HIV in the United Kingdom: 2014 report

The number of infections acquired through injecting drug use and through other routes remains low. After adjusting for missing data, 130 new HIV diagnoses in 2013 were infections acquired through injecting drug use, of which nearly two-thirds (62%; 80/130) were among people born in the UK (Figure 8). In the past decade, the total number of new HIV diagnoses among PWID reduced from an all-time high in 2006 (200) and has remained stable over the past three years (140 in 2011 and 120 in 2012).

Whilst the number and proportion of non-UK born PWID diagnosed in the UK has decreased over time, the number of UK-born PWID diagnosed in recent years has been relatively stable with 80 in the last three years. Among PWID, the median age at diagnosis has increased from 33 years in 2004 to 47 years in 2013 and the proportion of PWID aged 50 years old or above at diagnosis increased from 3% (5/160) in 2004 to 15% (20/130) in 2013.

In 2013, 90 new HIV diagnoses were acquired through mother-to-child transmission. The vast majority of these cases were acquired abroad. An additional 20 cases were reported to be through exposure to contaminated blood products abroad.

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