Epidemioloxía da infección polo VIH en Galicia no século XXI: un novo xeito de seguimento

Abstract

Data on HIV infection from the Galician Information System (SIGIVIH) were first published in December 2009, leading to a change in the perception of the epidemiology of HIV infection in our community. The available information provided by this system shows a complementary but different scenario from that of the Galician Registry of AIDS. In the latter, only AIDS cases are considered, so the presence of a gap from the infection to the development of the disease could lead to a delay in the adoption of prophylactic measures. This is important not only to decide the political measures to develop, but to change the view that both society, media and sanitary professionals have about this infection, mostly related to intravenous drug addicts when data provided by the Galician Registry of AIDS were considered. Data available from the SIGIVIH show that HIV is mostly a Sexually Transmitted Disease. We must emphasized the fact that despite the number of AIDS cases has declined since 1996, the HIV infection is still present in the population and its incidence is increasing in several risk groups like men that have sexual intercourse with other men (HSH). The social, healthcare and economic burden associated to the prolonged life expectancy and improved quality of living in AIDS patients is huge. Thus, it is necessary to take advantage from data coming from the SIGIVH in order to change the false perception that AIDS is a disease of the past and that the risk of infection is lesser nowadays.