YEREVAN, November 27. /ARKA/. About 15,000 young people and labor migrants across Armenia will undergo self-testing for HIV infection within the framework of a UN- supported program, implemented by the Armenian Youth Foundation with the financial and technical support of the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

As part of the program about 30,000 young people and migrants across Armenia will have courses on the prevention of HIV infection and the possibility of self-testing for HIV. Presenting the program today health minister Levon Altunyan told the reporters that the program is of great importance.

"The program was approved by the UN Office. Thanks to the financial support of the organization, an express method will be used in Armenia, making the citizen a party to the process," added Altunyan.
He stressed that about 40% of patients in Armenia do not suspect  they are HIV carriers and therefore do not receive proper treatment.

"Our task is to raise people's awareness. The ministry always supports such initiatives," he added.

Karen Avagyan, the coordinator of the Board of Trustees of the Youth Foundation of Armenia,  noted that in order to get free tests, citizens should apply to regional centers of the Youth Foundation. He said the modern method of undergoing self-testing for HIV in a convenient place and convenient time of day takes a few seconds.

According to the latest data from the National AIDS Center, from 1988 to December 1, 2016, some 2,482 cases of HIV infection were registered in the country. Of them 1,309 patients were diagnosed with AIDS. Also 558 cases of death  were registered.

The majority of those infected with HIV in Armenia are males (about 69%). The main sources of transmission in Armenia are heterosexual intercourse (66%) and drug injecting (25%). -0–