HIV in Canada: 2021 surveillance highlights

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Organization: Public Health Agency of Canada

Type: Infographic

Date published: 2021

ISBN: 978-0-660-45705-5

From: Public Health Agency of Canada

  • 1,472 new diagnosed cases of HIV in 2021 (11.3% increase since 2020)
  • National rate of new HIV diagnoses for 2021 - 3.8 per 100,000 population
  • Rate of new HIV diagnoses in males - 5.5 per 100,000 population
  • Rate of new HIV diagnoses in females - 2.1 per 100,000 population

2021 Data notes

  • The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a decreased demand for, and ability to provide, services related to sexually transmitted and bloodborne infections, including HIV testing.Footnote 1 This may have had an impact on observed new diagnosis rates for HIV in 2021.

New diagnosis rate per 100,000 population in 2021

  • National HIV diagnosis rate - 3.8
  • Provincial and territorial HIV diagnosis rates:
    • Territories - 1.6
    • British Columbia - 2.9
    • Alberta - 4.0
    • Saskatchewan - 20.3
    • Manitoba - 10.5
    • Ontario - 3.3
    • Quebec - 2.8
    • Atlantic - 1.5

Distribution and rates of new HIV cases, by age group and sex

Age Groups Total Male Female
% Rate % Rate % Rate
Children < 15 years 0.3 0.1 0.1 <0.1 1.0 0.1
15-19 1.6 1.2 1.0 1.0 3.2 1.3
20-29 26.4 7.6 26.0 10.3 26.5 4.4
30-39 32.1 8.8 31.6 12.2 33.4 5.1
40-49 18.9 5.7 19.3 8.3 18.3 3.0
50+ 20.6 2.0 22.0 3.3 17.6 0.9

Perinatal HIV in 2021

  • 210 infants exposed to HIV during pregnancy
  • 98.1% of HIV positive mothers received perinatal antiretroviral therapy (ART)
  • 2 infants were infected with HIV; both mothers had no ART
  • Based on sentinel surveillance representing 95% of exposed infants

Data sources

HIV/AIDS Surveillance System (HASS) and Canadian Perinatal HIV Surveillance System (CPHSP)

Footnote 1

Survey of the impact of COVID-19 on the ability to provide STBBI prevention, testing and treatment including harm reduction services in Canada. PHAC. 2021.

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