Advanced

Information Resources

Get informed about HIV and sexual health. Browse, download and order information on all aspects of our work.

HIV in the UK: facts and statistics

HIV is one of the fastest growing serious health conditions in the UK. There are now more people living with HIV in the UK than ever before, over a quarter of whom don’t know they have the virus.

Map of UK

Injecting drug users (IDU)

The transmission of HIV through sharing equipment for injecting drugs has remained at relatively low levels in the UK. This is due primarily to needle exchange programmes and other harm reduction programmes, such as methadone maintenance.

In 2008, people contracting HIV this way accounted for approximately 2.3% of the total cases of HIV that were diagnosed. IDUs who share injecting equipment are also at higher risk of conditions such as Hepatitis C.

Statistics

In 2007, around one in 75 IDUs was living with HIV. Among this group:

  • There have been 5,083 known HIV cases amongst IDUs from the beginning of the epidemic through to the end of 2008, which is around 5% of all cases ever diagnosed in the UK
  • In 2008, 2% of those needing HIV care were IDUs
  • In the UK, HIV diagnoses amongst IDUs have remained at a fairly low rate since the beginning of the epidemic