In reporting another record year for new HIV infections in New Zealand, the New Zealand AIDS Foundation says the increase may be due to the jump in the number of men using internet dating websites. NZAF figures say a different gay man is tested positive every four days in New Zealand, set to beat last year's record high of 73 new cases. The number of heterosexuals contracting the virus has also increased, although most are contracted overseas. The increase in HIV infection rates among New Zealand gay men is mirrored across the developed world, particularly in the US. Researchers say a proportionate jump in internet dating website use, especially for casual sex amongst gay men, can be blamed for the problem. According to the HIV support group Body Positive, 45% of gay men now use the internet to initiate contact for casual sex. "There have been changes in the way gay men meet each other with the advent of the internet," says an NZAF spokesman. "What that does for infectious disease is increase the sexual network and the more interactions in the network the more the disease can spread about." Researchers say that the increasing use of the internet has also meant fewer men go to gay bars and cruise clubs to meet, making it more difficult to spread health promotion messages. NZAF also say other factors seem to have contributed to the rise in HIV cases among gay men. Longer life expectancy for HIV positive people has brought complacency to the gay community, contributing to reports of a decline in condom use. "People are not seeing people in their community dying and there is the perception that the threat is not as strong," says spokesman Tony Hughes.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Monday, 10th October 2005 - 12:00pm