Introduction to late presentation for HIV treatment in Europe

This publication is based on the proceedings of a meeting of European HIV experts convened in Windsor, UK, in March 2009. The meeting reviewed data in four key topics affecting the late presentation of HIV patients in Europe: the definition and epidemiology of late presentation, its medical and societal consequences, the need for earlier HIV testing and strategies for management of late-presenting patients. Each topic is discussed in detail here. A concluding article presents recommendations in each topic that were developed at the meeting to address the continuing challenge represented by late presentation for HIV treatment.