antiretroviral treatment. There were about 770,000 deaths from HIV/AIDS in 2018, and 650,000 deaths in 2021. The 2015 Global Burden of Disease Study estimated that the global incidence of HIV infection peaked in 1997 at 3.3 million per year. Global incidence fell rapidly from 1997 to 2005, to about 2.6 million per year. Incidence of HIV has continued to fall, decreasing by 23% from 2010 to 2020, with progress dominated by decreases in Eastern Africa and Southern Africa. As of 2020, there are approximately 1.5 million new infections of HIV per year globally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HIV/AIDS</span> Spectrum of conditions caused by HIV infection

Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual may not notice any symptoms, or may experience a brief period of influenza-like illness. Typically, this is followed by a prolonged incubation period with no symptoms. If the infection progresses, it interferes more with the immune system, increasing the risk of developing common infections such as tuberculosis, as well as other opportunistic infections, and tumors which are rare in people who have normal immune function. These late symptoms of infection are referred to as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). This stage is often also associated with unintended weight loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HIV/AIDS in Taiwan</span> Overview of (typically) sexually transmitted disease in Taiwan

Taiwan's epidemic of HIV/AIDS began with the first case reported in December 1984. On 17 December 1990 the government promulgated the AIDS Prevention and Control Act. On 11 July 2007, the AIDS Prevention and Control Act was renamed the HIV Infection Control and Patient Rights Protection Act.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HIV/AIDS in Asia</span>

In 2008, 4.7 million people in Asia were living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Asia's epidemic peaked in the mid-1990s, and annual HIV incidence has declined since then by more than half. Regionally, the epidemic has remained somewhat stable since 2000.

The Caribbean is the second-most affected region in the world in terms of HIV prevalence rates. Based on 2009 data, about 1.0 percent of the adult population is living with the disease, which is higher than any other region except Sub-Saharan Africa. Several factors influence this epidemic, including poverty, gender, sex tourism, and stigma. HIV incidence in the Caribbean declined 49% between 2001 and 2012. Different countries have employed a variety of responses to the disease, with a range of challenges and successes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HIV/AIDS in Europe</span>

In Western Europe, the routes of transmission of HIV are diverse, including paid sex, sex between men, intravenous drugs, mother to child transmission, and heterosexual sex. However, many new infections in this region occur through contact with HIV-infected individuals from other regions. In some areas of Europe, such as the Baltic countries, the most common route of HIV transmission is through injecting drug use and heterosexual sex, including paid sex.

HIV/AIDS in China can be traced to an initial outbreak of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) first recognized in 1989 among injecting drug users along China's southern border. Figures from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, and UNAIDS estimate that there were 1.25 million people living with HIV/AIDS in China at the end of 2018, with 135,000 new infections from 2017. The reported incidence of HIV/AIDS in China is relatively low, but the Chinese government anticipates that the number of individuals infected annually will continue to increase.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HIV/AIDS in Russia</span>

The situation with the spread of HIV/AIDS in Russia is described by some researchers as an epidemic. The first cases of human immunodeficiency virus infection were recorded in the USSR in 1985-1987. Patient zero is officially considered to be a military interpreter who worked in Tanzania in the early 1980s and was infected by a local man during sexual contact. After 1988—1989 Elista HIV outbreak, the disease became known to the general public and the first AIDS centers were established. In 1995-1996, the virus spread among injecting drug users (IDUs) and soon expanded throughout the country. By 2006, HIV had spread beyond the vulnerable IDU group, endangering their heterosexual partners and potentially the entire population.

The history of HIV/AIDS in Australia is distinctive, as Australian government bodies recognised and responded to the AIDS pandemic relatively swiftly, with the implementation of effective disease prevention and public health programs, such as needle and syringe programs (NSPs). As a result, despite significant numbers of at-risk group members contracting the virus in the early period following its discovery, Australia achieved and has maintained a low rate of HIV infection in comparison to the rest of the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HIV/AIDS in the Democratic Republic of the Congo</span>

The Democratic Republic of the Congo was one of the first African countries to recognize HIV, registering cases of HIV among hospital patients as early as 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HIV/AIDS in Mozambique</span>

Mozambique is a country particularly hard-hit by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. According to 2008 UNAIDS estimates, this southeast African nation has the 8th highest HIV rate in the world. With 1,600,000 Mozambicans living with HIV, 990,000 of which are women and children, Mozambique's government realizes that much work must be done to eradicate this infectious disease. To reduce HIV/AIDS within the country, Mozambique has partnered with numerous global organizations to provide its citizens with augmented access to antiretroviral therapy and prevention techniques, such as condom use. A surge toward the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS in women and children has additionally aided in Mozambique's aim to fulfill its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Nevertheless, HIV/AIDS has made a drastic impact on Mozambique; individual risk behaviors are still greatly influenced by social norms, and much still needs to be done to address the epidemic and provide care and treatment to those in need.

UNAIDS has said that HIV/AIDS in Indonesia is one of Asia's fastest growing epidemics. In 2010, it is expected that 5 million Indonesians will have HIV/AIDS. In 2007, Indonesia was ranked 99th in the world by prevalence rate, but because of low understanding of the symptoms of the disease and high social stigma attached to it, only 5-10% of HIV/AIDS sufferers actually get diagnosed and treated. According to the a census conducted in 2019, it is counted that 640,443 people in the country are living with HIV. The adult prevalence for HIV/ AIDS in the country is 0.4%. Indonesia is the country is Southeast Asia to have the most number of recorded people living with HIV while Thailand has the highest adult prevalence.

Honduras is the Central American country most adversely affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It is estimated that the prevalence of HIV among Honduran adults is 1.5%.

Nicaragua has 0.2 percent of the adult population estimated to be HIV-positive. Nicaragua has one of the lowest HIV prevalence rates in Central America.

With less than 1 percent of the population estimated to be HIV-positive, Egypt is a low-HIV-prevalence country. However, between the years 2006 and 2011, HIV prevalence rates in Egypt increased tenfold. Until 2011, the average number of new cases of HIV in Egypt was 400 per year. But, in 2012 and 2013 it increased to about 600 new cases and in 2014 it reached 880 new cases per year. According to UNAIDS 2016 statistics, there are about 11,000 people currently living with HIV in Egypt. The Ministry of Health and Population reported in 2020 over 13,000 Egyptians are living with HIV/AIDS. However, unsafe behaviors among most-at-risk populations and limited condom usage among the general population place Egypt at risk of a broader epidemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HIV/AIDS in Haiti</span>

With an estimated 150,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in 2016, Haiti has the most overall cases of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean and its HIV prevalence rates among the highest percentage-wise in the region. There are many risk-factor groups for HIV infection in Haiti, with the most common ones including lower socioeconomic status, lower educational levels, risky behavior, and lower levels of awareness regarding HIV and its transmission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HIV/AIDS in Canada</span>

HIV/AIDS was first detected in Canada in 1982. In 2018, there were approximately 62,050 people living with HIV/AIDS in Canada. It was estimated that 8,300 people were living with undiagnosed HIV in 2018. Mortality has decreased due to medical advances against HIV/AIDS, especially highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).

Since reports of emergence and spread of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the United States between the 1970s and 1980s, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has frequently been linked to gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) by epidemiologists and medical professionals. It was first noticed after doctors discovered clusters of Kaposi's sarcoma and pneumocystis pneumonia in homosexual men in Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco in 1981. The first official report on the virus was published by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) on June 5, 1981 and detailed the cases of five young gay men who were hospitalized with serious infections. A month later, The New York Times reported that 41 homosexuals had been diagnosed with Kaposi's sarcoma, and eight had died less than 24 months after the diagnosis was made.

References

  1. ↑ "New HIV Infections Hit High in Japan". The Nation . 7 February 2007. Retrieved 18 December 2012.[ dead link ]
  2. ↑ "Everybody's talking sex in Japan, but nobody's hearing AIDS". Mainichi Daily News . 24 February 2004. Retrieved 18 December 2012.[ permanent dead link ]
  3. ↑ "HIV/AIDS Trends in Japan April 2016" (PDF). UNAIDS.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "HIV/AIDS in Japan, 2015". National Institute of Infectious Diseases. 37: 167–168. September 2016.
  5. ↑ Hiroshi, Yoshikura (2016). "Geo-Demography of HIV/AIDS in Japan from 1985 to 2011: Incidence and Transmission Mode under Influence of Population Size/Density". Japan Journal of Infectious Disease.
  6. 1 2 3 Kim, Young Soo (2015). "Japan Addresses the Global HIV/AIDS Crisis: The Roles of Media and Civil Society in Shaping Perceptions and Aid". Asian Perspective. 39 (3): 483–511. doi:10.1353/apr.2015.0021. S2CID   142420276. ProQuest   1704715108.
  7. ↑ "IASR 41(10), 2020【THE TOPIC OF THIS MONTH】HIV/AIDS in Japan, 2019". www.niid.go.jp. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  8. ↑ "HIV/AIDS Country Profiles: Japan". Evidence to Action.
  9. ↑ Jaureguizar, Ibon Villelabeitia (March 27, 2017). "Japan Secures US$313 Million Contribution to the Global Fund". The Global Fund. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  10. ↑ Japan Makes Significant Contribution to Global Fund
  11. ↑ Global Fund Welcomes Japan’s Commitment to Save One Million Lives
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