A total of 505 HIV infection cases were reported to the Centre for Health Protection last year, compared with 565 in 2019.

The centre's Acting Consultant (Special Preventive Programme) Dr Ho Chi-hin today said sexual transmission remained the major mode of HIV transmission and advised the public to use condoms consistently and properly to reduce the infection risk.

He also noted that despite a decrease in the number of HIV infection reports in recent years compared to the peak in 2015, a concentrated epidemic among vulnerable groups, such as young men who have sex with men, warrants sustained attention.

Of last year's HIV cases, 418 were males and 87 were females.

Among them, 272 involved homosexual or bisexual contact, 137 were via heterosexual contact and two were through drug injection, while the remaining 94 cases have yet to be determined.

The fourth quarter of last year saw 110 new HIV cases, taking the total number of infection cases to 10,785 since 1984.

Of these cases, 53 were attributed to homosexual or bisexual contact, 27 were related to heterosexual contact and one was via drug injection, while the remaining 29 cases have yet to be determined.

Since 1985, a cumulative total of 2,230 confirmed AIDS cases have been reported in Hong Kong.