For several years in France, the number of new AIDS virus infections does not decrease: it is estimated at more than 7,000 per year. In addition to this figure, around 20% of patients are unaware of their HIV status.
“However, screening makes it possible to offer early treatments, which has two benefits: considerably reducing the complications of the infection for the person affected and limiting the transmission of the virus to other people”, underlines the High Authority for Health (HAS) which is now proposing new recommendations to contribute to the objective epidemic eradication.
Prioritize screening of the most exposed populations
In order to slow down the circulation dynamics of the virus, HAS offers screening:
• Every 3 months for men who have sex with men (200 times greater risk of infection).
• Every year for injection drug users (risk 20 times greater compared to the heterosexual population born in mainland France).
• Every year for people from high prevalence areas, particularly sub-Saharan Africa (risk 70 times higher for women and 30 times higher for men) and the Caribbean.
Get tested at least once in your life
The High Authority also offers screening of each person at least once in their life, with particular vigilance in certain regions. Undiagnosed infections are indeed higher than the national average in Île-de-France (42% of new annual infections), in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region (7%) and in the French departments of America (Guyana, Guadeloupe and Martinique). And she suggests paying more attention to men who represent almost three-quarters of people who are unaware of their HIV status and who have less use of the health care system than women.
In this screening policy, the HAS recognizes the interest of the actions of screening by TROD (rapid diagnostic orientation test) “outside the walls” to meet key populations, carried out by associations and free information, screening and diagnostic. In addition, for the HAS, carrying out a blood test in a medical analysis laboratory without a medical prescription must remain possible and access to self-tests from dispensing pharmacists must be facilitated.
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