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A quote from here: 'Numbers of heterosexually acquired HIV infections diagnosed in the UK have risen steadily over the last 15 years and since 1999 have been greater than the number acquired through sex between men. The total of new diagnoses of HIV in those infected heterosexually is expected to rise to over 1500 for 1999.'

"Most of those diagnosed in the UK who have acquired infection heterosexually were not infected in this country. More than three quarters are recorded as having acquired infection abroad with almost two thirds of the total in Africa."

From the graph and annotation above, it appears that annual deaths attributed to heterosexually-transmitted HIV deaths among native Brits is less than 25, and declining. This in a country with an annual mortality of about 750,000 -- i.e., it's about 0.003% of total mortality. That's assuming those deaths are really AIDS, and really heterosexually-transmitted -- since we're down among the noise here, the real value could well be zero.

Some epidemic.

Some epidemic.

Well, thank goodness, I say. The reason AIDS hasn't taken off in Britain is because the government coordinated a hard hitting nationwide mass-media AIDS publicity campaign in the 1980s. The Russians should take a leaf out of our book. However, there's no room for complacency since people can carry AIDS for years without knowing it and all the while be infecting others.

Also bear in mind that people dying now of AIDS were probably infected between 5 and 12 years ago, when less heterosexuals were being infected. The people contracting HIV today won't die for another 12 years, as long as they can tolerate the anti-retroviral drug treatments.