Quick Facts About HIV/AIDS

• There is no vaccine or cure for HIV.
• Most people who are newly infected with HIV have no symptoms and may not have symptoms for up to 10 years. In fact, for every person who is HIV positive, it is estimated that there are 10 people who are also positive but do not know it. These people could unknowingly spread the disease to others.
• HIV is not spread by hugging, kissing, shaking hands, or through food or water.
• Having a sexually transmitted infection (STI) (like Chlamydia or Gonorrhea) can increase your risk of getting HIV.
• While HIV rates in Canada have increased in general over the past four years, they are growing most significantly within the following groups: women, youth and seniors.
• Anonymous testing is available at Peel Public Health Healthy Sexuality Clinics. Anonymous testing ensures that only you know your test results and they are not linked to a file with your name or OHIP number on it. Contact Peel Public Health at 905-799-7700 to find a clinic near you.
  • Peel Public Health Healthy Sexuality clinics offer both the HIV Rapid Screening Test and the Standard HIV blood test. They both are over 99.6% accurate in detecting HIV antibodies.

HIV in Peel, Ontario and Canada

• In 2010, there were 42 new infections of HIV in Peel Region.
• Between 2006 and 2010, the incidence of HIV/AIDS was highest among males 30-39 at 11.8 cases per 100,000 people and females ages 20-29 at 5.6 cases per 100,000 people.
• In 2010, there were 3.13 new cases of HIV per 100,000 people living in Peel.
• In 2008, there were 29,787 people in Ontario living with HIV. (Source: Report on HIV/AIDS in Ontario, 2008)
• In 2009, heterosexual contact accounted for 30.7% of reported positive HIV tests among adults (Source: Public Health Agency of Canada, HIV and AIDS in Canada: Surveillance Report to December 31, 2009)
• As of December 31, 2009, there were 69,844 positive HIV tests in Canada. This reflects a decrease of 8.3% from 2008. (Source: Public Health Agency of Canada, HIV and AIDS in Canada: Surveillance Report to December 31, 2009).
• The number of people living with HIV (including AIDS) in Canada continues to rise, from an estimated 57,000 in 2005 to 65,000 in 2009 a 14% increase. (Source: ACT: AIDS Committee Toronto).

HIV and Women

• Sexually active women aged 15 to 24 years are at particular risk of sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS because the cells of their cervix are still maturing and, are therefore, more vulnerable to infection.
• Women represent an increasing proportion of reported cases in Canada. In fact, in 2008, women accounted for 26.2% of all positive HIV tests reported. (Source: Public Agency of Canada, HIV and AIDS in Canada, Surveillance Report to December 31, 2008).
• In 2008, females accounted for 58.3% of positive HIV tests among those aged 15 to 19 years. (Source: Public Health Agency of Canada, HIV and AIDS in Canada, Surveillance Report to December 31, 2008).
• When compared to other age groups, the proportion of positive HIV reports attributed to females is highest amongst youth. Women in other age groups (i.e. 30-39, 40-49, and over 50) account for approximately 15% to 31% of positive HIV tests. (Source: Public Health Agency of Canada, HIV and AIDS in Canada, Surveillance Report to December 31, 2008).
• In Canada, a total of 2,117 AIDS cases and 11,191 positive HIV tests were reported in adult women up to December 31, 2008. (Source: Public Health Agency of Canada, HIV and AIDS in Canada, Surveillance Report to December 31, 2008).
• Women make up almost 52% of all people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. In sub-Saharan Africa, women and girls make up 60% of people living with HIV. (Source: UNAIDS)
• Globally, women are also 2.5 times more likely to become infected with HIV than males.
• Gender inequalities such as inability to negotiate safer sex, lack of access to treatment options, and not having equal rights as men, including access to employment and education, increases women’s vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. (Source: UNAIDS).

HIV Globally

In 2008, young people aged 15-24 account for an estimated 40% of new HIV infections worldwide.

It is estimated in 2008 that:

• There were 33.4 million people worldwide living with HIV
• 2.6 million people were newly infected with HIV
• 1.8 million people worldwide lost their lives to AIDS (Source: UNAIDS)