The Health Department has noticed a growing number of HIV cases it attributes to unprotected sex.

According to a surveillance report released yesterday for 1996, 422 cases of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, had been recorded from June 1, 1985 -- when Bermuda began recording such statistics -- and December 31, last year.

The majority, or 88.1 percent, of the 422 HIV-infected people were in the 20-to-49-year age group.

And up to the end of last year 301 people infected with HIV were known to have died.

While the latest figures showed that 379 AIDS cases had been reported -- including 40 last year -- and intravenous drug abuse continued to be the predominant factor for AIDS in Bermuda, nurse epidemiologist Rhonda Daniels told The Royal Gazette the focus should be on the HIV cases.

"That's where you're going to see a change in transmission,'' she said.

The surveillance report showed that as of December 31, last year, 160 cases of HIV had been reported in intravenous drug abusers; 115 among homosexuals or bisexual men, and 84 among the heterosexual partners of people infected with the AIDS virus. Twenty cases occurred among people with unidentified risk factors.

However, the reported also noted that the percentage of HIV cases in drug users had continued to decline, dropping from 29 in 1985 to four last year.

But cases contracted as a result of heterosexual activity had increased from two in 1985 to 11 last year. And homosexual/bisexual cases had risen from three in 1985 to nine in 1996.

"There have been some changes in the pattern and distribution of persons identified as HIV infected,'' the report stated. "Heterosexual contact has become a more common source of risk.'' And Ms Daniels said she believed this was mainly because some people were simply ignoring AIDS awareness messages or not making the connection between knowledge and action.

"They may say `my only sex partner is my wife or husband','' she noted. "But are they their spouse's only partner?'' Meanwhile, Ms Daniels attributed the decline among intravenous drug users to several factors, including the fact many had died and needles were not as common in drug-taking as they once were.

"The trends are following what we are seeing worldwide,'' she said, adding the Health Department figures only gave an accurate picture of what was reported.

Ms Daniels pointed out an unknown number of people chose to go abroad for testing and treatment.

However, Health Department statistics reflected the findings of a survey recently released by The Allan Vincent Smith Foundation, an AIDS-support group.

In a random telephone poll by WAVE Marketing of 700 residents, the Foundation discovered many people still refused to protect themselves during sex.

After hearing the survey's findings, Public Safety Minister Quinton Edness reiterated his call for making condoms available, with consultation, "wherever young people gather''.

Mr. Edness also stressed the need for another anti-AIDS media campaign and an AIDS commission to provide information to schools and counselling, and to gather statistics and monitor the disease.