World AIDS Day 2024
December 1st is World AIDS Day. It’s a day where people around the globe unite to show support for those living with and affected by HIV and to remember those whose lives were lost. The global UNAIDS theme for 2024 is Take the rights path, emphasising gaps in the realization of human rights for all are keeping the world from getting on the path that ends AIDS.
The latest HIV data from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre shows a 15% decrease in the rate of first-time HIV diagnoses in Ireland (i.e. no history of a previous HIV diagnosis) in 2023 compared to pre-pandemic year 2019.
The key population group affected by HIV in Ireland remains gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM). Encouragingly, a declining trend in first-time diagnoses in gbMSM has been evident since 2015 and a lower proportion of this population group were diagnosed late in recent years.
Of concern, 39% of people with a first-time diagnosis in 2023 were diagnosed late. For information on how HIV is transmitted visit Sexualwellbeing.ie
The HSE provides a free home testing service for STIs and HIV. Ordering a home STI test is quick, easy and discreet. Visit http://sexualwellbeing.ie to order your free STI test kit today. HIV testing is available in many health care settings including STI clinics, GPs and student health services. A list of free public STI/HIV testing services is available on the HSE Sexual Wellbeing website.
Timely, successful treatment, which is free in Ireland and available to everyone, can lead to similar health and life expectancy for people living with HIV as the general population. When a person living with HIV is on effective treatment, they can’t pass it on.
The latest HIV trends report for Ireland is available on HPSC.ie.