Stats time again.

lettie · 17-01-2006, 12:49

It's that time of year again folks. You know I can't resist it....

Here are our latest HIV stats for the British Isles and they're not pretty. Once again it is on the up..

Press Release
24 November 2005
Number of people living with HIV in the UK is now over 58,000
The number of people living with HIV in the UK is now around 58,300, according to a report released today by the Health Protection Agency. This latest figure includes both those who have been diagnosed and also an estimated 19,700, who remain unaware of their infection and therefore undiagnosed.
Dr Barry Evans, an HIV expert at the Agency said: "Our report Mapping the Issues coincides with World Aids Day and allows us to take stock of the progress made in our efforts to prevent the spread of HIV. There is no part of the UK that remains unaffected by HIV or other sexually transmitted infections. The report shows that rates of infection vary across the country. This is due to a range of factors including differing levels of risk behaviour, urbanisation and demographics.
"During 2004, 7275 new HIV diagnoses were reported in the UK –- this compares to 7217 diagnoses in 2003. The majority of cases (4287) were diagnosed in heterosexual men and women, 73% of which were likely to have been acquired in Africa.
"Of all cases thought to have been acquired in the UK, three-quarters were in gay and bisexual men and the total number of all new diagnoses in this group in 2004 - 2185 – was the highest since 1990. This figure is a combination of both those who have been infected for sometime who have come forward as a result of increased HIV testing, and those tested as a result of recent risk. Separate laboratory testing has also shown that the rate of new infections in gay and bisexual men has remained constant.
"While there has been a levelling off in the number of diagnoses likely to have been acquired through heterosexual sex in Africa between 2003 and 2004 (from 3457 to 3138), there has been a slow but steady rise in the number of heterosexual infections acquired in the UK in recent years, from 227 diagnoses in 2000 to 498 in 2004.

The full report can be read on the Health Protection Agency website and is entitled Mapping the Issues...

lettie · 17-01-2006, 12:55

Here's the link to the HPA press release.... Enjoy

http://www.hpa.org.uk/hpa/news/artic...24_hiv_sti.htm

Neil · 17-01-2006, 15:10

Does it say how many are immigrants/assylum seekers that we are paying for?

lettie · 17-01-2006, 16:39

I'm not sure about the grand total of immigrants we are treating but nearly 3 quarters of all new heterosexual infections (3138) were thought to be aquired in Africa. Most of these are probably African people, but some of them may well be British sex tourists.

Neil · 17-01-2006, 17:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by lettie

some of them may well be British sex tourists.

Sounds like a good holiday, have you any details.

Its no wonder we are hearing reports every day about the NHS being unable to afford breast cancer treatments when they are spending £1 billion a year on AIDs treatment. Have a read at the details here

garinda · 18-01-2006, 00:26

How do they work out that figure?

'an estimated 19,700, who remain unaware of their infection and therefore undiagnosed.'

SPUGGIE J · 18-01-2006, 07:13

If thats the case then nearly 20k of people are spreading it further and infecting others. So what would the ratio be of new infections per year taking into account the people who are unaware of their conditions but are still very active in the "fun" department?

lettie · 18-01-2006, 16:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by garinda

How do they work out that figure?

'an estimated 19,700, who remain unaware of their infection and therefore undiagnosed.'

It's incredibly easy to work that out. In certain areas of the country they still do what is known as unlinked anonymous screening (UAS). This started in the 80's in order to give the government an idea of how many people in this country were potentially affected, therefore they could plan the budget for how many they may eventually have to treat. Thousands of blood samples taken at clinics and GP surgeries were sent to local labs to be tested for what they were taken for. Once those tests were done all identifying labels were taken off the blood and it was then sent to another lab and HIV screened. This still goes on in some forms around the country and includes blood taken from infants. It is completely anonymous, the lab, GP's and patients do not know whose blood has been anonymously screened and whose hasn't but it can give the gov't a ballpark figure in order to provide services.

The blood taken from infants blood spot tests (done at 7 days old) may well match up with maternal tests done in pregnancy. The women know about this test and are counselled for it. It is not anonymous and unlinked for the women but the baby's test is. Any known HIV positive mother will have her baby tested at certain intervals to see if it has been transmitted to the baby. By 18 months of age, if the baby is negative then no transmission has occurred. Babies will test positive for the first few weeks of life because they carry maternal antibodies which they discard later. Therefore the infant blood spots do not tell us the number of children affected but the number of mothers. Some women do refuse to be tested in pregnancy because they believe that they are not at risk. We do have about 80-90% uptake of the test now in this country antenatally. Basically anyone who has had unprotected sex (which is how most babies are made) is at risk.

shakermaker · 18-01-2006, 17:23

yeh.....what lettie said.

as if you didnt know that garinda.....

lol

g78 · 18-01-2006, 17:34

I just got back from the states and they were basically reporting the same thing over there, that the known cases of HIV were yet again on the rise.
I guess the message is that no matter who you chose too sleep with, just make sure you use a condom.