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Victoria may become the first state
in Australia to adopt rapid HIV tests due to increasing HIV infection rates in
the region.
Last year, 280 HIV cases were
diagnosed in Victoria, up from 233 the year before. Most infections were in men
who have sex with men (MSM), with the majority in their 20s and 30s. Twenty
females also tested positive, including a teenage girl.
According to Dr. Rosemary Lester,
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer, although increased testing may be partly
responsible for the sharp increase in HIV, many men also are still having
unprotected, casual sex. “A lot of them see it as a chronic manageable disease
and something which isn’t to be feared the way it was 20 years ago when most
people died of HIV infection,” she said.
The government is looking at rapid
HIV tests to see if they would improve testing rates, said Lester. Currently in
Australia, testing involves a full blood test, rather than a finger prick, and
a wait of several days before getting a result. Rapid tests could also be used
in community settings, making them more accessible.
Surveys show about a third of MSM
are not getting tested every six months to a year, as recommended, said Dr.
Mark Stoove, the head of HIV research at the Burnet Institute. More research is
needed to see if the rapid tests would work in different settings locally, such
as sex venues, he said. “I’m a strong advocate for community-based testing, but
how that model evolves, we need to examine carefully.”
Matt Dixon, the executive director
of the Victorian AIDS Council, said he does not believe men are being
complacent about HIV, but thought a trial of rapid testing would help prevent
more infections.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
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