HIV Scotland
promoting positive change
promoting positive change
Fast and accurate facts on HIV in Scotland, which include data right up to the end of 2010. We've also included information on related factors such as STI's, where data influences HIV infection.
HIV testing almost doubled in Scotland for the five years to 2008. Amongst MSM, for the same period, HIV testing saw a three-fold increase with 80% of all tests being undertaken in GUM settings.
(Wallace, Gaycon 2010)
During 2010, NHS Scotland laboratories reported positive HIV test results for 360 individuals not previously recorded as HIV-positive. This figure is lower than 2007 to 2009 (452, 411, and 428 respectively).
Of the 360 recently reported HIV-positive individuals, 251 (70%) are male, and 232 (64%) are aged between 25 and 44 years. The probable route of transmission was men who have sex with men (MSM) in 130 cases, heterosexual intercourse in 151 cases, and injecting drug use in 19 cases. For 53 cases, the transmission category is, as yet, undetermined.
The cumulative total of known total of HIV-positive individuals ever reported in Scotland is now 6613, of whom 4774 (72%) are male and 1839 (28%) are female. At least 1783 (27%) are known to have died.
Taking account of deaths, cases known to have left Scotland, and cases presumed to have left Scotland, it is estimated there are currently around 3800 people in Scotland living with HIV.
Having a sexually transmitted infection (STI) increases the risk of HIV infection: in 2008 over 29,000 acute STIs were diagnosed in Scotland.
This virus is closely associated with HIV, mainly through injecting drug use. Co-infection with HIV and Hepatitis C can cause complex health and treatment problems. As at 30 September 2010, approximately one in 220 of Scotland’s population had been diagnosed hepatitis C antibody-positive. It is estimated that the number of undiagnosed hepatitis C antibody-positive cases in Scotland still exceeds the number of diagnosed cases. Thanks to the Hepatitis C Action Plan the numbers of people initiated on Hepatitis C treatment doubled from around 450 in 2008 to 900 in 2010. (see Health Protection Scotland)
(Data provided by the World Health Organisation)
It is estimated that there is approximately 33.3 million (between 31.4 million and 35.3 million) people globally living with HIV, of which 30.8 million (29.2 million – 32.6 million) are adults, 15.9 million (14.8 million – 17.2 million) are women and 2.5 million (1.6 million – 3.4 million) are children aged under 15 years.
It is estimated that there was 2.6 million (between 2.3 million and 2.8 million) people newly infected with HIV in 2009. Of which 2.2 million (2.0 million – 2.4 million) were adults and 370,000 (230,000 – 510,000) were children aged less than 15 years.
Globally, in 2009 and estimated 1.8 million (1.6 million – 2.1 million) people died from AIDS, of which 1.6 million (1.4 million – 1.8 million) were adults and 260,000 (150,000-360,000) were children under 15 years old.