Navarre promotes affective sexuality education to prevent HIV infection after detecting 27 cases this year
Number of new diagnoses HIV in Navarre remains relatively stable or with little change. Until 2024at least 27 cases were reported, down from 34 in all of 2023, four fewer than the previous year. However, almost half of the cases of infection were detected in the period 2019-2023. are considered late diagnoses.
Taking into account these data and on the occasion World AIDS Daywhich is celebrated this Sunday, December 1st, The Ministry of Health emphasizes the importance of raising public awareness about the prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STIs)early detection, as well as promotion of emotional sex education and promotion of healthy lifestyles, promotion of safe sexual practices and the use of protective measures such as male and female condoms.
Promotion in pharmacies
Early diagnosis of HIV infection benefits the affected person, as early initiation of treatment improves their prognosis and quality of life, as well as public health by breaking the chain of transmission. Therefore, to improve early detectionDepartment of Health and Official College of Pharmacists of Navarre (COFNA) A year ago, we launched a program to conduct rapid tests in pharmacies for those who request it.
The initiative, formulated in the Plan for the Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS and Other STIs of the Government of Navarra and which began with 12 pharmacies, “has been consolidated and expanded”, as COFNA emphasizes. There are currently 50 pharmacies throughout the Foral community offering this service. so that any citizen can undergo a rapid HIV test, the cost of which is 5 euros.
Thus, since its launch there has been 134 tests were detected in pharmacies and 2 were positive.. “The data confirms that pharmacies are an important resource for offering rapid HIV diagnostic tests due to their availability, anonymity and speed, and that they can contribute to achieving the goals of the Regional Plan for the Prevention and Control of HIV-AIDS and Other STIs,” the college says .
The Ministry of Health reminds that, in addition to the pharmacies associated with this project, an HIV test can be requested, if there have been exposures at risk, at health centers, at CASSYR (Center for Sexual and Reproductive Health), in emergency services and in the associations Sarah and the Citizens’ Commission on AIDS.
Use of preventative measures
Department of Health recommends the use of preventive measures (especially male and female condoms) during sexual relations and if you suspect a sexually transmitted infection or if there is a significant risk of sexual contact, contact your healthcare system.
Coordinator for HIV and STIs in Navarre, Ayziber Echeverríabelieves that to achieve the UNAIDS 2030 goals, “it is necessary to think globally to act locally, and in this sense the strategy implemented in Navarre is delivering good results.”
Sexual transmission is responsible for the majority of new infections.
According to the latest data published by ISPLN, for the five-year period 2019-2023. 185 cases of infection were reported, with the main mechanism of transmission being risky sexual practices between men, responsible for 53% of cases, followed by risky heterosexual practices. (42%) and the use of non-sterile material for drug injection (2%). The mean age at diagnosis was 38.6 years with a range of 4 to 78 years.
The vast majority of HIV diagnoses were made to men (83%), in which homosexual transmission predominated (64%), followed by heterosexual practices (31%) and cases involving the sharing of drug injection materials (2%). Heterosexual transmission was the cause of all cases in women except one case of vertical transmission.
Cases with simultaneous diagnosis of HIV and AIDS remain high: in total there were 27 of them over the indicated five-year period (15% of the total). 18.5% were among men reporting homosexual practices, 25.9% among heterosexual women, and 44.4% among heterosexual men.
Of the 7 AIDS cases diagnosed in 2023, Six people did not know they had the infection until they developed AIDS-defining illnesses. As for mortality, during the period 2019-2023, 64 deaths of people who had the virus were recorded, 11 of them occurred last year.
Thus, as incidence rates remain the same and survival rates have improved, the number of people living with HIV in Navarre continues to rise. to reach 1,281 people at the end of 2023 (71% men). In addition, it is estimated that there are approximately 100-140 undetected infections.