HIV cases among African-born Brits outnumber those from UK for first time in a decade

• Data from the UKHSA shows 3,805 people were diagnosed with HIV in England
• Some 700 were born in Britain, a record low, while 1,179 were born in Africa

More HIV cases were diagnosed among people born in Africa than the UK last year, official figures show.

Data from the UK Health Security Agency shows 3,805 people were diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in England in 2022.

Some 700 were born in Britain, a record low. Meanwhile, 1,179 were born in Africa — the highest since 2014.

It reverses a decade-long trend of the highest number of HIV cases being detected among people born in the UK.

The UKHSA data shows HIV diagnoses increased by 22 per cent — from 3,118 in 2021 to 3,805 in 2022.

The UKHSA data shows that despite HIV diagnoses increasing by 22 per cent — from 3,118 in 2021 to 3,805 in 2022 — the number detected among those born in the UK dropped to a record low of 700

The UKHSA data shows HIV diagnoses increased by 22 per cent — from 3,118 in 2021 to 3,805 in 2022

It means, proportionately, 18 per cent of HIV cases were among those born in Britain.

Three in 10 cases were among those born in Africa (31 per cent), while around a tenth were spotted in people born in Europe (10 per cent) and Asia (9 per cent).

The birth location was unknown for a quarter of cases. 

The remainder of the cases were from Latin America and the Caribbean (6 per cent), North America (0.7 per cent) and Oceania (0.2 per cent).

Most of the rise in HIV diagnoses is ‘attributable to people previously diagnosed abroad’, which were likely acquired abroad and ‘do not reflect a rise in transmission in England’, according to the UKHSA. 

What is HIV? 

HIV damages the cells in the immune system and weakens the body’s ability to fight every day infections and disease.

The virus is spread through the bodily fluids — such as semen, vaginal and anal fluids, blood and breast milk — of an infected person. However, it cannot be spread through sweat, saliva or urine. 

It is most commonly transmitted through having condom-less anal or vaginal sex. 

Tests are the only way to detect HIV. They are available from GPs, sexual health clinics, some charities and online and involve taking a sample of saliva or blood.

A preventative HIV medication, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), can also be prescribed to over-16s. It slashes the risk of contracting HIV, if it is taken correctly. 

Those who take post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) — an anti-HIV medicine — within 72 hours of exposure may avoid becoming infected at all.

For those who are infected, no cure is available for HIV. 

But antiretroviral therapy (ART) — which stops the virus replicating in the body, allowing the immune system to repair itself — enable most to live a healthy life.

It noted that 1.1million people were tested for HIV in 2022 — a 10 per cent jump on 2021. It includes nearly 200,000 tests among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men — the most ever recorded.

However, the total testing figure remains 15 per cent lower than pre-pandemic levels.

Half of all tests were among those who ordered them online. 

Overall, there were 94,397 people living with diagnosed HIV in England, half of whom were aged 50 or over. Almost all (98 per cent) were virally suppressed — meaning they were unable to pass the virus on to sexual partners.

HIV damages the cells in the immune system and weakens the body’s ability to fight every day infections and disease.

The virus is spread through the bodily fluids — such as semen, vaginal and anal fluids, blood and breast milk — of an infected person. However, it cannot be spread through sweat, saliva or urine. 

It is most commonly transmitted through having condom-less anal or vaginal sex. 

Tests are the only way to detect HIV. They are available from GPs, sexual health clinics, some charities and online and involve taking a sample of saliva or blood.

A preventative HIV medication, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), can also be prescribed to over-16s. It slashes the risk of contracting HIV, if it is taken correctly. 

Those who take post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) — an anti-HIV medicine — within 72 hours of exposure may avoid becoming infected at all.

For those who are infected, no cure is available for HIV. 

But antiretroviral therapy (ART) — which stops the virus replicating in the body, allowing the immune system to repair itself — enable most to live a healthy life. 

Levels of the virus in those taking ART will drop so low that they can have condom-less sex without passing HIV onto their partner — though this can take up to six months.

AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is the name used to describe an array of potentially life-threatening infections and illnesses that happen when your immune system has been severely damaged by HIV.

However, those who are diagnosed with HIV early and begin treatment will not develop any AIDS-related illnesses and will live a near-normal lifespan.

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