More than half of Europeans with HIV discover the disease too late. New infection patterns among heterosexuals and migrants pose challenges for prevention, according to a new report from ECDC and WHO.

Many Europeans discover HIV too late

Around the world, candles are lit on December 1st to remember those who have died due to AIDS. Here at Trinitatis Church in Copenhagen in 2020. Arkivfoto: Finn Frandsen
Around the world, candles are lit on December 1st to remember those who have died due to AIDS. Here at Trinitatis Church in Copenhagen in 2020. Arkivfoto: Finn Frandsen
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A man in his twenties walks into a medical clinic in Milan on a Tuesday morning because he has felt fatigued for months. An elderly woman in Polish Katowice has a blood test as part of a routine check-up. A young African migrant in Copenhagen only seeks help after a friend insists he gets tested. These three individuals have one thing in common: when the results come back, it turns out the diagnosis is far too late.

Europe is in the midst of an overlooked health crisis. According to a new report from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and WHO/Europe, over half of all HIV diagnoses in 2024 were made after the patient’s immune system had already been significantly weakened by the disease.

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