Annual report for HIV infections in Australia - a clear message to get tested

Some interesting stuff here. Good and bad news, depending on treatment. First from the Positive Life email:

The report showed that among the estimated 88% of people with HIV in Australia who were diagnosed at the end of 2014, an estimated 73% were receiving treatment with antiretroviral therapy.

The report also showed therapy is controlling the infection through the achievement of ‘viral suppression’ in 92% of people receiving it.

“These figures compare well to the United Nations targets of 90% of all people with diagnosed HIV receiving sustained antiretroviral therapy, and 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy achieving viral suppression by 2020,” PLNSW CEO Craig Cooper said.

“We know starting combination antiretroviral therapy immediately after diagnosis provides the best possible long term health outcomes for people living with HIV. We also know achieving and maintaining viral suppression prevents the onward transmission of HIV.

The availability of HIV medications through local chemists in Australia will help increase the number of people being treated. 

This however from The Kirby Institute who released the report:

“Over a quarter of the people diagnosed with HIV in Australia last year already had substantial damage to their immune system, indicating they had likely contracted their infection a number of years ago,” said Associate Professor Rebecca Guy, Head of the Surveillance Evaluation and Research Program at the Kirby Institute.“Every year that a person delays being diagnosed is a year that they miss out on treatment to help maintain healthy immune function, and a year that they are at higher risk of passing on the virus to their sexual partners. If we’re going to end HIV, we will need to maintain and strengthen the established strategies of testing, treatment and prevention, as well as increasing the use of new technologies such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent infection.” more

The message is clear. If you're at risk or think you may have been exposed to HIV, get tested as soon as possible and get on treatment. Not just to save your own immune system but to avoid infecting other people around you. 

My point is it's not just about you, it's about the community you live in as well. How would you feel if you found out you'd infected someone with HIV when a rapid HIV test and treatment would have very likely avoided it.