March 4: 19 people have been detected with HIV taking the total number of people detected with the virus to 144.

They were detected through routine screening between September 2007 and February 2008. 17 got the infection through unprotected sex. The remaining two have been identified as mother to child transmission.

Including 13 children under the age of five, there are 118 people living with HIV in the kingdom. 26 have died of AIDS related complications so far.

Almost 90 percent of the infections have been attributed to unsafe sex and low condom use.

A news release from the Ministry of Health says young people are highly vulnerable to HIV/AIDS.

Almost 48 percent of the people who have been detected with the virus are between 15 and 29 years.