HIV diagnoses hit seven year low: Australia’s annual HIV figures released today

SourceKirby Institute at UNSW Sydney,  24 September 2018

Australia has recorded its lowest level of HIV diagnoses in seven years, according to a new report from the Kirby Institute at UNSW Sydney.

The report, released today at the Australasian HIV & AIDS Conference in Sydney, found that there were 963 new HIV diagnoses in 2017, the lowest number since 2010. Researchers are attributing the promising results to more people getting tested for HIV, more people living with HIV starting treatment which reduces the risk of HIV transmission to effectively zero, and an increased use of preexposure prophylaxis (or PrEP, an HIV prevention pill).

“We should be very pleased with these results,” said Professor Rebecca Guy, head of the Kirby Institute’s Surveillance, Evaluation and Research Program. “Although the declines are relatively small, the downward trend over recent years, alongside increased testing rates and enhanced national prevention strategies, mean we can be cautiously optimistic about these reductions.”

Gay and bisexual men continue to represent the highest proportion of new HIV diagnoses in Australia, accounting for almost two-thirds of all infections. “Some encouraging news from this year’s report is that we’re seeing the greatest reductions in HIV diagnoses in this population, with a 15% decrease in diagnoses in the past year,” said Professor Guy.

“This decline is good news, but there is much more work to be done. PrEP offers every opportunity to drive down HIV to low levels, but it needs to reach all people who could benefit from it. In particular we need to improve access for gay and bisexual men living outside of inner-city areas, gay and bisexual men born overseas and Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander gay and bisexual men.”

Read the full story and view the report

Privacy Preference Center

Scroll to Top