Yes! We are getting there! Even though 2.3 million people are living with HIV in Europe (Western & Central) and North America, this still represents a very small part of the regional population and compared to other regions (20.6 million people in Eastern and Southern Africa, 6 million in Asia and the Pacific)! But who does it include and why? This week we are focusing on key populations in Europe and North America for you to understand the current situation of the pandemic! The better we understand what populations are affected, the easier it gets to find solutions and of course, avoid discrimination.
Keep in mind that since 2010 new HIV infections in the region have declined by 16% and AIDS-related deaths by 34%. This is good and we are on the right track! Among the countries included in this region, there were 63.000 new infections in 2021, and it was among adults. But what key populations are the most affected?
Let’s start by men, who represent a big majority of new HIV infections in Europe and North America - more than 68% of new infections. Most of them are between 25 and 49 years old (57%) and between 15 and 24 years old (7%). You will see that in most regions there is a bigger number of new HIV infections among men compared to women so this data doesn’t not necessarily stand out. However, Europe and North America is where you find the most infections of men between 25 and 49 years old and among gay men and other men who have sex with men.
Yes, because not all men who have sex with men are necessarily gay men and this is very important to keep in mind, especially when it comes to avoiding discrimination. By knowing that in this region the key population with most infections includes gay men and other men who have sex with men, at MANOA we will start by focusing on working with foundations who work with this specific key population and dig in to understand why we are reaching such high numbers of infections among this population.
The following key population that represents an enormous 12% of new infections in this region is the people who inject drugs. We all know that needles used for drug injections can be highly dangerous when it comes to HIV infections: 12% of 63.000 new injections represents 7.560 people newly infected by HIV in one year! We do not have the data on what gender is most affected by HIV infections caused by drug injections but whatever the gender, it is important to raise awareness on the fact that shared needles can transmit HIV!
The third key population that represents 11% of new HIV infections in this region in 2021 includes… the remaining population! What does that mean? People who are not gay men or other men who have sex with men, people who do not inject drugs and people who are not clients of sex workers or transgender women. Eleven per cent! We will try to find out more precisely who is included within this key population but do realise that whoever you are, whatever gender you are, HIV can infect anyone! But keep calm! That is why it is crucial to raise awareness on how to protect yourself, what to do when you get infected and how to protect others. And of course, this clearly shows that no discrimination can be allowed because not even HIV discriminates.
What should you remember? That in North America and Western/Central Europe new HIV infections were among these key populations: gay men and other men who have sex with men (64%), people who inject drugs (12%) and surprisingly the rest of the population (11%)! A big majority were among men between 25 and 49 years old but HIV doesn’t differentiate and can infect anyone! What can you do? Make sure you your friends also know what key populations are more likely to be infected by HIV and have a conversation with them to make sure that they are aware of everything that can be done to avoid it. Discrimination is a big NO! If we are going to want to win this war against the pandemic (new infections declined by 16% in a bit more than 10 years), we have to protect and help each other!
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