Trends in HIV Incidence in Homosexual Men in Developed Countries

Study authors sought to describe trends in HIV notification and in other indicators of HIV incidence in homosexual men in developed countries. A literature review was conducted using PubMed, and, in addition to peer-reviewed articles, data regarding HIV surveillance trends were accessed via Web sites of surveillance authorities in developed countries.

The researchers noted that the availability of long-term HIV surveillance data varied considerably. In all jurisdictions where such data were accessible, however, notifications of new HIV diagnoses among homosexual men have increased, mostly since the late 1990s. The rate of increase varied, but exceeded 50 percent in many countries. Trends in direct measures of HIV incidence in homosexual men were rare, and increases in HIV testing may explain the increases in many nations. Even so, several clinic- and community-based cohort studies in Europe and North America reported increasing incidence.

"There were increases in HIV notifications in homosexual men in almost all developed countries, starting in the late 1990s and continuing to 2006," the authors concluded. "Although increases in HIV testing probably contributed to the increases in some settings, limited cohort data do support the existence of a true increase in HIV incidence in European and North American countries. Improved monitoring of HIV incidence in homosexual men at the population level is required to allow more timely assessment of the drivers underlying such trends."

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