200 new cases of HIV-positive people have been diagnosed in Norway so far this year. It’s about the same number as last year.
“We expect to have close to 220 HIV-positive cases announced by the end of the year. Its the same trend as in 2015 and 2016, “says Øivind Nilsen, Senior Adviser at the Public Health Institute (FHI).
The National Institute of Public Health believes that the number of HIV-positive men who have sex with men will remain the same as in the previous two years, while the number of heterosexually infected immigrants are to decrease
“For other groups, we expect the number of confirmed HIV cases may differ a bit compared to 2016,” says Nilsen.
Heterosexual infection among persons residing in Norway is still relatively rare. Most in this group are men who are infected abroad, especially in Thailand. There is little news of infection due to sharing of needles in Norway, according to FHI.
In the last five years there has been a decrease in the number of HIV cases in Norway. This is mainly due to fewer new HIV-infected immigrants.
During the same period, the number of HIV cases has increased among men who have sex with men infected abroad.
In total, 6.207 HIV positive have been reported in Norway since 1984, divided among 4,205 men and 2,002 women.
© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today
