HIV in Canada: 2020 Surveillance highlights

• 1,639 new diagnosed cases of HIV in 2020 (21% decrease since 2019)
• 71.4% of newly diagnosed cases were male
• 28.6% of newly diagnosed cases were female

Key points

• 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 2020.
• For most jurisdictions, data for 2020 exclude cases that have been previously diagnosed outside of Canada (e.g. prior to immigration) or in another province/territory.

New diagnosis rate per 100,000 population in 2020

• National HIV diagnosis rate – 4.3
• Provincial and territorial HIV diagnosis rates:
  • Territories – 2.3
  • British Columbia – 2.6
  • Alberta – 3.3
  • Saskatchewan – 15.7
  • Manitoba – 7.0
  • Ontario – 3.5
  • Quebec – 6.1^{Footnote *}
  • Atlantic – 1.3

Reported new HIV cases by exposure category in adult males in 2020

• Male-to-male sexual contact – 60.8%
• Injection drug use – 12.8%
• Male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use – 3.0%
• Heterosexual contact – 21.8%
• Other – 1.6%^{Footnote †}

Reported new HIV cases by exposure category in adult females in 2020

• Injection drug use – 32.7%
• Heterosexual contact – 65.8%
• Other – 1.5 %^{Footnote †}

Distribution of new HIV cases, by age group and sex

• In males:
  • <15 years of age – 0.1 %
  • 15-19 years of age – 0.8%
  • 20-29 years of age –24.1%
  • 30-39 years of age – 32.1%
  • 40-49 years of age – 18.3%
  • ≥50 years of age – 24.6%
• In females:
  • <15 years of age –0.2 %
  • 15-19 years of age – 3.4%
  • 20-29 years of age –25.5%
  • 30-39 years of age – 30.6%
  • 40-49 years of age – 18.4%
  • ≥50 years of age – 21.8%

Perinatal HIV in 2020

• 250 infants exposed to HIV during pregnancy
• 97.2% of HIV positive mothers received perinatal antiretroviral therapy (ART)
• 5 infants were infected with HIV: 2 mothers had any ART, 2 had none, and the status of 1 mother was unknown
• Based on sentinel surveillance representing 95% of exposed infants

Data Sources

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