At the end of October, 40 new HIV positive cases were detected in Pinar del Rio, which means 15 more infected people than last year.

Thirty two persons out of this figure are men and 21 of them have sex with men, thats why this is the most affected group by the disease, both in the country and the province.

Pinar reaches December 1st- World AIDS Day- with a strengthening in prevention tasks, especially related to a project for that group.

According to a research made by the National Statistics Office, the MSM project in Pinar del Rio is the most displayed all over the country, that is to say that according to the polls the westernmost population proved to know it better.

Likewise, the research also brought out that Pinar is the region with highest amount of men who have sex with men from time to time, which implies a readjustment of the prevention strategies for 2008, informed the Provincial Center for Prevention of STIs and HIV/AIDS.

This institution carries out educative actions in prisons, cultural centers, communities with social disadvantages, state entities, as well as the training to volunteers.

It is still much left to do in order to change peoples conscience and beat prejudice; so we need to achieve more communication with society.

It is also necessary to gather more volunteers to reach every place in the province, and to strengthen the research studies, as the very center has evaluated their own work.

(Guerrillero.cu)