According to a recent survey, the number of reported HIV-infected individuals in Taiwan has reached over 20,000 and experts are seeing an increasing trend of HIV cases among young people. Health advocates suggest that in order to curb the problem more effectively, the government should put more focus on educating the public about the prevention of this deadly disease.

The HIV test is a simple blood test, where more than 1,500 people have had the anonymous test last year at the Taipei Municipal United Hospital, among them, 80% are male.

67 of them were tested positive for the HIV virus; most of them contracted the virus through unsafe male-to-male sexual intercourse

According to the CDC, there are over 20,000 local cases of AIDS patients, with the average being 1,800 more new cases each year.

60% of them contracted the virus through unsafe sex, 32% are IV drug users.

The trend is that younger generation is more likely to get the virus with the youngest being 13 years old that was reported last year.

Many local civic groups believe that, instead of the government offering anonymous HIV testing, it is more important to promote safe sex and HIV prevention to teach the facts of HIV and AIDS to the public to alleviate the fear of AIDS.

The current time is winter break for students, and with St Valentine's Day coming up, the public is reminded to practice safe sex and be monogamous to single sex partner, while regular blood check up is important too to lower the chance of getting the HIV virus, otherwise, a lifetime of medication would be the possibility should one contracted the HIV virus.