This report is part of the 2018 progress reports monitoring the implementation of the Dublin Declaration. It presents the situation among men who have sex with men (MSM), a key group affected by HIV in the WHO European Region, and outlines priorities for action.
Many women in the WHO European Region, particularly those in their 40s, are diagnosed at a late stage of HIV infection when their immune system is already starting to fail. They are three to four times more likely to be diagnosed late than younger women. According to data for 2018 released today by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the WHO Regional Office for Europe, women accounted for one-third of the 141 000 new HIV diagnoses in the Region, indicating that this population needs more attention in Europe's prevention and testing efforts.
In the EU/EEA, almost every second HIV diagnosis happened at a late stage in 2018. This means diagnosis several years after infection. In 2018, 49 % of those with a CD4 cell count reported at HIV diagnosis were diagnosed late (several years after infection).