Fed: HIV infections stabilising but chlamydia rising - report

AAP General News (Australia)
08-31-2004
Fed: HIV infections stabilising but chlamydia rising - report

By Sandra O'Malley

CANBERRA, Aug 31 AAP - A rise in new HIV infections appears to have stabilised but
the incidence of chlamydia is skyrocketing, a new study into sexually transmitted diseases
has found.

After a substantial decline through the 1990s, the number of new HIV diagnoses grew
over the start of the decade, rising from 690 in 1999 to 830 in 2002.

However, the number of new diagnoses dropped to 780 last year, according to the HIV/AIDS,
viral hepatitis and sexually transmissible infections in Australia annual surveillance
report 2004.

Former health minister Michael Wooldridge, chairman of the Ministerial Advisory Committee
on AIDS, Sexual Health and Hepatitis, said targeted education strategies had helped stabilise
the rate of new infections.

The report found HIV transmission continued to be mainly a result of sexual contact
between men, which was responsible for 85 per cent of cases between 1999 and 2003.

A report on sexual behaviour by the National Centre in HIV Social Research, also released
today, found increasing levels of unprotected anal intercourse among gay men in both regular
and casual relationships.

In Sydney, the rate of unprotected casual sex among gay men rose from one in four men
in 1999 to one in three last year.

Professor John Kaldor, from the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research,
said the increase in unsafe sex had been a trend over the last couple of years.

"It has yet to be fully explained in terms of the possible effects on transmission," he said.

Prof Kaldor said the behavioural changes could be due to a phenomenon known as "treatment-related
optimism".

"Due to the improvements in treatment, (some) people don't see HIV the same way they
did 10 years ago," he said.

Dr Wooldridge said the reports backed the need to continue promoting safe sex and safe-injecting
practices to prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases.

The next major hurdle for the ministerial committee will be to find ways to tackle
the rising problem of chlamydia, which can cause infertility in women.

"My advisory committee will be concentrating a lot of effort on prevention and treatment
of chlamydia," Dr Wooldridge said.

The surveillance report found chlamydia diagnoses more than doubled between 1999 and 2003.

There were 76.1 cases of diagnosed chlamydia per 100,000 people in 1999, but this had
risen to 160.7 case per 100,000 in 2003.

AAP so/sw/cat/sd

KEYWORD: SEX

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