Aussie STDs - HIV/AIDS on the rise
Pastor Dale Morgan
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Aussie STDs - HIV/AIDS on the rise*
October 12, 2006 04:00am
Article from: AAP
AUSTRALIA - CHLAMYDIA rates have soared fourfold in the past decade and
other sexually-transmitted diseases are climbing at an alarming pace, a
new national report has revealed.
A paper released by the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical
Research (NCHECR) shows the number of new HIV/AIDS diagnoses increased
41 per cent between 2000 and 2005.
The rate of diagnosis of gonorrhoea doubled over the past 10 years. And
syphilis rates doubled in NSW and Victoria between 2001 and 2005.
But chlamydia was the most frequently reported notifiable condition in
2005 with 41,311 cases - a fourfold increase since 1995.
And substantially higher rates of all three diseases were recorded among
Australia's indigenous population.
The report, launched at the Australasian Society for HIV Medicines
Conference in Melbourne today, is the first to map the long range trends
in the country's sexual health.
Professor John Kaldor, deputy director of NCHECR at the University of
NSW, said some increases could be due to more people coming forward for
diagnosis.
| "But it's very possible that people are just not prioritising safe sex
as they maybe used to in the very serious HIV/AIDs era," Prof Kaldor said.
"It could be that safe sex has become less recognised as a social norm
and if so ... that's very worrying."
Increases in chlamydia were the most dramatic, as it was felt across
both genders, several age groups and Australia-wide.
The Federal Government announced a $12.5 million program announced last
year to increase awareness, improve surveillance and develop a pilot
testing program for the disease.
"There's certainly a momentum to try to do something about it but only
time will tell whether it's sufficient to make a serious impact," Prof
Kaldor said.
The increases in gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV/AIDs occurred
predominantly in the gay community.
"It might be here that improvements in HIV treatments have lessened the
motivation for people to protect themselves sexually," Prof Kaldor said.
He said these three diseases needed to be treated differently with
relevant and understandable strategies that targeted the most vulnerable
people.
With HIV/AIDS, the data shows a rise in new HIV diagnoses from 656 cases
in 2000 to 930 in 2005, a 41 per cent increase.
Queensland had the highest increase - 48 per cent - followed by Victoria
with 40 per cent, South Australia with 34 per cent and NSW with 20 per cent.
Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations executive director Don
Baxter criticised the governments "static" funding in the area and said
it must urgently invest more.
"In 2006 we are on track to record more than 1000 new HIV infections,"
Mr Baxter said.
"These will add at least $500 million to PBS (Pharmaceutical Benefit
Scheme) drug costs in the future, yet we're investing less than $20
million on HIV prevention now."