The average age of HIV infection in Iran has reached 15 years.

The head of the Iranian AIDS Research Center said: "In Iran, our estimate is that we have about 60,000 people with AIDS. While we have only discovered 40,000 people; that is, we have only discovered one-third of them. And I say frankly that if we are not allowed to use the national media, especially the Iranian Broadcasting Corporation, to educate and prevent AIDS, the situation will remain the same."

He continued, "The age of sexual initiation in Iran has reached 13.5 years, and many people who come to us with HIV symptoms are 15 and 16 years old."

The head of the Iranian AIDS Research Center stated that the important point in this regard is the hidden population of HIV infected people in villages, which, due to less control in the prevention and treatment process and social issues, are considered to be among the hidden and dangerous statistics of this virus in our country. The spread of AIDS in villages can fuel its spread due to the taboos and social stigma that this disease has in rural environments.

Source: Voice of America