No, the level of HIV infection caused by injecting drug use is relatively low in the UK. By the end of June 2007, around 5% of all HIV infections reported since HIV first emerged in the UK had occurred as a result of injecting drug use, compared to 86% that resulted from sex.7 A lot of early media coverage of AIDS in the UK focused on injecting drug users (IDUs).

Sharing needles puts injecting drug users (IDUs) at risk for many blood-borne diseases, including hepatitis B and C, as well as HIV. The most effective way to reduce your risk is to stop using drugs. There are many programs available to help a person quit. If an individual cannot or will not stop using injecting drugs, then it is recommended that a person never reuse or share works (cookers, cottons, syringes, needles, water.) New needles, from a reliable source, should be used every time.

When needles and syringes are used for injecting drug use, blood gets into the injection equipment. If the initial user is infected with HIV and shares the equipment with someone else, the infected blood in the injection equipment will be injected directly into the body of the next person. In addition to HIV, other germs can be transmitted through injecting drug use.

Groups such as the American Medical Association, the American Bar Association, and the American Pharmaceutical Association all recommend providing access to clean syringes to reduce disease risk among those who are unable to abstain from injecting drugs.

In 2004, 640,000 children under 15 were newly infected with HIV, bringing the total number of children living with HIV to 2.2 million. About half of all new adult HIV infections occur among 15-24 year olds. Learn more about USAID's efforts to prevent HIV in children and young people:

We have carried out detailed modelling up to a reasonable worst case where 50 percent of the population will contract pandemic flu (the attack rate). The national framework considers the range from 25 to 50 percent in attack rate as well as ranges of 0.4 to 2.5 percent for case fatality.

the start of every intravenous injection, blood enters the needle and syringe. HIV can be found in the blood of a person infected with the virus. The reuse of a blood-contaminated needle or syringe by another drug injector carries a high risk of HIV transmission because infected blood can be injected directly into the bloodstream. Sharing drug equipment (or "works") can be a risk for spreading HIV.

For injecting drug users who can not stop using drugs, the best way to minimize the risk of transmission of HIV and other diseases is to never re-use or "share" syringes, water or drug preparation equipment. Keep in mind the following points: If possible, use sterile water to prepare drugs; otherwise use clean water from a reliable source (fresh tap water).

A reported 783 HIV-infected children have been born in the UK to infected mothers as of the end of June 2007. This includes 17 reported births of infected babies during 2006. Including children born in other countries, there have been 1,567 UK diagnoses of HIV in people who acquired the virus from their mothers.11 In 1999 the UK Government introduced routine antenatal testing, whereby all pregnant women are offered screening for HIV and other conditions as part of routine procedure.

According to SOPHID data, there were 47,025 HIV-positive people seen for care in the UK in 2005. Of these, 31,060 were accessing antiretroviral therapy, which in 97% of cases involved at least three different drugs.17 In 2005, 49% of those receiving care in England, Wales and Northern Ireland had acquired their infection through heterosexual contact, and 42% were men who have sex with men. Black-Africans comprised 39% of those receiving care, and 51% were white.18

Most people experience NO symptoms at all from their initial infection. Some people may come down with very common flu-like symptoms, but they are virtually indistinguishable from a regular flu. It takes an average of 5 to 10 years after infection for most people to develop symptoms. People with HIV who use drugs and/or alcohol or are otherwise unhealthy (poor nutrition, stress, lack of sleep) may accelerate the disease process.

by injecting drugs using a needle or syringe which has already been used by someone who is infected. HIV can be passed on in both ways because the virus is present in the sexual fluids and blood of infected people. If infected blood or sexual fluid gets into your blood, then you will become infected. Some people have been infected through a transfusion of infected blood. But in most countries all the blood used for transfusions is now tested for HIV.

estimated 33% of the 40 million people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide are co-infected with TB. Furthermore, without proper treatment, approximately 90% of people living with HIV/AIDS die within months of contracting TB. The majority of people who are co-infected with both diseases live in sub-Saharan Africa.

Globally the number of people living with the virus reached 38.6 million in 2005. An estimated 4.1 million people acquired the HIV in 2004 ? 200 000 were children, of whom more than 90% were infected through mother-to-child transmission (MTCT). Almost 90% of these new child infections occurred in sub-Saharan Africa. According to UNAIDS, 2.8 million people died of AIDS in 2005. Sub-Saharan Africa is home to about 64% of all people living with HIV and accounts for almost 71% of deaths globally.

the start of every intravenous injection, blood is introduced into needles and syringes. HIV can be found in the blood of a person infected with the virus. The reuse of a blood-contaminated needle or syringe by another drug injector (sometimes called "direct syringe sharing") carries a high risk of HIV transmission because infected blood can be injected directly into the bloodstream. In addition, sharing drug equipment (or "works") can be a risk for spreading HIV.

Direct contact with infected poultry, or surfaces and objects contaminated by their faeces, is presently considered the main route of human infection. To date, most human cases have occurred in rural or periurban areas where many households keep small poultry flocks, which often roam freely, sometimes entering homes or sharing outdoor areas where children play.

Globally, 45 percent of adults living with HIV/AIDS are women. By region, this percentage varies considerably, from 57% in Sub-Saharan Africa, to 28% in East Asia and the Pacific. In 2004, 17.6 million women were living with HIV/AIDS worldwide.

HIV can be passed on in both ways because the virus is present in the sexual fluids and blood of infected people. If infected blood or sexual fluid gets into your blood, then you will become infected. If a man with HIV has vaginal intercourse without a condom, infected fluid could pass into the woman's blood stream through a tiny cut or sore inside her body. This can be so small that you don't know about it.

Infection with HIV in this way is rare. There have only been a couple of documented cases of HIV transmission resulting from biting. In these particular cases, severe tissue tearing and damage were reported in addition to the presence of blood. REF: HOW AIDS CAN BE TRANSMITTED

A blood test can determine whether or not a person is infected with HIV. The most commonly used test detects antibodies (disease-fighting proteins) against HIV. It may take as long as three to six months for HIV antibodies to reach levels that are measurable in standard blood tests.

The only way to tell you have HIV is be tested for the virus. You cannot rely on symptoms to tell if you or someone you know is infected. The symptoms of HIV are similar to many other illnesses and many people have no symptoms at all. The symptoms of AIDS are also similar to other diseases. If a person is infected with HIV, the only way to tell if they have progressed to AIDS is to be diagnosed by a doctor using the CDC defined criteria.

The countries of origin of people diagnosed with HIV in the UK are not known exactly. This data is not published. We do know the presumed countries of infection for people with heterosexually-acquired HIV diagnosed in the UK, which are shown in the table below. This does not necessarily mean that these people come from these countries - just that they were infected in them. The list includes not only high-prevalence African countries, but also popular holiday destinations.16

Ans. HIV is transmitted mostly through semen and vaginal fluids during unprotected sex without the use of condoms. Globally, most cases of sexual transnmission involve men and women, although, in some developed countries homosexual activity remains the primary mode.

One cannot tell by looking at someone whether he or she is infected with HIV or has AIDS. An infected person can appear completely healthy. It is only through blood test that the HIV status is confirmed.

At the start of every intravenous injection, blood is introduced into needles and syringes. HIV can be found in the blood of a person infected with the virus. The reuse of a blood-contaminated needle or syringe by another drug injector (sometimes called "direct syringe sharing") carries a high risk of HIV transmission because infected blood can be injected directly into the bloodstream. In addition, sharing drug equipment (or "works") can be a risk for spreading HIV.