The number of HIV infections in Iran contracted via sexual intercourse has more than doubled according to the country's top research body in the field, highlighting the theocracy's strict policy toward contraception.

“HIV transmission through sexual contact has increased, with 28 percent of the 24,760 individuals who tested positive contracting the virus this way," Ladan Abbassian, the head of the country’s AIDS Research Center told IRGC-affiliated Tasnim on Saturday, without specifying a time period.

"This percentage rose to 65 percent in the first six months (of the Iranian calendar starting in mid-March 2024), indicating a shift in infection patterns.”

Women made up 19 percent of the total who tested positive for HIV, a figure that increased to 32 percent from March to August 2024. This shift marks a significant change in transmission patterns, which were previously dominated by men, Abbasian added.

Nearly three-quarters of those diagnosed with HIV are aged 20 to 45. “This age group should be the primary target for awareness and diagnostic efforts,” she said.

Drug users make up 53 percent of HIV cases, with 10 percent of those diagnosed in the first half of this year reporting injection drug use.

Experts have warned that government-imposed restrictions on contraceptive methods and the discontinuing of free distribution of contraceptives in some health centers could lead to a rise in HIV infections.

In 2021, Masoud Mardani, a member of the National HIV/Aids committee and professor at Shahid Beheshti medical university criticized these policies, saying that restrictions on contraceptive use to boost population growth not only risk unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections but could also trigger a wave of HIV cases due to limited access to preventative tools.

In 2014 Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei announced that Iran should aim to increase the population – which is now around 85 million – to 150 million by 2050.

Despite officials’ efforts to implement directives, the population growth strategy has failed, with many attributing this to Iran’s dire economic conditions, as birth rates continue to fall and the population is projected to halve by the end of the century.

The rise in HIV cases among women and young adults in Iran reflects shifting transmission patterns and may underscore the need for stronger prevention strategies and better access to care to curb the virus's spread.