It's too early to tell if the 2006 downturn on the number of cases of HIV diagnosed amongst New Zealand gay and bi men means the infection surge of recent years has been turned around, according to the NZ AIDS Foundation. After six years of relentless increases in the number of HIV infections contracted within New Zealand, culminating in 90 new cases reported amongst gay and bi men in 2005, the just-released 2006 figures show a welcome drop to 70. But that dip does not convince the NZAF that the virus is being pushed back convincingly. "It is very difficult to say," says NZAF Chair Hoani Jeremy Lambert. "Whilst we work hard to achieve a trend down, there are more people living with HIV than ever before - this increases the risk of more becoming infected, particularly from those who do not yet know they are HIV positive." The NZAF has recently trialled a rapid-turn-around HIV test at its Auckland Burnett Centre, delivering a result within an hour, and is hopeful of making it available nationally. Lambert says the only way the infection numbers will continue falling is if gay and bi men "maintain and strengthen our commitment to condom use every time and not become complacent." Organisations and businesses catering to gay and bi men are a crucial link in HIV prevention campaigns, continues Lambert. "We need ongoing support from the community and from businesses in spreading the safe sex message, particularly online where large numbers of gay men are looking for sexual partners." Ref: GayNZ.com (j)
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Thursday, 15th March 2007 - 12:00pm