HIV-opmars in Nederland: aanwijzingen, maar nog geen uitsluitsel

- Investigations in the province of Limburg demonstrate an increasing HIV prevalence and a high prevalence of injecting and sexual risk behaviour as well as a substantial risk of HIV transmission to the general population. It is recommended that HIV surveillance be directed towards ‘bridge populations’ such as prostitutes, their customers and immigrants from HIV endemic countries, instead of just drug users. In view of the apparent increase in sexual risk behaviour and sexually transmitted diseases in homosexual men (possibly due to a reduced fear of the disease because of the availability of anti-HIV medication) surveillance should be intensified in that area as well. Only then will it be possible to ascertain whether or not the incidence of HIV in the Netherlands is increasing.