Home > There was a big jump in the number of people diagnosed with HIV last year.

[thejournal.ie] There was a big jump in the number of people diagnosed with HIV last year. (06 Apr 2016)

External website: http://www.thejournal.ie/rise-in-hiv-figures-27006...


The figures, released by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HSPC), show a marked increase in the number of people diagnosed with the illness.

While a full report of cases in 2015 is not yet available, figures from quarter one and quarter two 2015 (where there were 203 cases diagnosed)  show:

  • Almost half (95) of all cases diagnosed were gay men.
  • Over 10% (25) of people diagnosed received the illness by injecting drugs.
  • Almost 20% (38) of people diagnosed were heterosexual.
  • It is not known how one in five (44) people diagnosed received the virus.
  • Almost half of people (92) diagnosed were born abroad.

Causes

A rise in the number of cases of HIV has been attributed to a number of factors.

In July, a surge in the use of the drug mephedrone (known by its street name of SnowBlow) among intravenous drug users in Dublin was linked to a rise in the number of people diagnosed with HIV in the capital.

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