Across the 51 countries of the WHO European Region, the rate of new HIV diagnoses remains stable in Western Europe (54.9 cases per million population in 2001) and Central Europe (7 to 10 cases per million population in 2001) but is skyrocketing in Eastern European countries (349 cases per million inhabitants) due to the epidemic of intravenous drug use in those countries. In France, while the mandatory reporting system for HIV infection—which guarantees the anonymity of individuals—will begin in January 2003, it is known that in 2001, 4.3 million HIV tests were performed by clinical laboratories, with approximately 10,000 positive results, corresponding to about 4,500 new infections diagnosed in 2001. HIV testing activity has thus remained at a high level since 1998. AIDS surveillance in France indicates that the number of new AIDS cases has remained stable since 1999 at approximately 850 new cases per six-month period. This stability is due to a lack of screening or treatment prior to the AIDS stage for three-quarters of patients. Among patients from sub-Saharan Africa, the number of new AIDS cases continues to rise, particularly among women. An anonymous study conducted among hospital services in the Paris region indicates that this increase is partly linked to the recent arrival (since 1999) in France of patients from sub-Saharan Africa and that their HIV-positive status is most often discovered due to clinical symptoms in men or during a prenatal test in women. The rise in syphilis among gay men in the Paris region in 2001 did not slow down in 2002. An information and screening program was launched in May 2002 and is currently being evaluated. In contrast to the trend observed for syphilis, the number of new gonococcal infections, after an increase in 1999 and a plateau in 2000, declined in 2001, even in the Paris region. However, the number of rectal infections remains stable, indicating a persistent risk among a subgroup of men who have unprotected sex with men. A feasibility study conducted among intravenous drug users in the Marseille region showed very high acceptance (83%) of a serological test for HIV and HCV using a blotter strip based on a fingerstick blood sample. Preliminary results from this feasibility phase indicate that before the age of 30, very few intravenous drug users are infected with HIV, whereas over 40% are infected with HCV. (R.A.)