Abstract
HIV infection in Spain was monitored in persons undergoing voluntary HIV testing in ten sentinel clinics between 1992 and 2002. Only patients on their first visit were considered for inclusion, and their numbers rose from 4426 in 1992 to 6649 in 2002. Most of them recognised their risk exposure as heterosexual. The proportion of injecting drug users decreased from 19% to 2% of the study population, and the proportion of female sex workers increased from 6% to 26%. The number of patients diagnosed with HIV infection declined from 604 in 1992 to 153 in 2002, and HIV prevalence fell from 13.6% to 2.3% in the same period. In all risk exposure categories, a decrease in HIV prevalence was observed, more pronounced during the first few years and stabilised in the later years. In 2002, the highest HIV prevalence was found in injecting drug users (IDUs) (14.2%), homo/bisexual men (7.5%) and individuals who had an HIV infected heterosexual partner (10.2%).
Highlights
In European countries, the epidemiological surveillance of HIV infection combines population based reporting systems and seroprevalence monitoring in specific population groups
Between 1992 and 2002, the annual number of injecting drug users (IDUs) who underwent HIV testing dropped by 85%, the number of female sex workers tested increased by a factor of six, the number of heterosexual men tested almost doubled, and the number of homo/bisexual men remained more or less constant [TABLE]
Patients diagnosed with HIV infection In 2000, despite the increase in the number of patients who took the test, the percentage of individuals diagnosed with HIV had fallen by 75%, and since has remained relatively stable
Summary
In European countries, the epidemiological surveillance of HIV infection combines population based reporting systems and seroprevalence monitoring in specific population groups. In the major cities there are HIV counselling and testing clinics that perform a large number of HIV tests and diagnoses. Because they are easy to access, these clinics have become the standard providers of this service for specific groups with HIV risk practices, which has permitted very efficient monitoring of the evolution of the infection in these groups [2]. The epidemiology of this infection in European countries currently shows considerable differences, mainly due to different immunisation strategies and targets, their time of implementation, their degree of acceptance in the population, and the levels of immunisation coverage achieved [2]. In Spain, measles vaccination (Schwartz strain) was included in the vaccination
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