Drug abuse and acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a modern plague. The first sign of the disease was the appearance of Pneumocystis carinii and Kaposi's sarcoma among young homosexual patients. The virus transmission is from an infected individual to a susceptible host through blood-related, sexual, and perinatal routes. Exchange of body fluid occurs when sharing syringes, drugs, and drug paraphernalia. Although the largest number of people infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is in subSaharan Africa, the most rapid growth of HIV infection during the 1990s was seen in South-East Asia. Asia showed a steep increase from 1992. Given the experiences in Thailand, India and China, a similar spread of AIDS in other parts of Asia is possible. The risk behaviors that enable the spread of HIV are present in all Pacific Asian countries. Risk behaviors are considered to be the injection of illicit drugs, male patronage of prostitutes, high rates of sexually transmitted diseases, and low condom use.