HIV Infection

• The number of HIV serology tests performed in 2022 by clinical laboratories was estimated at 6.5 million. HIV testing, which had declined between 2019 and 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, increased again, reaching a level in 2022 higher than that of 2019.

• The number of people who learned they were HIV-positive in 2022 was estimated to be between 4,200 and 5,700. This number rose again in 2021 and 2022, following the sharp decline observed in 2020, but remains lower than in 2019. This increase particularly affects people born abroad, whether they were infected through heterosexual intercourse or sex between men.

• Over the entire 2012–2022 period, the decrease in the number of new HIV diagnoses is estimated to be between 11% and 21%. This decrease is even more pronounced among men who have sex with men (MSM) born in France and can be explained by the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among a portion of this population.

• Among those who learned of their HIV-positive status in 2022, 54% are heterosexual (38% born abroad and 16% born in France), 41% are MSM (27% born in France and 14% born abroad), 2% are transgender individuals infected through sexual contact, and 1% are people who inject drugs (PWID). Less than 1% are children under 15 years of age, primarily infected through mother-to-child transmission.

• In 2022, 43% of HIV infections were detected at a late stage of infection (28% at an advanced stage of infection); these proportions have not decreased in several years but reflect both current testing practices and the incidence from previous years.

• At the regional level, the HIV epidemic remains marked by a unique situation in the overseas territories, particularly in French Guiana, hence the importance of maintaining high screening activity there. Regions with the highest screening activity are often those with a higher proportion of early diagnoses.

Bacterial STIs

• In 2022, 2.6 million people underwent at least one reimbursed screening for Chlamydia trachomatis infection, 3.0 million for gonococcal infection, and 3.1 million for syphilis.

• The screening rate for these three STIs continued to rise in 2022, as it has for several years, with the exception of a one-time decline in 2020.

• Screening rates relative to the population are highest in the overseas departments and regions (with the exception of Mayotte), particularly in French Guiana. Diagnostic rates are also highest there. The Île-de-France region also has high rates of STI screening and diagnosis, notably the highest rate of syphilis diagnosis.

• Diagnoses of Chlamydia trachomatis infection, gonorrhea, and syphilis have been increasing in recent years.

  • The incidence rate of diagnosed Chlamydia trachomatis infections has been rising since 2014 and is now higher among men than among women, where it has stabilized (103 and 88 per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively).

  • The number of gonococcal infection diagnoses made at CeGIDD has been rising steadily since 2016, among cisgender men as well as cisgender women and transgender individuals. Cases are predominantly diagnosed in men (83% of diagnoses at CeGIDD and 75% in private practice), particularly MSM.

  • The incidence rate of diagnosed syphilis cases has been rising since 2020, and more markedly in 2022, particularly among men, who are most affected by this STI. The number of syphilis diagnoses made at CeGIDD also increased between 2021 and 2022. MSM account for the majority of cases (77% at CeGIDD and 71% in general practice).