No Reduction Observed in Rate of HIV Infections Among Gays in England and Wales

A new study published in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases reveals that the number of HIV infections among gays and bisexual men in England and Wales has not gone down over the last decade.

Official figures reveal that the number of HIV infection cases has remained static at 2,300 - 2,500 cases per year between 2001 and 2010 with the number of undiagnosed HIV cases also remaining unchanged despite increased number of medications and early diagnosis.

The study, conducted by researchers at Medical Research Council Biostatistics Unit, also found that the use of antiretrovirals increased from 69 percent in 2001 to 80 percent in 2010 while the time between infection and diagnosis was also reduced by 4 years in 3.2 years.

"We found the number of new infections remained quite stable over the decade, there was no evidence of a decline. Perhaps a resurgence of unsafe sexual practice might be fuelling the spread of HIV or perhaps testing is not very targeted", lead researcher Dr Daniela De Angelis said.



Source: Medindia