latest Health and Social Services statistics show.

But of four people who developed the disease in January, the only available figures this year, three were aged 40 to 49 and men.

Nevertheless the most at-risk group remains the 30-somethings who comprise over 50 percent of AIDS cases.

To date, 80 percent of AIDS victims are male, 89.5 percent black and almost 45 percent contracted AIDS through drug use, the statistics show.

Health minister the Hon. Quinton Edness admitted the relentless increase in AIDS cases remained cause for concern.

"It has reached the numbers we anticipated it would and it's frightening,'' he said. "The percentage has doubled since 1990.'' In light of the increase in AIDS cases contracted through heterosexual sex, Mr. Edness urged schools, community groups and families to talk to teenagers about how to protect themselves from the deadly disease.

Even though the 30 to 39-year-old age group was still the worst hit, many of them caught the AIDS virus in their 20s, Mr. Edness said.

Abstinence was the still the best method, but sexually active young people needed advice from adults on the best brand of condom to use.

He advised adults to arm themselves with knowledge they could pass onto young people. He also advised teenagers not to have sex with new partners on the first night, week or even first month.

"Get to know something about your partner first,'' he said.

Of the four new cases in January, two were from homo or bisexual transmission.

This clearly showed the gay community were not protecting themselves as well as they could, Mr. Edness said.

But while AIDS contracted through homosexual sex comprised just over 30 percent of AIDS cases, heterosexually transmitted AIDS was not far behind at 19.3 percent.

"It shows people are still having unprotected sex,'' Mr. Edness said.

He added Government would continue with the television, radio and newspaper advertising campaign it began two years ago in the hope some trends could be reversed.

He also praised private foundations such as S.T.A.R. and the Allen Vincent Smith Foundation for their efforts in educating the public.

"AIDS is still very much among us,'' Mr. Edness warned.