New HIV infections amongst men who identify themselves as gay or bisexual have continued their upward rise.
New infections of HIV in gay and bisexual men in 2014 increased by 110 new cases over the 2013 statistics. In total 3360 gay and bisexual men were diagnosed with HIV during the 2014 period. Despite being a small minority in the UK’s population gay and bisexual men account for 54% of new HIV diagnoses.
New diagnoses are higher in 2014 than they were than at the height of the AIDS crisis during the late 80s and early 90s.
In the period of 2012-2013 new HIV infections increased. The rise of HIV in the gay community has risen from 2450 in 2004 to 3360 in 2014. The National AIDS Trust estimates that there are nearly 110,000 people living with HIV in the UK and around 26,000 living with undiagnosed HIV.
For the 150th issue of FS Magazine, the magazine published by sexual health charity GMFA, a survey found that around a third of gay men did not use a condom the last time they had penetrative sex.
Seventy-one per cent of gay men said they would use PrEP immediately if it were available on the NHS. PrEP is a medicine when taken daily is extremely effective in stopping the transmission of the HIV virus.
