It would appear that the overall trend within the community is towards a
the lack of HIV testing despite the publication of HIV data that
indicates it is as important to undergo an HIV test now as it has ever
been if. As with all news cycles, HIV
news waxes and wanes regardless of the underlying reality. This can cause the perception with the
Australian public that when HIV is not in the news on a regular basis that
somehow the risk is reduced. This is of
particular its concern considering that the reality is a significant rise in
HIV detection in the Australian population. Three annual
reports on HIV and sexually transmitted infections in Australia released in
October 2012 show a rise in HIV diagnoses. The reports were released at the
Australasian HIV/AIDS Conference 2012 in Melbourne.The reports show that new
diagnoses of HIV in Australia have risen 50% over the past 10 years. Certain groups are at a higher risk of
infection than others. Particularly
concerning is the rate of infection within the homosexual community. One reason for this increase in HIV infection
could be that unprotected anal intercourse with casual partners among gay men
has also increased over the past decade. In 2011, 34.6% of Australian men who
had sex with a casual partner reported having unprotected anal intercourse in
the past six months.Another group at risk from HIV infection are men
frequenting prostitutes and in particular those who practice unprotected sex.
So of bearing in mind that these infections are normally the result of
unprotected sex with a partner that in knows they have previously been a risk
of contracting HIV, the question becomes why are they not taking an HIV test.
With this information
available to the Australian public it is apparent that through whatever means
possible the Australian public should be encouraged to carry out HIV testing.
