Europe

In Western and Central Europe the prevalence of HIV among adults is now relatively stable, having been estimated at 0.3% of the overall population since 2002. Heterosexual contact is still the most frequent way that HIV is transmitted in most countries, though transmission through shared drug injecting equipment is also common in Central and Eastern Europe.

In 2006 69% of new diagnoses in Europe were in the East, 29%in the West and 2% in Central Europe.

Statistics

In Western Europe:

• 26% of the people newly diagnosed with HIV were less than 30 years of age
• 54% of new HIV cases were infected through heterosexual sex, 35% through gay sex and 8% through sharing equipment for injecting drugs
• 72% of women with HIV were infected through heterosexual sex
• 34% of new HIV diagnoses were in women
• migrants from sub-Saharan Africa account for 21% of all new cases diagnosed and 89% of these were infected through heterosexual sex..

More information

These groups of people have relatively high instances of HIV, or have a proprotion of people living with HIV that is growing faster than average:

• men having sex with men
• heterosexuals
• injecting drug users