21% of AIDS deaths are heterosexuals

21% of AIDS deaths are heterosexuals

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Heterosexuals are the second highest group of people after intravenous drug users to die from AIDS-related diseases in Malaysia, reports said yesterday.

Selangor and Federal Territory Family Planning Association secretary C.R.S. Maniam said that of the 928 deaths registered from 1985 to July this year, 530 or 57 percent were intravenous drug users and 194 or 21 percent were heterosexuals.

Malaysia, which describes all proven drug users as addicts, has an estimated 200,000 addicts in a population of 20 million people.

He said only 20 people, comprising 2.2 percent of those who died, were homosexuals or bisexuals, the Sunday Star newspaper reported.