New diagnoses of HIV in Australia have risen 50% over the past 10 years! What’s really going on with HIV testing in Australia?

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.