Ironically, it probably is in taiwan. At least in regards to diseases like hepatitis.
List of countries by HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate
Some data points for comparison:
- Russian Federation 1.2%
- Thailand 1.1%
- Cambodia 0.6%
- Indonesia 0.4%
- Vietnam 0.4%
- US 0.3%
- Italy 0.3%
- Sweden 0.2%
- UK 0.2%
So actually quite low compared to other countries, I’d say.
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Gotta love comparisons to worse situations to try and say everything is ok here. 1 in 1000 is bad. That list you posted, if correct, is terrible…numbers like that should humble a nation and act to take them down a notch on bragging about their awesomeness. Much more work to be done.
Though Taiwans long standing history of deportation of foreign nationals with such diseases helped a lot.
If you look at the link, there are only a handful of countries for which it’s lower. Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, China, etc.
Yes. I looked at the link and realised that they themselves use the term “estimate” pretty loosely. Its just wiki, and the topic is insabely hard to grasp and study but still…as they themselves mention, estimates. And poor ones at that.
There are huge amounts of variables for other stds as well, for example not getting them from sexual interactions. This is pretty widely understood. But as for hiv/aids:
Just the first 2 i noticed at a glance and have glaring differences of opinion on numbers. Not much need to look further on that link to be honest. taiwan likely does have very low % of hiv compared to other countries。 thats only if the site is willing to accept taiwan is a country and can be conpared. But other “STDs” taiwan has big problems. Whether they blame sex, food safety, manufacturing standards, schools old people or whatever remains to be equated in any kind of meaningful way.
Take home advice. Eating out is dirty here. Washrooms are dirty too. Wear a condom when havin sex with people you are not in an exclusive relationship with. Basically, common sense. Regardless of country.
" The current estimated number of HIV -1/ AIDS cases in Taiwan is about 30000"
“Taiwan/Population: 23.78 million 2018”
30000 / 23000000 = 0.12%
So 1 out of 1,000 people you have sex with carries the bug. More if you’re @that_poster:
By the end of 2006, 13702 individuals (including 599 foreigners) had been reported as infected with HIV-1 to the Centers for Disease Control of Taiwan.[4] In 2003, HIV-1 rates in first-time blood donors, military conscripts, and pregnant women were measured at 5.2, 57.0, and 12.0 per 100 000, respectively.[4] Data from that year indicated HIV-1 rates of 0.09% for intravenous drug users, 0.2% for female sex workers, 1.9% for patients with sexually transmitted infections, and 6.7% for men who have sex with men in saunas or bath houses.[4] Since then, the number of people living with HIV-1/AIDS in Taiwan has jumped sharply, from an 11% increase in 2003 to a 77% increase in 2004 and a 123% increase in 2005.[4]
Don’t have sex with men in saunas would be the key takeaway there. One in 14. 
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Maybe statistics by age and gender might be more helpful. Military conscripts could mean that prevalence in younger people is much higher.
So… Getting into an exclusive relationship automatically means both are STD free?
An alternative, albeit unromantic, advice: after getting into an exclusive relationship, but before starting to have unprotected sex, get tested for the most common STDs together. 
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Yeah, I’m not sure what that 57.0 means. It says “rates”, but is that a 57% of tested people in that category…? sounds… like we are doomed!
…per 100,000.
You sure you can give up that?
I’ll just stick to the hand job.
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Saunas aren’t bad if you wear protection. They provide them too.
Plus gay men are keenly aware of HIV risks and so they take active steps to prevent it. Hetero is probably more dangerous because people think hetero sex is somehow immune to HIV (they are exactly the same). Condoms protect you damn near all the time, provided you use them.
One STD you have to worry about when having hetero sex is pregnancy. Symptoms include big belly in female partner, and lifetime of alimony payments.
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Not all types of sex carry the same HIV risk. Your highest risk of contracting HIV through sexual activity is through receiving anal sex, a 1 in 72 chance. There’s a chart here with more details.
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It’s actually not easy for a male to get HIV from a female if the sex is of the common or garden variety.
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No, they’re not. Unprotected anal sex is much riskier.
Damn I wish “they” would make such important information accessible much easier. That table is super informative, and the idea of “risk per exposure” is great to make risk more tangible. Yet, I guess many people will get lost in such text wastelands…
A few years ago, after realising how lacking sex education and risk awareness was in Taiwan, I was thinking of trying to make something easily understandable… Maybe using clear descriptions supported by clear symbols. But never got around to it. Also, I’m not talented at all in graphics design.
Is this something we could revive “Forumosa after dark” with again? ^^
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Teehee. Freudian slip?
But yeah, I agree. Simple and straightforward sex education is so incredibly important, here and anywhere. I think signs of an abusive relationship should be taught in sex ed classes, too.
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Did the report break out STD rates between those that engage in heterosexual and homosexual intercourse? There’s a big difference: homosexuals tend to be more promiscuous and engage in more dangerous sex.
Gays tend to be more keenly aware of the danger so they often take appropriate precautions.
Guys who sleeps around with women thinks they are immune to HIV because “only gays get them” will end up getting them because he doesn’t use protections.
Lots of HIV in Africa, and over there gay sex tends to be criminalized.
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