Homelessness and cocaine use leads to rise in HIV

A rise in people injecting cocaine and homelessness are the key factors behind a “perfect storm” that has resulted in a ten-fold increase in HIV infection among drug users in Glasgow’s city centre, research has found.

In a seven-year study, experts from Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) and Health Protection Scotland examined the drivers behind the UK’S largest HIV outbreak in more than 30 years in Glasgow.

More than 100 new cases of the infection were identified among drug users in the city between 2015 and 2017.

Before that the number of new cases had “remained stable” at about 15 a year among drug users across all of Scotland. Dr Andrew Mcauleyclaimedthestudy “provides further justification” for opening a safe drugs consumption room in Glasgow.