Thousands of people in Germany were diagnosed with HIV last year. But a test result like this no longer necessarily means that someone has AIDS.
In 2023, around the same number of people will have been diagnosed with HIV as in the previous year. Exactly 3,321 new HIV diagnoses were reported, as the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced in a report. These included 23 children who received the HIV virus from their mother.
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the cause of the immune deficiency disease AIDS. According to the RKI, the virus does not cause any noticeable symptoms for years, which is why the diagnosis usually occurs later than the infection, often even years later. The RKI had already announced in July that it was estimated that around 2,200 people in Germany were newly infected with the virus last year.
HIV infections: number of new diagnoses has fallen significantly
In most cases, the RKI also records the countries of origin. More than half of the new diagnoses related to people who did not come from Germany. There were also many people from Ukraine among them. The RKI points out that some of these are not actual new diagnoses, but rather evidence of this for the first time in Germany.
Which group makes up the largest share? Men who have sex with men (MSM) accounted for the largest proportion of new diagnoses in 2023 (1010). This was followed by new diagnoses among people with heterosexual contacts (543) and people who injected drugs (166). According to the RKI, no information about the transmission route was given for almost 800 people.
The number of new MSM diagnoses in Germany has fallen significantly since 2014. According to the RKI, earlier diagnoses, earlier effective treatments for HIV-positive people and the increasing use of so-called pre-exposure prophylaxis (HIVPrEP) may have contributed to this.
According to the German Aids Association, infected people who start treatment in a timely manner have a good chance of a normal life expectancy and a good quality of life by taking HIV medication. It is important that the infection is detected in a timely manner through an HIV test. By taking medication, AIDS disease can be prevented.
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Source: Stern
I’m Caroline, a journalist and author for 24 Hours Worlds. I specialize in health-related news and stories, bringing real-world impact to readers across the globe. With my experience in journalism and writing in both print and online formats, I strive to provide reliable information that resonates with audiences from all walks of life.
