The latest instalment of Australia’s annual report card on HIV, hepatitis and sexually transmissible infections has been released this morning. Here’s what UNSW experts who work in these areas make of the results.
Despite high-profile health campaigns and a concerted effort to make antiretroviral therapy more accessible, the number of new HIV cases in Australia has remained stable over the last three years, writes Bridget Haire.
The proportion of HIV-positive gay men on antiretroviral treatment reached a record in 2014, but the rate of unprotected sex between casual partners also hit a historic high, new data shows.
HIV cells in the body of a person receiving antiretroviral treatment become activated 24 times less frequently than previously thought, new research from UNSW's Kirby Institute shows.
The spread of HIV from injecting drug use in Australia has been contained, largely through the success of needle and syringe programs, according to a 20-year report released by the Kirby Institute at UNSW.
Starting HIV treatment early, before immune damage occurs, brings real clinical benefits. But taking antiretrovirals is a daily, life-long commitment and people need support to make the right choices, writes Bridget Haire.
An international study led by UNSW’s Kirby Institute has shown immediate treatment for people who are HIV positive can halve their risk of HIV-related serious disease or death.
The Kirby Insitute at UNSW has launched a feasibility study to examine whether HIV negative people can take combination drug therapy to reduce their risk of acquiring the virus.
A new range of condoms coated with an antimicrobial chemical are unlikely to offer any more protection from STIs than your average condom, writes Bridgit Haire.
Annual HIV funding from developed to developing countries is about $US18 billion, however this is still about $US5 billion a year short of what’s required to sustain the gains of the last decade, writes William Bowtell.
