immune disease
Britain reports more new HIV infections among heterosexuals than among homosexuals
HIV is now easily treatable, but there are still many new infections
© Panuwat Dangsungnoen / Getty Images
A common prejudice is no longer tenable: In the meantime, heterosexual people are at least as likely to be infected with HIV as homosexuals. Mainly because they make fewer provisions.
The cliché is firmly nailed in people’s heads: HIV and AIDS primarily affect homosexual men. The restrictions on blood donations that have existed for years and are now only gradually being relaxed also seem to confirm that this assessment is correct. The explanation seems simple: homosexual couples do not have to expect unwanted offspring during sex, so they are accused of not attaching enough importance to protection, for example with condoms. But current figures shake up these prejudices.
In the UK it has now been reported that the number of heterosexual people newly infected with HIV (49 percent) has exceeded that of homosexual people (45 percent) for the first time in a decade. (The missing percentage points account for, for example, infections transmitted from mothers to newborns.) Fortunately, this does not mean that many more heterosexual people are becoming infected than before – but that there are far fewer new homosexual patients. They are aware of the risk and are increasingly taking precautions. The development of medicine is also helping: the prophylactic pill “PreEP” (pre-exposure prophylaxis) can prevent infection from the outset. Easily accessible, increasingly faster tests help in the early detection and successful treatment of the virus.
Heterosexual people think they are safe
Many heterosexual people have probably never dealt with all these points – fatally. Because the number of new infections is also increasing in Germany, especially among heterosexuals. 2,600 new HIV cases were counted in 2019, the number of homosexuals remained at the previous year’s level, while there were 120 more cases than before among heterosexual people. Both through sexual contacts and through drug use, according to the RKI. The experts warn that in heterosexual sufferers who do not see themselves as part of a risk group, the infection is often discovered very late – especially in women or the elderly. For this reason, they often inadvertently infect other people until they eventually get a diagnosis.
The UK has set itself the goal of reducing the number of new HIV infections to zero by 2030 – and the steadily declining number of infections now makes this goal seem possible. But while most homosexual people make an active contribution to taking precautions and protecting themselves and others, heterosexuals obviously need more education and information about precautionary options.
Sources: “The Guardians”, RKI, “Precaution Online”