HC Deb 18 May 2000 vol 350 cc238-9W
Mr. Gerald Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for Health by how much life expectancy is reduced from first diagnosis on average for those suffering from AIDS and HIV. [120673]

Yvette Cooper

The information is not available in the form requested.

For those whose deaths have been reported, the average age at HIV diagnosis and AIDS diagnosis, and the average interval between diagnosis and death (ie survival) are shown in the table.

Years
Average age at diagnosis Average interval between diagnosis and death
For men
HIV 35.6 4.1
AIDS 38.3 1.4
For women
HIV 29.9 3.4
AIDS 32.1 1.2

Note:

Any patient whose date of death is not known has been excluded.

Source:

United Kingdom data to the end of March 2000 from the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, Public Health Laboratory Service.

The HIV/AIDS figures in the table do not include the contribution to survival by those diagnosed but still living and thus represent the worst-case scenario. Factors affecting survival after an HIV or AIDS diagnosis include: (i) the level of immune depletion at the time of diagnosis; (ii) the age of the patient and (iii) the availability of treatments effective in delaying disease progression.

People living with HIV and AIDS are currently benefiting from combination drug treatments that became available in the mid-1990s. These treatments are now prolonging life and have been associated with a reduction in the number of HIV-related deaths to about one-third of their previous level.

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