HIV infections have plateaued in Australia but a sharp rise in gonorrhoea cases among gay men may point to a future rise in HIV numbers, says the head of public health surveillance and evaluation at the Unversity of NSW's Kirby Institute, Associate Professor David Wilson.
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The latest figures on sexually transmitted infections released today show the number of new HIV diagnoses last year totalled 1043 - about the same level it has been for the past five years. Yet gonorrhoea cases rose by 25 per cent to 10,015 last year and much of the rise has been linked to gay men.
This could signal a later rise in the HIV prevalence as gonorrhoea infections surface more quickly than HIV. There had been a reduction in condom use among gay men, Professor Wilson said.
One reason for the lower condom use could be the quite widespread practice among gay men of choosing sexual partners with the same HIV status.
Those with HIV went with others similarly infected to avoid having to use condoms. Non-infected men similarly sought out HIV-free partners.
The practice could explain why gonorrhoea incidence had risen but not HIV cases. But the latter could ''potentially'' emerge later, Professor Wilson said.
He said the figures underlined the need for renewed safe sex campaigns and a boost to HIV testing.
Mark Metherell
