United Kingdom: New Diagnoses of HIV Remain High

New HIV diagnoses recorded for 2005 so far have reached 5,560, but the Health Protection Agency expects the final figure to be more than 7,750. While HPA said the rise was due chiefly to an increase in new diagnoses among men who have sex with men (MSM), overall more new diagnoses were attributed to heterosexual sex.

Of new HIV diagnoses recorded for 2005 so far, the routes of transmission were as follows: sex between men and women (2,878 cases; 52 percent); sex between men (1,712; 31 percent); injecting drug use (112; 2 percent); other routes (79; 1 percent); route not yet determined (14 percent).

MSM remain "the group in the UK at highest risk of acquiring HIV with evidence that transmission is continuing at a substantial rate," said Dr. Valerie Delpech of the HPA HIV department. "The rise in the number of new diagnoses reported is likely to be due to more HIV testing among [MSM] and ongoing transmission of HIV."

New diagnoses attributed to heterosexual sex are likely to remain high but stable. Most heterosexual cases are acquired outside the country.

"The rise in sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, is a serious problem that we are determined to tackle," said Public Health Minister Caroline Flint. "That is why we have committed over £300 million ($535 million US) to modernize sexual health services as well as making sexual health one of the seven key national priorities for the NHS next year."

Nick Partridge, CEO of the HIV group Terrence Higgins Trust, responded, "We are delighted that the government has named sexual health as one of its seven key health priorities. Now we are urging Primary Care Trusts to follow its lead, giving frontline sexual health services the attention, funding and resources they so desperately need."

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