The 1998 report of the Unlinked Anonymous Surveys Group, published today, shows that one-third of adults with HIV in the UK are unaware of their infection. The survey also found:
- 30,000 people are estimated to be living with HIV in the UK, 10,000 of them undiagnosed
- 28% of gay men with HIV infection remain undiagnosed
- At least 1,000 new infections are occurring each year among gay men
- The sharing of needles and syringes among drug users who had injected in the previous month increased from around 17% in 1997 to 32% in 1998. The level of sharing had changed little between 1992 and 1997.
The Unlinked Anonymous HIV prevalence survey tests blood samples provided in genitourinary medicine clinics, hospitals, antenatal units and services for drug users to establish the levels of HIV infection in different population groups. The survey has been collecting data on UK trends since 1990.
Reference
Prevalence of HIV in the United Kingdom 1998: Summary report from the Unlinked Anonymous Surveys Steering Group, Department of Health, 1999.