Hetrosexual HIV Cases Show An Increase

30 November -0001

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Cases of HIV infection through heterosexual sex, continues to rise and is predicted to keep rising in the UK according to experts.

A Health Protection Agency report published in the British Medical Journal has shown the number rose from 144 in 1999 to 315 in 2003.

Although homosexual men remain the highest risk group more hetrosexual people are contracting the disease, the majority of those get infected whilst abroad, though the agency report does say that as the numbers living with HIV increased, so to will the heterosexual transmission risks.

The HPA Centre for Infections analysed confidential reports of HIV infection in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to look at probable routes of infection.

The report shows that 21,115 adults were diagnosed with HIV between 1985 and 2003, 9% were shown to have been infected within the UK.

The rest which includes people who are UK born who were infected when they travelled abroad, or people from countries with high HIV rates, usually in Africa, who were diagnosed with HIV after arriving in the UK.

Dr Katy Sinka, a senior epidemiologist from the HPA, told the BBC that the main concern was that infections acquired in the UK continue to increase very gradually, and while stratagies can be used in the UK to prevent infection those from abroad or people travelling abroad cannot be controlled.

The researchers fear that, as the number of heterosexuals living with HIV in the UK grows, the likelihood of heterosexual transmission within the country will increase, particularly among ethnic minorities.

The Terrence Higgins Trust say the research confirms that although gay men are at the greatest risk of HIV infection, the risks for the heterosexual community are steadily growing, especially for the African community within the UK.

Complacency is not an option health education and wider availability of HIV testing and treatment are essential to tackle the UK's growing epidemic.

According to the National Aids Manual, the figures emphasise that gay men still account for the overwhelming majority of infections acquired in the UK, but heterosexual transmission within the UK is increasing. The major factor in the continuing rise was that up to a third of all of people with HIV in the UK do not know they are infected. The advice is if you think you might be at risk get tested.

When having sex with someone the tried and trusted use of a condom if correctly used is an effective way of preventing the transmission of HIV as well as other forms of sexually transmitted infections.

source bbc

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