Key Points

HIV Infection

• In 2019, 6.2 million HIV serology tests were performed by clinical laboratories. HIV testing activity has increased since 2014 (+10% over the entire 2014–2018 period), and this increase accelerated in 2019 (+6% between 2018 and 2019). This increase in testing activity in 2019 was accompanied by an increase in the number of confirmed positive test results (+6% from 2018 to 2019). The positivity rate, which had declined between 2014 and 2018, thus stabilized in 2019 at 1.9 per thousand tests.

• Men who have sex with men (MSM) and heterosexuals born abroad remain the two most affected groups, accounting for 43% and 37%, respectively, of HIV-positive cases reported between January 2019 and September 2020. Heterosexuals born in France account for 14% of all cases, people who inject drugs (PWID) for 2%, and transgender people infected through sexual contact for 2%.

Syphilis

• In 2019, 2.6 million syphilis tests were performed by private-sector laboratories, representing a 22% increase compared to 2017.

• The number of recent syphilis diagnoses (< 1 year) reported in the RésIST clinician network, which remained stable between 2016 and 2018, decreased by 7% in 2019. This decrease was observed among MSM and heterosexual men.

• As in previous years, individuals diagnosed with recent syphilis in 2019 within the network were primarily MSM (79%).

Gonococcal infection

• In 2019, 2.2 million gonorrhea tests were performed by private laboratories, representing a 58% increase compared to 2017.

• The number of gonorrhea diagnoses reported by the RésIST network continued to rise in 2019 (+21%) compared to 2017.

• This increase is observed among MSM (+29%), while a slight decrease is observed among heterosexuals (-4%).

• The majority of people diagnosed with gonorrhea in 2019 within the network were MSM (74%).

Chlamydia trachomatis infection

• In 2019, 2.5 million tests for Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) infection were performed by the private sector, representing a 20% increase compared to 2017.

• The number of Ct infection diagnoses in the private sector increased by 29% between 2017 and 2019.

Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on HIV and bacterial STI testing

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic had a significant impact on testing activity in 2020. A decrease of nearly 60% in the number of tests was observed between February and April 2020, for both HIV and bacterial STIs.