Many married men assume they are shielded from sexual health risks simply because they are in a committed relationship.
But Malaysia’s latest HIV data paints a different and deeply worrying picture. According to the Ministry of Health (MOH), HIV cases are rising again this year and 90 percent of those infected are men.
Health experts say this trend points to an uncomfortable reality: risky behaviour outside the marriage is putting spouses and families at risk.
A doctor’s warning to unfaithful spouses
Malaysian medical professional Dr Say Shazril recently took to Instagram to sound the alarm over the rising number of HIV cases nationwide. His message was directed at one group in particular; cheating spouses.
He reminded Malaysians that HIV has no effective cure at the time of writing, and once a person is infected, the virus remains in the body for life despite medication.
Dr Say explained that untreated HIV will eventually progress to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), the most severe and life-threatening stage of the disease.
“I’m not stigmatising those who have HIV, but please be responsible for your actions. I’ve lost a few friends to AIDS, and don’t let others suffer for your behaviour, especially your wife and kids,” he wrote.
From needle sharing to unsafe sex: how HIV transmission has changed
Dr Say also highlighted a significant shift in Malaysia’s HIV landscape.
Before 2011, most HIV infections were linked to needle sharing, particularly among drug users. However, in the past decade, the primary cause of transmission has changed dramatically.
Today, unsafe sexual practices are the leading driver of HIV infections in Malaysia.
This shift has raised concerns not only among medical professionals but also among parents. Earlier this year, a 16-year-old Malaysian boy admitted he contracted a sexually transmitted disease (STD) after being influenced by peer pressure and paying for sex in Thailand.
“Syoknya sekejap, a lifetime of regret”
Addressing married men directly, Dr Say warned that casual encounters outside the marriage don’t just harm the relationship, they put women and children at risk of long-term health consequences.
“Syoknya sekejap, but a lifetime of regret,” he said, reminding men that a brief moment of pleasure could inflict irreversible damage on the people they claim to love.
