In 2018, four new HIV infected individuals were aged 15 to 19. The amount increased to nine in 2019. Healthcare professionals stated that the fear and stigma among teenagers may result in delays in seeking treatment for sexually transmitted infections.
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A spokesperson who was representing the Singapore Children Society’s Children and Youth Services said that the three teenagers each had multiple sexual partners whom they had known mostly through Instagram or through friends, and they had not practised safe sex.
The Department of Sexually Transmitted Infections Control (DSC) Clinic on Kelantan Lane even stated that some infected patients were as young as 14 years old.