To compile these statistics you need two pieces of data from some representative sample a)do they have HIV b)are they a MSM (other 'high risk' group).
Given that they collect these stats if you go to a clinic to discover if you have HIV I require better evidence than 'the DoH believes these stats' to be convinced that they are not using a *horribly* self selecting sample and infact have functionally no idea atall what the incidence of HIV is in the general population (especially given that HIV has no symptoms).
At least in the case of sub-saharan Africa you can say 'we have a population of N and M people have presented with symptoms of AIDS' and then go 'omg the AIDS infection rate is waaaaay too high'. In this country we have no idea what the population of MSM *is*!
Ah, ah, you can't go from "the statistics may be inaccurate" to "the truth must be an error in the direction I suppose it is". You've got to do the best you can with the figures you've got.
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Given that they collect these stats if you go to a clinic to discover if you have HIV I require better evidence than 'the DoH believes these stats' to be convinced that they are not using a *horribly* self selecting sample and infact have functionally no idea atall what the incidence of HIV is in the general population (especially given that HIV has no symptoms).
At least in the case of sub-saharan Africa you can say 'we have a population of N and M people have presented with symptoms of AIDS' and then go 'omg the AIDS infection rate is waaaaay too high'. In this country we have no idea what the population of MSM *is*!
(no subject)