Key points: - The number of new HIV diagnoses is estimated at nearly 6,000 in 2003 - The majority of infections result from heterosexual intercourse (57% of new HIV diagnoses, one-third of whom are women from sub-Saharan African countries); infections from homosexual intercourse remain prevalent (21%); and there is confirmation of a reduction in HIV transmission among people who inject drugs (2%) - 32% of newly diagnosed HIV-positive cases correspond to infections that occurred within the past 6 months. - 50% of HIV-1 infections are of the non-B subtype (23% among French nationals and 83% among nationals of a sub-Saharan African country) - approximately 27,100 people living with AIDS in France as of March 31, 2004 - 47% of people diagnosed with AIDS in 2003 were unaware of their HIV-positive status, which precluded any possibility of early treatment for their HIV infection (R.A.)