HIV cases have increased in the United Kingdom

The number of newly diagnosed cases of HIV in the United Kingdom has reached an all time high, according to figures published by the Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS). Figures show that there were 3435 new cases in 2000. This represents a 14% increase over the previous year's figures. The PHLS also said that about 10 000 people in the UK were infected with HIV, but had not been diagnosed. These figures were released a week before the 20th anniversary of the first AIDS cases being recorded in the United States.

The PHLS says that the number of newly diagnosed cases in 2000 was the highest in one year since testing became widely available in 1985 and warns that the figures may rise further as late reports of cases are received. Last year there were 36m people living with HIV and AIDS world wide - 50% more than the World Health Organization predicted in 1991.

For the second year, the number of new diagnoses of HIV acquired through heterosexual sex (48%), was higher than through homosexual sex (37%). The PHLS speculates that the increase in heterosexual infections may be due to initiatives encouraging heterosexual people to get tested.

But health experts emphasise that sex between men is the predominant route of HIV transmission in Britain. Dr Barry Evans, head of the HIV division at the PHLS communicable disease surveillance centre, said, "Many of those being diagnosed are people who were infected some years ago, but who are only now coming forward for testing. This is good news because once people are diagnosed they can seek treatment and although HIV infection cannot be cured, treatment can largely prevent progression of the disease."

But he warned that the increase in sexually transmitted infection rates over the past five years showed that people were still putting themselves at risk of HIV infection through unsafe sex.

AIDs activist and sufferer, Nkosi Johnson, died 1 June 2001 (AP PHOTO/THEMBA HADEBE)

HIV and AIDS charities are calling for the government to introduce initiatives to tackle sexual health and HIV, including a national strategy, appropriate sex education schools, and more funding in treatment and prevention.

Derek Bodell, chief executive of the National AIDS Trust, said, "Although HIV treatments are helping people with the virus in richer nations like the UK to live longer and healthier lives, a worrying trend is that up to 25% of new HIV cases are showing signs of resistance to these drugs."

Samena Chaudhry, Birmingham


studentBMJ 2001;09:217-260 July ISSN 0966-6494