Sat 24 Jan 2009 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Indications are emerging that HIV diagnosis rates amongst gay and bi men increased again in 2008 as the result of recently contracted infections. From a historical low of 27 diagnoses amongst men who have sex with men, in 1997, the number of annual diagnoses climbed inexorably to a peak of 90 in 2005. Slightly lower figures in 2006 and 2007 led to a guarded hope that the peak was past. However, an advance 'heads up' from Otago Medical School's AIDS Epidemiology Group suggests the numbers have now risen again. Actual figures for 2008 will not be available for a month or more, "but early indications are that the 2008 figures will show another upswing," says Research Fellow Sue McAllister. McAlister says the recent diagnosis rate is "extremely unlikely" to have been skewed by infections contracted some years ago only now emerging. She notes that more men than in the past are having tests for sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, and that there has also been an upswing in the numbers of gay and bi men contracting STDs such as syphilis. HIV prevalence rates are highest per capita in Auckland and amongst pakeha men aged 30 to 49. Nationwide, gay and bi men are 37 times more likely than heterosexual men to contract HIV. In its pre-Christmas quarterly report on HIV infection rates, the AIDS Epidemiology Group recomended that further HIV prevention work aimed at "men in their 30s and 40s" is needed, and that closer surveillance of other STD infection patterns "would help determine whether sexual risk behaviour is increasing."
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News Staff
First published: Saturday, 24th January 2009 - 1:06pm