UK - New HIV diagnosis down by 71%

[Jim Allen]

BBC
Full story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51122979
In short:

HIV infections among gay and bi men fall by 71% in UK

The number of people diagnosed with HIV in the UK has dropped substantially since 2012, according to figures released by Public Health England.

Gay and bisexual men have experienced the most dramatic decline in new infections, with rates falling by 71%*.

It has been attributed to a rise in the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (Prep).

Campaigners are urging the government to make Prep, which is almost 100% effective at preventing transmission, more widely available.

Virally suppressed
Of the estimated 103,800 people living with HIV in the UK in 2018, 93% have been diagnosed with the virus.

Of these, 97% are receiving treatment.

And of these, 97% are, as a result, undetectable, meaning they cannot transmit the virus.

Metro.co.uk
Full story: https://metro.co.uk/2020/01/16/number-new-hiv-cases-drops-71-thanks-new-drug-12069082/?ito=article.desktop.share.top.link
In short:

Between 2012 and 2018, there was a 71.4% drop in transmission among men who have sex with men, from an estimated 2,300 to 800 in 2018, according to the PHE report.

And the number of people living undiagnosed with the virus has also halved in that period, from an estimated 7,000 to 3,600.


Nathaniel Hall says PrEP has made a huge impact (Picture: Anton Mellor)

While welcoming the figures, campaigners have cautioned that more needs to be done.

Activist Nathaniel Hall, who is touring the country with a theatre show about life with HIV, told Metro.co.uk: ‘(The figures are) really encouraging and show PrEP is having the desired impact and that it is the most effective method. ‘This report is pretty clear that it is PrEP that is having this impact.’

Mr Hall, 33, continued: ‘Though the figures are welcome, the most significant reduction we have seen is in men who have sex with men. We are not seeing much uptake in heterosexual communities. ‘There is work still to be done.

‘HIV doesn’t discriminate – if you are sexually active then you are at risk.’

PHE’s report says the number of new HIV diagnoses among heterosexuals has almost halved over the past decade, from 3,400 in 2009 to 1,940 in 2018.

But Father-of-two Jim Allen, who also lives with the virus, warned against complacency.

He told Metro.co.uk:

‘The figures are very promising, although, without a freely available PrEP program in England I think it will be difficult to reach their 2030 targets.’

Jim, 37, added: ‘Currently PrEP only has limited availability in England through the NHS trials and although highly successful in so-called high-risk groups, without expanding this to be available freely for anyone irrespective of perceived risk level, HIV transmissions will continue to linger on well past the 2030 goals.


Jim Allen wants the medication to become more widely available (Picture: Jim Allen)

‘This week we saw the horrific story of 25 years old Ross Scott dying of AIDS in part because of testing late, so this is not the time to become complacent in our HIV pandemic response.’

[leatherman]

good news 
good picture 
good warning 

[Jim Allen]

good news 
good picture 
good warning 

Indeed and thanks 😊

[Jim Allen]

My other point not mentioned in the article was me saying that zero transmission in the UK is nice goal but it's a small nation and the pandemic is bigger than just the UK

In addition to that side effects of treatmentd is positive by saving & prolonging life, it also means 105.000 people are going to need long term care some facing premature aging. Something the national health service better start planning for now rather than later

[leatherman]

zero transmission in the UK is nice goal but it's a small nation and the pandemic is bigger than just the UK

sounds like me speaking up in one of the "End the Epidemic" committee meetings in either North or South Carolina. Living on the borders of two states with two separate health departments (one with funding to deal with more patients and more patients in a single urban area compared to the other one with less funding dealing with fewer patients but much poorer patients living in much more rural areas)

side effects of treatment is positive by saving & prolonging life

say that again louder for the newbies in the back. With all of everybody's worrying about side effects, no one ever talks about the most important side effect - staying alive!

Reading about the young Scottish man who just passed away with AIDS, I really felt bad that he was diagnosed sooo late. When I talk about being hospitalized twice in two years with PCP and nearly dying, what i guess I should have been saying was the twice in my life AIDS nearly killed me but the magic effect of ARVs, the much lauded "Lazarus Effect", is why I'm here today. I was literally raised from my death bed twice by ARVs. Personally, I think the ONLY side effect of my meds is staying alive. Cry about bone density loss, long term "toxic" issues, or whatever; I'm just happy for the long term "living" issue.

Unfortunately, similar to that young man, my second long-term partner was diagnosed too late. By the time he was diagnosed with AIDS and non-hodgkin's lymphoma, it was only two months before he died. Too late and too sick for him to get the Lazarus Effect.

it also means 105.000 people are going to need long term care some facing premature aging. Something the national health service better start planning for now rather than later

and that sounds like me at any Ryan White quality committee meeting about the current needs of long term survivors being the future for ALL their patients. Just like I'm no longer a 36-yr old dying of AIDS but nearly 58 looking towards 100, newbies today won't be young or newly diagnosed forever. Really, haven't we already redefined "long term survivors" with "pre-HAART LTS"? I mean one time, every "survivor" was truly a person who survived and lived through the height of an epidemic. Nowadays, anybody that's lived with HIV for 5 years thinks they are "survivor". In another decades all these "survivors" are all gonna be old people with a lot of issues that just aren't in the funding budgets for HIV treatment.

[Jim Allen]

110%

I was disappointed and quick to comment on some HIV charities reacting to this news by saying they will keep the foot on the accelerator until there are zero new transmissions    So much more to do than just this and it's scary that they think the work is then done.

say that again louder for the newbies in the back. With all of everybody's worrying about side effects, no one ever talks about the most important side effect - staying alive!

Reading about the young Scottish man who just passed away with AIDS, I really felt bad that he was diagnosed sooo late. When I talk about being hospitalized twice in two years with PCP and nearly dying, what i guess I should have been saying was the twice in my life AIDS nearly killed me but the magic effect of ARVs, the much lauded "Lazarus Effect", is why I'm here today. I was literally raised from my death bed twice by ARVs. Personally, I think the ONLY side effect of my meds is staying alive. Cry about bone density loss, long term "toxic" issues, or whatever; I'm just happy for the long term "living" issue.

Unfortunately, similar to that young man, my second long-term partner was diagnosed too late. By the time he was diagnosed with AIDS and non-hodgkin's lymphoma, it was only two months before he died. Too late and too sick for him to get the Lazarus Effect.

Indeed, it's something I scream at the laptop about before posting a calm reply to some newbies Take your meds, live and manage the rest, I try to keep in mind that they are often still digesting their status.

The Scottish guy, his story reminded me of my own experience as well. Something I don't enjoy thinking about. I also feel bad for him and his family now he has passed, hopefully, his story will remind people it's not all sunshine and happiness and to test frequently.