MOSCOW, December 1 (RIA Novosti) - The number...

Despite measures being taken in Russia to try and stop the spread of the disease, the watchdog said as of November 1, there were 448,000 people registered with HIV with around 80% of those aged between 15 and 30.

In the first 10 months of 2008, 33,732 new HIV cases were registered, Rospotrebnadzor said, adding that an average of 65% of all cases in Russia were transmitted through intravenous drug use. And Russia's federal penitentiary service said that prisoners made up almost 11% of all-HIV infections in Russia.

The sanitary watchdog also said that around 61% of all those infected lived in 11 areas, including Moscow, St. Petersburg and their regions, Chelyabinsk and Orenburg in the south Urals, Kemerovo and the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area in West Siberia and East Siberia's Irkutsk Region.

The Russian government has stepped up its public awareness campaign in recent years to highlight the dangers of HIV and AIDS related diseases and has launched some

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