HIV in Scotland
update to 31 December 2023

About this release

This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) presents data on the uptake of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), HIV diagnoses and access to specialist HIV care and antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Scotland.

Main points

• From 1 July to 31 December 2023, 1,277 individuals accessed HIV PrEP for the first time, averaging 213 per month. This is the second highest monthly average, since the programme started in July 2017, exceeded only by 219 per month in the period 1 January-30 June 2023.

This is a line chart showing the number of diagnoses (combining the first ever and previously known outwith Scotland) by mode of acquisition. A blue line represents the number of diagnoses among people who inject drugs and despite a slight peak in 2015, the number of diagnoses has remained fairly stable and below 50 diagnoses. A green line represents the number of diagnoses acquired from sexual intercourse between men and women and shows the number of cases steadily declined until 2021, where a steep increase was recorded. A magenta line represents the number of diagnoses among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men and shows after a period of stability between 2010 and 2017, the number of diagnoses per year has steadily decreased. A purple line represents all exposure categories and shows after a period of decreasing diagnoses between 2015 and 2021, there has been a sharp increase in the number of diagnoses from all exposure categories.

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Annual number of HIV diagnoses by mode of acquisition, Scotland, 2014-2023

1. All modes of acquisition include diagnoses currently under investigation.
2. All modes of acquisition include those whose mode of acquisition is recorded as other or not known.

• In 2023, a total of 385 reports of HIV diagnoses were recorded in Scotland. This includes 126 first time diagnoses. Since 2017, the annual number of first ever diagnoses recorded has nearly halved, decreasing from 226 to 126.
• For the second successive year, the majority of new reports (67%, 259/385) were previously known diagnoses, largely due to a continued increase in infections acquired through heterosexual sexual intercourse and diagnosed outwith Scotland.
• Recently acquired HIV infections (within the previous 3-4 months) continue to decline.
• At 31 December 2023, an estimated 6,761 people were living with HIV in Scotland. Of the 6,288 (93%) diagnosed, 78% (4,926/6,288) received ART between 1 July 2022 and 31 December 2023, and 97% (4,795/4,926) had a suppressed viral load.

Background

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) attacks the immune system, causing a chronic, lifelong infection which can be managed successfully by antiretroviral therapy. HIV can be transmitted through condomless vaginal and anal sex, sharing needles, syringes or other injecting equipment and transmission from mother to baby during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding. Untreated HIV infection progresses to advanced HIV disease or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). People diagnosed with HIV and on ART are able to live long, healthy lives. HIV PrEP is highly effective for preventing sexual acquisition of HIV.

Further information

The next release of this publication will be Autumn 2025.