The HIV epidemic is far from over, despite a decline in the number of diagnoses, says University of Auckland researcher Peter Saxon.
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University of Otago has just released research showing the number of people diagnosed in New Zealand with HIV halved between 2016 and 2020.
Last year, 95 people were first diagnosed with the sexually transmitted disease in New Zealand, compared with 196 in 2016.
Gay Men’s Sexual Health Research director Peter Saxon from the University of Auckland said prevention could get that number to zero – so the fight against HIV continues.
The Covid-19 pandemic might have led to a drop in testing last year, revealing fewer positive cases, Saxon said.
The AIDS Epidemiology Group at the University of Otago said it was encouraging to see the number of people diagnosed with HIV in New Zealand fall in 2020 to the lowest level in 20 years.
Figures released this week show 65 people were reported to have acquired HIV locally last year, of a total of 162 notified cases.
AIDS Epidemiology Group leader Sue McAllister said gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) were most affected by HIV in New Zealand.
Of the 95 people first diagnosed in 2020, 62 were MSM, 26 were heterosexually infected (16 men and 10 women), while the means of infection was not reported in some cases.
Condom use and early testing and treatment were contributing to the drop in case numbers, McAllister said.
HIV infection rates among heterosexuals have remained low and stable over the past 10 years.
However, about half of heterosexual men and women were diagnosed with HIV late and had not had antiretroviral treatment to control progression of their infection, she said.
“It is important for people who consider they may have been at risk to be tested for HIV and other sexually transmissible infections without any stigma or discrimination, regardless of sexual orientation,” McAllister said.
“Of equal importance is for clinicians to recognise HIV as a possibility in people who present with compatible clinical signs.”
The number of New Zealand HIV cases previously diagnosed overseas has increased from 34 in 2016 to 61 in 2020.
Some are New Zealanders and their partners returning home, while others are long-term visitors.
“It is important for these people to be engaged in care and treatment to ensure good health outcomes and prevent further HIV transmission locally,” McAllister said.
