German AIDS Society: Too many late HIV diagnoses

30.11.2021 18:02

On the occasion of World AIDS Day, the German AIDS Society (DAIG eV) points out that too many HIV infections in Germany are diagnosed late. Although the number of new HIV infections has fortunately fallen in recent years, the proportion of people who already have an advanced immune deficiency when they test positive for the first time remains high. According to the Robert Koch Institute, it was 35% of the total 2,600 initial HIV diagnoses in 2020. In 18% of the cases, the HIV diagnosis was only made at the AIDS stage.

HIV infection is now an easily treatable chronic disease with which people can lead a normal life. An HIV diagnosis should be made promptly after infection. This enables therapy to begin early, which can prevent symptomatic progression and the further spread of the HIV infection. Late diagnoses, on the other hand, are the main reason for the HIV-related morbidity and mortality that we still see today.

To avoid late HIV diagnoses, DAIG supports prevention strategies and is particularly involved in the training of doctors. This involves testing offers in everyday clinical practice, recognizing indicator diseases of an HIV infection, but also discussing the risks of infection. Sex and sexual health are rarely discussed in medical practice. This prevents prevention offers.

In the current COVID pandemic, there is an additional risk that HIV testing offers will not be taken up, thereby increasing the risk of undetected or late diagnoses. The DAIG therefore calls for HIV prevention services to be maintained in full even in the current situation.

The chairman of the German AIDS Society PD Dr. Stefan Esser: “We must do everything we can to reduce the number of late HIV diagnoses. In this way, many AIDS cases and new infections could be avoided. HIV therapies are highly effective, but of course we can only use them if we know the diagnosis.”