UK HIV Statistics

The latest statistics on AIDS & HIV in the UK were published in August 2007 by the Health Protection Agency.1

The tables below show that 45% of HIV diagnoses have been among men who have sex with men. However, the number of heterosexually acquired HIV infections diagnosed in the UK has risen dramatically over the last 15 years.

In 1999, for the first time, the rate of heterosexually acquired HIV diagnoses overtook the rate of diagnoses in men who have sex with men. In 2006, heterosexually acquired infections accounted for 48% of new HIV diagnoses (the peak was 63% in 2003).

Injecting drug use accounts for around 26% of all HIV diagnoses ever made in Scotland, but only 4% of those made in England. Most of the diagnoses among Scottish injecting drug users were made in the 1980s.

On this page the term 'exposure category' refers to the most probable route of transmission of HIV infection.

UK HIV diagnoses by sex and exposure category, all years until the end of June 2007

* Includes individuals with sex not stated on the report
† Includes 794 men who also reported injecting drug use

HIV diagnoses by country and exposure category, all years until the end of June 2007

* Includes 794 men who had also injected drugs
† Includes 45 individuals with sex not stated on the report

How people probably became infected by year

* Includes 794 men who had also injected drugs
† Includes infants born outside but diagnosed in the UK
‡ All infections within this category diagnosed since 2002 were acquired outside the UK

Notes

• Numbers, particularly for recent years, will rise as further reports are received.

• Due to rounding to the nearest whole number, percentage columns may appear not to total 100%.

Sources:

1. HPA Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (HIV and STI Department) and the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health: Unpublished Quarterly Surveillance Tables No. 75, 07/2, August 2007

Last updated December 10, 2007