Table INF-1. Prevalence of HIV infection among injecting drug users in the EU: summary table by country

Country

Year

Number tested

% infected (1)

Study design (2)

Setting/comments (3) (4) (5)

Ref.

Belgium

2002-2003

549

(0.0-5.6)

DT; SR

DTC, LTS; serum

1, 2a, 2 b, 8

Czech Republic

2003

2320

0.1-0.7/ (0.0)

DT; SR

DTC, NSP, LTS, STI, OHC, HTC, IDUnk. opiate substitution centres; serum, saliva

1b, 5, 7

Denmark

1996-97

608

(0.0-3.4)

SP

PRI, DTC, serum

1a, 1b, 1c, 2

Germany

2000-01

2255

2.8-4.0

DT; SR

DTC, ODD

1, 3, 17

Estonia

2001-02

4228

6.2-13.0 / (41)

DT

DTC, NSP, PHL, GPs, STI, OHC, ANT, HTC; serum

1, 2

Greece

2003

2031

0.2-0.8 / (0.0-1.2)

DT

DTC, LTS, OHC, PHL; serum

1, 2, 9

Spain

2002-2003

1815

9.7-21.3 / (33.0)

DT

DTC, HTC, STI; serum (IDUs starting detoxification treatment)

25, 26, 28

France

2002-2003

1022

(13.7-23.0)

SR; SP (UAT)

NSP, DTC, LTS, STR, GPs, residential centres; 25 cities, IDUnk

4a, 4b, 16, 17

Ireland

1998-99

682

3.5 -5.8

SP; SP (UAT)

PRI; saliva, IDUnk

2, 4, 8, 3

Italy

2003

70484

14.2 / (0.99-37.5)

DT

DTC; serum, saliva; IDUnk (since 2004 prisons included)

1a, 1b

Latvia

2003

1285

6.6-9.7 / (22.0)

DT; SP

DTC, OHC, NSP, STR, HTC; serum

4, 5, 6, 7

Lithuania

2003-2004

1571

2.4 / (0.0-0.4)

DT; SP

DTC, NSP, OHC; serum

1, 3

Luxembourg

2003

221

4.5

SR

DTC, LTS, OHC, ARR, PRI

1c

Hungary

2003

464

0.0 / (0.0)

DT; SP

DTC, PHL, STR; serum, saliva

1, 2

Netherlands

1998-2002

1595

(0.5-25.9)

SP

DTC, NSP, LTS, STR, methadone service; saliva and serum

1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 21

Austria

2003

422

6.8 / (2.5-4.0)

DT

ODD, DTC, LTS, NSP; serum

1, 1a, 2, 3, 4

Poland

2002

2791

6.7-(29.7)

DT; SP

PHL, HTC, DTC, STI, STR; serum

1a, 2

Portugal

2003

8176

15.0-16.0

DT

DTC; IDUnk

10a

Slovenia

2003

1188

0.0 / (0.0)

DT; SP (UAT)

DTC, NSP; saliva

1, 2

Slovakia

2003

1044

0

DT

DTC; serum

4, 3

Finland

2003

732

(0.0-0.4)

DT

NSP; serum

6

Sweden

1997

196

2.6

SP

PRI, 9 sites; saliva

1

United Kingdom

2003

8433

(0.3-2.9)

DT; SP (UAT)

DTC, NSP, LTS, primary care and outreach, named HIV tests; saliva and serum

5, 20

Bulgaria

2003

992

(0.0)

DT

DTC, NSP, LTS, HTC; serum

1a

Romania

2001

2135

(0.0)

 

Public Health Departments

1

Norway

2004

264

(0.4)

SP

NSP, STR; serum

2a, 2b

Notes:          

This summary table intends to give a global overview of HIV prevalence in IDUs in the EU. In this table data are reported for the most recent year available. Data sources for more than one year are used if they improve generalisability (e.g. national data, out-of-treatment data). Prevalence in this table should not be compared with previous versions to follow changes over time, as inclusion of sources may vary according to data availability. For time trends see Tables INF 8-10 in the annex of this statistical bulletin.

(1) The figures given in brackets show local estimates (or range of estimates) within the country.

(2) Self-reported test results are less reliable than biological test results.

(3) Having health problems is one selection criterion for admission to drug treatment in some countries or cities (Greece, Portugal, Rome), due to long waiting lists or special programmes for infected IDUs, and this may result in upward bias of prevalence. Prevalence from treatment data should therefore be interpreted in combination with non-treatment data. On the other hand, data from Italy and Portugal include non-IDUs and may thus underestimate prevalence in IDUs.

(4) IDUnk = IDU not known, prevalence may be too low.     

(5) ODD = overdose deaths; DEM = drug emergencies; DTC = drug treatment centres; NSP = needle exchanges; LTS = low-threshold services; PHL = public health laboratories; STI = STI clinics; ANT = antenatal clinics; OHC = other hospital or clinics; PRI = prisons; ARR = arrests; GPs = general practitioners; HTC = HIV testing centres; STR = street; OTH = other.

Sources:          

See [Table INF-8]

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