Injecting Drug Users (IDUs)

Injecting drug users (IDUs) are vulnerable to HIV through the sharing of injecting equipment, as well as through sexual transmission. Transmission of HIV through injecting drug use was recognised early on in the HIV epidemic, at the beginning of the 1980s. Other than an outbreak in Edinburgh in the early 1980s, HIV infection among IDUs has remained relatively uncommon in the UK, with around one in 75 IDUs currently infected with HIV. Higher levels of HIV infection among IDUs have been reported in London, and surveillance data suggest that there have been raised levels of HIV transmission among IDUs in recent years.

For more information regarding surveillance of infectious diseases and behaviour in injecting drug users, please visit the IDUs main page 

2007 IDUs Summary Statistics

• The annual number of new HIV diagnoses among injecting drug users fell between 1992 and 2000, but has gradually risen over the past five years. So far, 156 HIV diagnoses, where infection was thought to have been acquired through injecting drug use, have been reported in the UK for 2006. Despite this recent increase, the proportion of new HIV diagnoses that are thought to have been acquired through injecting drug use has fallen from around 7% in 1993, to just over 2% in 2006.
  
• By the end of 2006 there had been a total of 4,662 HIV diagnoses reported in the UK where infection was thought to have been acquired through injecting drug use. These accounted for 5.4% of all of the HIV diagnoses to the end of 2006.
  
• The overall prevalence of HIV seen among IDUs in 2006 was similar to that seen in recent years, but remains higher than that seen in the late 1990s. Currently, around one in 75 IDUs is infected with HIV in England and Wales.
• The prevalence of HIV among recent initiates, a measure of recent transmission, indicated raised levels of HIV transmission among IDUs in recent years. The prevalence among the recent initiates participating in the Unlinked Anonymous survey has remained higher than it was prior to 2003.
  

 

Figure 1 Total number of new HIV diagnoses thought to be acquired through injecting drug use and as a proportion of all new HIV diagnoses in the UK

Figure 2 Prevalence of HIV infection among current and former injecting drug users: 1990 to 2006

The prevalence of HIV among recent initiates, a measure of recent transmission, indicated raised levels of HIV transmission among IDUs in recent years. The prevalence among the recent initiates participating in the Unlinked Anonymous survey has remained higher than it was prior to 2003.

Tables and graphs

• Download the Prevalence (Unlinked Anonymous) HIV: IDU tables (PDF, 79 KB)
• Download the Accessing HIV care: IDU tables (PDF, 135 KB)
• Download the Accessing HIV care: IDU tables (Excel Spreadsheet, 324 KB)
• Download the New HIV Diagnoses: IDU tables (PDF, 189 KB)

 

 

 

HIV Graphs

 

Figure 1 Total number of new HIV diagnoses thought to be acquired through injecting drug use and as a proportion of all new HIV diagnoses in the UK

 

* Provisional, reports are subject to reporting delay.
HIV/AIDS diagnoses.

 

By the end of 2006 there had been a total of 4,662 HIV diagnoses reported in the UK where infection was thought to have been acquired through injecting drug use. These accounted for 5.4% of all of the HIV diagnoses to the end of 2006 (86,577), 4.2% (3,325/80,001) of those in England, 26% (1,278/4,824) in Scotland, 3.8% (49/1,276) in Wales, and 2.1% (10/476) in Northern Ireland. Whilst the number of new HIV diagnoses thought to be acquired through injecting drug use gradually fell between 1992 (189) and 2000 (114), it has increased gradually over the past five years. Adjusting for reporting delay, there were an estimated 190 HIV diagnoses where infection was thought to have been acquired through injecting drug use, reported in the UK for 2006. However, only 156 HIV diagnoses had been received by the end of June 2007. Of the 156 HIV diagnoses received, 72 were in London, 16 in Scotland, and 68 elsewhere. The proportion of new diagnoses that were probably acquired through injecting drug use has reduced over the past decade as the numbers of newly diagnosed infections acquired through heterosexual contact and among men who have sex with men (MSM) have increased.

 

Figure 2 Prevalence of HIV infection among current and former injecting drug users: 1990 to 2006

 

^ Includes Northern Ireland from 2002.
+ Those who started injecting drugs during the three years prior to participating in the survey.
* Data from Unlinked Anonymous Prevalence Monitoring Programme survey of injectors in contact with drug agencies.

 

The Unlinked Anonymous Prevalence Monitoring Programme (UAPMP) survey of current and former Injecting Drug Users (IDUs) in England, Wales & Northern Ireland indicates an overall HIV prevalence of 1.3% (42/3,240) in 2006. This prevalence was similar to that seen in recent years, and remains higher than that seen in the late 1990s. The prevalence of HIV among recent initiates (those who started injecting drugs during the three years prior to participating in the survey) is a measure of recent transmission and has indicated raised levels of HIV transmission among IDUs in recent years. The prevalence among the recent initiates participating in the UAPMP survey has remained higher than it was prior to 2003, with the prevalence being 0.77% (3/388) in 2006 (in 2002 it was 0.25%, 1/400). In Scotland, the prevalence of HIV among IDUs is monitored through the surveillance of people undergoing voluntary confidential HIV testing. This found a HIV prevalence of 0.79% (17/2,142) among IDUs undergoing testing in Scotland during 2006; this compares with prevalences of 1.4% to 3.2% in the early to mid-1990s and 0.5% to 0.9% during the period 1998 to 2005.

 

Other useful links

Accessing HIV care homepage
2007 HIV and STI Annual report: Testing Times

Unlinked Anonymous Survey of Injecting Drug Users home page

2007 IDU Annual Report: Shooting Up

Last reviewed: 10 April 2008