Key Points

HIV Infection and AIDS

• The number of HIV serology tests performed in 2023 by clinical laboratories was estimated at 7.5 million, showing a more pronounced increase compared to 2022 than in previous years. This increase over the past year is partly due to the VIHTest program, which allows for free testing without a prescription or appointment.

• Population-adjusted testing rates remained highest in 2023 in the overseas departments and regions (DROM), with the exception of Mayotte, and particularly in French Guiana.

• The number of people who discovered their HIV-positive status in 2023 was estimated at nearly 5,500. This number has risen fairly steadily following the sharp decline observed in 2020. This increase particularly affects people born abroad, notably women infected through heterosexual intercourse and men who have sex with men (MSM).

• Among foreign-born individuals who learned of their HIV-positive status in France in 2023, an estimated 42% were infected within the country.

• Over the entire 2012–2023 period, the number of new HIV diagnoses decreased by 10%. This decrease is more pronounced among MSM born in France (-36%) and can be explained in particular by more frequent testing compared to other populations, allowing for faster initiation of treatment for HIV-positive individuals, and by the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among a portion of them.

• Among those who learned of their HIV-positive status in 2023, 55% are heterosexual (40% born abroad and 15% born in France), 40% are MSM (26% 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, the majority of whom were born in sub-Saharan Africa.

• In 2023, 43% of HIV infections were detected at a late stage of infection (27% at an advanced stage and 16% at a late but non-advanced stage). The proportion of diagnoses at the advanced stage has been declining since 2020. At the regional level, the HIV epidemic remains marked by a particularly concerning situation in French Guiana, and to a lesser extent in Mayotte, the French West Indies, and the Île-de-France region.

• Alongside these screening and diagnostic data, the incidence of HIV in France (number of new infections within the country) was estimated at approximately 3,600 in 2023, representing a national incidence rate of 5.3 per 100,000 inhabitants. The annual incidence decreased between 2012 and 2021 and has since stabilized.

Bacterial STIs

• In 2023, 3.0 million people underwent at least one reimbursed screening for Chlamydia trachomatis infection, 3.3 million for gonococcal infection, and 3.3 million for syphilis.

• Screening rates for these three bacterial STIs continued to rise in 2023, as they have for several years. Between 2021 and 2023, these increases affected both men and women, but among women, they were particularly pronounced in the 50-and-over age group.

• Screening rates relative to the population are highest in the French overseas departments and regions (DROM), with the exception of Mayotte. Diagnostic rates are also highest there. The Île-de-France region also has high STI diagnostic rates, particularly for gonococcal infections and syphilis, compared to other regions in mainland France.

• In 2023, the number of diagnoses of Chlamydia trachomatis, gonococcal, or syphilis infections was estimated at 55,500, 23,000, and 5,800, respectively. These numbers have continued to rise in recent years, and this is particularly true for gonococcal infections.

• Between 2021 and 2023, the incidence rate of diagnoses:

  • for gonorrhea is increasing among both men and women across all age groups, but more markedly among people aged 50 and older and among heterosexuals. MSM are the most affected, with positivity rates observed at CeGIDD in 2023 between 5 and 6 times higher than those of heterosexual men or women.

  • Chlamydia trachomatis infections are increasing only among men, particularly those aged 50 and older and among heterosexuals.

  • Syphilis is increasing in both sexes, but more markedly among women and among seniors aged 50 and older. MSM, however, remain the most affected by this STI, with positivity rates observed at CeGIDD in 2023 between 6 and 8 times higher than among heterosexual men or women.