HIV infection rate rising relatively slowly, young Czechs not using condoms

The rate of HIV infection is rising relatively slowly in the Czech Republic, with 70 new cases recorded so far this year, Miroslav Hlavaty of the charity AIDS pomoc said on Friday.

Mr Hlavaty warned that young Czechs were unworried about catching HIV, with only 20 percent saying they use condoms the first time they sleep with a new partner.

According to the latest available figures over 800 Czechs are HIV positive and almost 200 have AIDS.