Number of people diagnosed in NZ (red=gay/bi) yearly 1985-2011 8.30PM: A major drop in the number of new HIV infections identified amongst gay and bi men is encouraging but should be treated with caution says the NZ AIDS Foundation. Figures from the AIDS Epidemiology Group released this evening indicate that the 2011 annual figure is aproximately a third lower than the all-time record high of 100 in 2010. The Foundation says the remarkable drop is an indication that its prevention programmes are working but it is none the less cautious about the result. “While this latest reduction in diagnoses is very welcome there are many notes of caution,” says NZAF Executive Director Shaun Robinson. “The risk of HIV is as high as ever because the number of people living with the virus has been increasing ever since treatment became available in the mid-1990s. So it’s not surprising that we now have about one in fifteen gay men in Auckland with HIV. That simply means there are more people living with the disease who can potentially pass it on via unprotected anal sex.” Robinson says the issue of late testing was highlighted as a problem by two research studies in the last twelve months, the latest indicating that one in five gay men in Auckland who have HIV don’t realise it. “These latest epidemiology figures confirm that far too many men are still testing late and have full blown AIDS when they are diagnosed”, says Robinson. The new figures follow a period of twelve months during which the AIDS Foundation says it has "massively increased" its on-line contact with gay and bisexual men. It says HIV testing was up fourteen percent in the six months to December 2011. “I think the 2011 diagnoses rate indicates that our renewed prevention and testing response is heading in the right direction”, says Robinson. “We are on track to distribute 500,000 condom and lube packs this year." He says the Foundation's Get it On! and the new Love Your Condom approach to marketing sex with condoms "is proving very popular." "All the signs are that we should keep doing what we are doing,” Robinson says. However, he points out that one good result must not be over-emphasised. “The 2011 results are great but one year does not make a trend,” he says, adding that “I won’t be throwing any parties until we have seen a downward movement over at least three years.” You can discuss this New Zealand gay community news story in the GayNZ.com Forum.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 8th March 2012 - 9:41pm