AIDS: "The Ile-de-France is one of the regions most affected by the epidemic"

"For a region without AIDS". This Thursday, the Regional Health Observatory of Ile-de-France (ORS) publishes a study on the AIDS epidemic in the eight departments of the Paris region. And for good reason. The situation remains alarming. "Among the French regions, the Ile-de-France is one of the most affected by the HIV / AIDS epidemic," according to the Regional Observatory of Health. In 2016, the number of people who discovered their HIV status was 206 per million inhabitants, almost four times the estimated rate in metropolitan France.

New contaminations, ignored seropositivities, patient profiles, screening or contamination mode … Valérie Féron who is at the origin of the study and Isabelle Grémy Director of the RHA make the point for 20 minutes on these numbers.

"We have an overrepresentation of the diagnosed and undiagnosed epidemic"

"In metropolitan France, Ile-de-France has always been significantly affected by the epidemic. And this, mainly in the center of the capital, in the first four districts, "says Isabelle Grémy.

According to the study, among Parisians who discovered their seropositivity between July 2013 and June 2018, 76.2% are men and 23.8% women. "The Paris epidemic mainly affects men who have bad with men," notes the RHA. Moreover, among Parisians who discovered their seropositivity between 2013 and 2018, 26.1% are under 30 (25.6% in Île-de-France and 26.2% in France) and 58.3% are born abroad (62.8% in Île-de-France and 51.2% in France), notes the study. It should be noted that drug users represent 1% of cases.

Finally, among people who do not know their HIV status across France, 42% live in Ile-de-France. "We have an overrepresentation of the visible and diagnosed epidemic and the undiagnosed epidemic. These people are unaware of it and are contaminants. It's problematic, "say Isabelle Grémy and Valérie Féron. So, how to fight?

"We must repeat the screenings"

"We need people to be tested more, in addition we have a range of screening technique, self-test, which in particular can shorten time and have almost instant results. And we must repeat the screenings when there is a risk, "says Isabelle Grémy.

For its part, the Ile-de-France region recalls in particular its support for the deployment of HIV self tests or mobile screening units. "The region has already funded 2 buses for 2 badociations to allow targeted actions to populations at risk and further away from the health care system," notes the region. For the first two years of implementation of the plan "Agenda for a Region Ile-de-France without AIDS", 4,000 self-tests (on a target of 10,000 self-tests within 2 years) have been distributed to badociations in the Paris region.