Record number of new UK HIV diagnoses made in 2003

A record number of new HIV diagnoses were made in the UK last year, with heterosexual women again making up the largest group of people affected; a trend that began in 2001. Although figures for 2003 are incomplete due to reporting delay, on the basis of previous patterns of reporting delay, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) expects that they will exceed those for 2002 “by a considerable margin”.

The latest figures reported for 2003, which appear in the May 27^th issue of the HPA’s CDR Weekly, total 5864 new HIV diagnoses. The total for 2002 was 5942. However, reports can take more than a year to reach the HPA from around the UK. It is important to remember that new HIV diagnoses do not necessarily mean new HIV infections; they simply represent the first time that an individual has been diagnosed HIV-positive at a UK testing centre: HIV transmission could have occurred any time prior to diagnosis, from months to years.

Since 1999, the number of newly diagnosed heterosexual men and women has exceeded the number of newly diagnosed men who have sex with men (MSM). Diagnoses in both groups have risen subsequently each year.

The increase in diagnoses has been substantial in those infected through heterosexual sex, with the majority of these infections acquired abroad. Last year, 57% (3371) of new HIV diagnoses were made in heterosexual men and women, with almost two thirds (2199) of those being female. For diagnoses in heterosexual men and women made in 2003, 70% were infected in African countries and 7.5% in other parts of the world. Although these figures include individuals infected while travelling or living abroad, for the most part they represent those who were born in and who lived for most of their lives in the country where they were infected.

However, the number of individuals who were infected through heterosexual sex in the UK has been increasing gradually, and continues to make up around 10% of new diagnoses in heterosexual men and women annually.

Last year, 28% (1641) of all new HIV diagnoses were made in men who have sex with men, which remains the group most at risk of acquiring HIV in the UK. For new diagnoses in 2003 in MSM, where country of infection was reported, 84% were infected in the UK.

Diagnoses among injecting drug users remained relatively low in 2003, making up 2% of the total reported to date. Follow-up to ascertain the probable route of infection was still ongoing for 10% (602) of reports.

Regionally, London and the South East remain the focus of HIV in the UK, with 2566 (44%) of new diagnoses in 2003 being made in London, and a further 21% in the regions adjacent to London. All UK regions have seen increases in new diagnoses each year since 1999. They have more than doubled in the North East, Yorkshire and Humberside, Eastern England and Wales – areas that previously saw relatively few HIV cases.

Although a reduction in the number of new AIDS diagnoses has been seen since 1997 – known as the post-HAART era – there is a growing trend for both a new HIV infection and a new AIDS diagnoses to be reported at the same time. In 2003, 77% (545) of the 705 newly-diagnosed AIDS cases were diagnosed at the same time as HIV infection. The late diagnosis of HIV infection, which tends to occur more often in heterosexual men who perceive themselves not to be at risk, is an ongoing problem.

So far, 462 deaths due to HIV have been reported in 2003. This time last year, there were only 349 reports of deaths in 2002, and the latest figure for the whole of 2002 is 405. Even allowing for reporting delays, there has been a substantial increase in deaths reported due to HIV/AIDS year-on-year.

The HPA also released numbers for new HIV diagnoses in the first three months of 2004: 1,389 new diagnoses of HIV infection were reported. This brings the cumulative total to 62,709 since surveillance began in 1982. To date, 20,307 individuals have been diagnosed with AIDS, of whom 12,898 (64%) have died, with a further 2,818 individuals having died without being reported as having progressed to AIDS.

Further information on this website

One in three HIV-positive gay men in London unaware they are infected - news story

GPs often missing HIV diagnoses in those with perceived low HIV risk - news story

35% of HIV infections diagnosed late in England and Wales last year - news story

One in four UK HIV diagnoses are missed says BHIVA - news story

40% increase in new heterosexual HIV diagnoses in UK in 2001 - news story