New diagnoses of HIV have increased by 50 per cent over the last decade, with an eight per cent spike in the 2011 period to 1137 new cases, according to new data released by the University of New South Wales (UNSW).

 

“Some of the rise in reported HIV diagnoses could be attributed to changes in testing trends among men who have sex with men who are the most affected population group,” said UNSW Associate Professor David Wilson, head of the Surveillance and Evaluation Program for Public Health at the Kirby Institute.

 

The report also estimates that anywhere between 20 to 30 per cent of HIV cases in Australia remain undiagnosed.

 

The majority of HIV cases in Australia occur among men who have sex with men.  By the end of 2011, 31 645 cases of HIV infection had been diagnosed in Australia and an estimated 24 731 people were living with diagnosed HIV infection.

 

The annual HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmissible infections in Australia Annual Surveillance Report not only shows the increase in the incidence of HIV, but has also found that gonorrhea and chlamydia are on the increase as well.

 

 

The report found that Gonorrhea had increased by 21 per cent, from 10,020 cases in 2010 to 12,087 in 2011. Chlamydia has remained the most frequently reported notifiable condition in Australia, with 80,800 cases diagnosed.

 

“But this is just the tip of the iceberg”, said Professor Wilson, “It is likely that there are 4 to 6-times more Australians infected with chlamydia who may be at increased risk of infertility and other sexual health problems.”