5.45PM: Thanks to improved and easier to take medications New Zealand people with HIV are living better, more productive lives than six years ago, according to the findings of a major research project released this afternoon. Increased availability of HIV treatments and a greater uptake of easier to use medications are two of the main factors leading to improved lives, according to HIV Futures NZ2. "Most of the results from this study show improvements... some of them quite considerable, says NZAF research Director Tony Hughes. "Greatly improved treatment options [have] led to better personal health and well-being." Lifestyle indicators such as the the proportion of HIV positive people in paid, full time employment, and the purchasing power of people with HIV have increased markedly. Those working for pay increased from 53% in 2001 to 62% in 2007. Full time employment increased from 38% to 44% in the same period. Median weekly personal income has increased from $330 to $486, though at that level it remains lower than for the general population. Fewer HIV positive people are reporting that their status has been disclosed without their permission in recent years, for two thirds of those people the disclosure had negative consequences in their lives. A disturbing statistic is the high number of people HIV positive people being prescribed anxiety medication (23%) and anti-depressants (19%). HIV Futures NZ2, based on wide-ranging questionnaires filled out by 261 HIV positive New Zealanders, 67% of whom were gay or bi men, is largely based out of Melbourne's La Trobe University. It was researched with major input from the NZ AIDS Foundation and groups representing HIV positive people in New Zealand. "This report documents the significant improvements in health and well-being from the first HIV Futures survey conducted six years ago," says lead researcher Dr Jeffrey Grierson of La Trobe, but he notes that "there are still major challenges for people living with HIV that include maintaining a good level of health and participating fully in their communities."