Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Health the concerted action he intends to take to educate and inform persons, especially the young, to look after their sexual health in view of the fact that 320 people were newly diagnosed with HIV here last year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54695/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The 2011 figures on HIV and AIDS in Ireland were compiled by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC). There were 320 new HIV diagnoses reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) in 2011, which is less than the number reported in 2010 (330). With the exception of 2005, this is the lowest number since 2001 (Table 1). 6,287 people have been diagnosed with HIV in Ireland since the early 1980s but this number does not represent the number of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Ireland, as it does not take factors such as death and migration into account.

Table 1 HIV in Ireland 2001-2011 (Source: Health Protection Surveillance Centre)

There were 136 (42.5%) new diagnoses among men who have sex with men (MSM). This remains high and sex between men is now the predominant mode of transmission in Ireland. Heterosexual transmission accounted for 33.8% of new cases (108), down from 63.7% of cases in 2002. In particular, there has been a reduction in the number of cases among people from high prevalence countries. 5% of new infections were among injecting drug users (IDUs) which is slightly down from the previous year (6.6%). 28 diagnoses were in the 15‐24 year old age group (8.8%) and there were three Mother to Child Transmission (MTCT) cases diagnosed in 2011. 119 (37.3%) of the new cases were born in Ireland.

My Department has established a steering group to oversee the drafting of a National Sexual Health Strategy which will provide a strategic direction for the delivery of sexual health services across the country. It will focus on improving sexual health and wellbeing and address the surveillance, testing, treatment and prevention of HIV and STIs, crisis pregnancy, and sexual health education and promotion. Moreover, the Strategy will be in line with the forthcoming Framework for Health and Wellbeing which will provide a policy framework that addresses the wider determinants of health and health inequalities. The steering group is supported by three working groups whose members come from a diverse range of backgrounds including from NGOs, the HSE and Government Departments and a variety of clinical and academic settings including consultants, GPs, nurses and counsellors among others.

In December 2011 a National HIV Prevention and Sexual Health Awareness Programme for men who have sex with men (MSM) was launched. The programme targeted younger MSMs with messages designed and delivered by their peer groups and aimed at raising awareness, building self-esteem and equipping them to be able to make safer sex choices. The programme was in line with the recommendations of the National AIDS Strategy Committee’s ‘Education and Prevention Plan, 2008 – 2012’ which provides a roadmap for HIV and AIDS Education and Prevention.