Half of European women are diagnosed with HIV late

2019/12/03 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Osasuna
• Medikuntza
• Berdintasuna

Many European women are diagnosed lately by HIV, that is, when the immune system begins to fail. This is highlighted by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), based on data from 2018. In addition, the risk of late diagnosis is between three and four times higher among women around 40 years of age than among younger women.

According to ECDC, women are a third of the newly infected, so more attention should be paid. Almost all of them have been infected by heterosexual sex (€ 92) and in 54% of cases have received late diagnosis. The percentage of late diagnoses is even higher between 30-49 years: 60%, according to ECDC, which shows that adults are not sufficiently aware of the risks of HIV and sexual diseases.

In men the diagnosis is less late. For this reason, ECDC representatives have warned of the need to address the issue from a gender perspective, and have remembered that the earlier the diagnosis is, the more possibilities the infected person has to initiate treatment, cut the transmission and have good health.