While HIV infection rates are shrinking across Ontario, the virus has seen an uptick in London
Health authorities in London say while HIV infection rates across Ontario are shrinking, London has seen a sharp surge with a higher than average prevalence of needle drug use likely to blame for the problem.
It comes a little over a year after officials with the Middlesex London Health Unit declared a public ‘health emergency’ over rising rates of blood borne HIV and heptatits C.
“It’s different from the rest of the province,” Shaya Dhinsa, the manager of sexual health with the Middlesex London Health Unit told London Morning host Rebecca Zandbergen Monday.
“The rates of HIV (in London) are increasing, particularly among people who inject drugs, whereas in the rest of the province the rate is decreasing. Those who are particulary infected with HIV elsewhere in the province are particularly men who have sex with men.”
Not sure why
Dhinsa said medical authorities can’t explain for sure why London is unique among Ontario cities when it comes to rising rates of HIV.
“It could be multiple issues,” she said, noting the use of crystal meth and opioids, such as hydromorphone could play a role. “It could be sharing injection drug use equipment, it can be the use of different drugs.”
“We don’t have an exact reason why,” she said. “There are other issues, mental health issues and addiction issues that go along with this population.”
While London might be an outlier in Ontario, Dhinsa said the situation the city finds itself in is similar to what medical authorities are currently struggling with in Saskatchewan or Vancouver in the 1990s.