In 2011, an estimated 96,000 people were living with HIV in the UK. Of these, around a quarter were unaware of their HIV infection.
The overall proportion of people living with HIV in the UK was estimated to be 0.15%, or 1 in 650. The proportion of men living with HIV in the UK was estimated to be 0.20%, or 1 in 500, while the proportion of women living with HIV in the UK was estimated to be 0.09% or 1 in 1000.
This information is based on the Health Protection Agency’s calculations for 2011 as seen in their HIV in the United Kingdom: 2012 Report.
How many people have been diagnosed and are receiving HIV specialist care?
In 2011 there were 73,659 people in the UK living with a diagnosed HIV infection and receiving care.
How has this been changing over time?
The number of people receiving HIV specialist care has increased every year in the last decade, from 30,849 in 2002 to 73,659 in 2011. This is a fifty-eight per cent increase.
This chart shows how the number of HIV positive people receiving care from an HIV specialist in the UK has changed over time, reported by the Health Protection Agency.
What about people of different genders?
About two thirds of people receiving HIV specialist care were male.
|
Gender
|
% of total receiving HIV specialist care in the UK
|
|
Men
|
67%
|
|
Women
|
33%
|
|
|
100%
|
*Please note that all percentages are rounded so some may not add up to 100%
This information is based on the Health Protection Agency’s figures for the numbers of HIV positive people who were receiving HIV care in the UK in 2011: 49,083 males, and 24,576 females, as seen in the HPA’s HIV in the United Kingdom: 2012 Report.
What about people in different probable exposure categories?
Of those living with HIV in the UK and receiving HIV specialist care, more people were infected through sex between men than through heterosexual sex. A large proportion of those living with diagnosed HIV in the UK infected through heterosexual sex were infected outside the UK, whilst most of the men who have sex with men living with HIV in the UK acquired their infection within the UK.
|
Probable exposure category
|
% of total receiving HIV specialist care in the UK
|
|
|
|
|
Heterosexual contact
|
49%
|
|
Sex between men
|
43%
|
|
Injecting drug use
|
2%
|
|
Mother-to-child transmission
|
2%
|
|
Blood/blood products recipient
|
1%
|
|
Other/Unknown
|
2%
|
|
|
100%
|
*Please note that all percentages are rounded so some may not add up to 100%
Of those receiving HIV care in 2011 36,355 were exposed through sex between a man and a woman, 31,825 were exposed through sex between men, 1,636 were exposed from injecting drug use, 1,488 were exposed from mother-to-child transmission and 533 were exposed from blood/receiving blood products.
What about people of different ethnicities?
Over half of people receiving HIV specialist care in the UK were white, and over a third were black African.
|
Ethnicity
|
% of total receiving HIV specialist care in the UK
|
|
White
|
52%
|
|
Black African
|
35%
|
|
Black Caribbean
|
3%
|
|
Other/mixed
|
9%
|
|
Unknown
|
1%
|
|
|
100%
|
*Please note that all percentages are rounded so some may not add up to 100%
NAT recommends that people from African communities should have a HIV test once a year. See our thinking here.
What about people of different ages?
Two-thirds of all people living with a diagnosed HIV infection in 2011 were aged between 30 and 49, but there are significant numbers both of young people and older people now living with HIV.
|
Age
|
% of total receiving HIV specialist care in the UK
|
|
Under 15
|
1%
|
|
15-24
|
3%
|
|
25-34
|
19%
|
|
35-44
|
37%
|
|
45-54
|
28%
|
|
55 and over
|
12%
|
|
|
100%
|
*Please note that all percentages are rounded so some may not add up to 100%
What about people in the different nations of the UK?
The vast majority of people receiving HIV care in the UK were living in England.
|
Nation
|
% of total people receiving HIV specialist care in the UK
|
|
England
|
92%
|
|
Scotland
|
5%
|
|
Wales
|
2%
|
|
Northern Ireland
|
1%
|
|
Other/Unknown
|
1%
|
|
UK
|
100%
|
*Please note that all percentages are rounded so some may not add up to 100%
What about people in the different regions within England?
42% of people living with HIV in the UK in 2011 were living in London. This is a slight increase from 2010 (43%).
|
Region
|
% of total people receiving HIV specialist care in the UK
|
|
London
|
42%
|
|
North West
|
9%
|
|
South East Coast
|
7%
|
|
West Midlands
|
7%
|
|
East of England
|
6%
|
|
Yorkshire and the Humber
|
5%
|
|
South Central
|
5%
|
|
South West
|
5%
|
|
East Midlands
|
5%
|
|
North East
|
2%
|
|
Total England
|
92%
|
*Please note that all percentages are rounded so some may not add up to 100%
Figures range from 31,147 in London and 6,766 in the North West to 1,385 in the North East and 3,400 in the East Midlands.