By Deborah Condon

The number of heterosexual people, particularly women, contracting HIV in Ireland is on the increase, new figures from the National Disease Surveillance Centre (NDSC) have shown.

According to the figures which cover the first six months of this year, 157 people were diagnosed with HIV, with heterosexuals accounting for 70% of cases. Of these, 80% were women.

This represents a big jump on figures from the last six months of 2001, when 59% of new cases were amongst heterosexuals, with 72% of these being female.

Of the 110 heterosexual cases, 80 were born in sub-Saharan Africa, while 13 were born in Ireland.

Men who have sex with men accounted for 11.5% of new cases, while almost 9% of diagnoses were among injecting drug users. The majority of people in both of these groups were born in Ireland.

The figures also reveal that six children, all aged under 10, were diagnosed between January and June of this year. All were of sub-Saharan African origin, however one of the children was born in Ireland.

Seven in 10 people who contracted HIV were resident in the Eastern region at the time of their diagnosis.

According to the figures, there were seven cases of AIDS reported in Ireland in the first six months of this year, bringing the total number of reported AIDS cases to 726.

There were two reports of AIDS-related deaths in this period, bringing the total number of AIDS deaths in Ireland to 367.

"There has been an upward trend of new cases (of HIV) in heterosexuals. In the context of reported increases in sexually transmitted infections and risky sexual behaviour, people must heed the safe sex message. It is important for everyone engaging in sexual activity, particularly with a new or casual partner, to use a condom", the NDSC said.

Meanwhile the Government's National AIDS Strategy committee has been criticised by the Irish Medical Organisation, as it has not met in almost one year. When contacted by irishhealth.com, the Department of Health said that a date for the next meeting 'has not been decided on yet'.