NEW HIV diagnoses have spiked to the highest number in the past five years in the Hunter New England Health district.
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Of the 29 new cases last year, a third were diagnosed at a late stage, HNE sexual health clinic director Dr Nathan Ryder said.
“Unfortunately, in our region, one in three were diagnosed late,” Dr Ryder said.
“It is more common in regional and rural areas to wait quite a while before getting tested.”
He said often locals put off getting tested because they feared the result, but sometimes people failed to recognise they were at risk of contracting the virus.
Dr Ryder urged people at the risk of HIV – any person who has had unprotected sex with a new partner – to get tested ahead of HIV testing week, from June 1.
Dr Ryder said half of all new cases in our region last year were diagnosed by GPs.
“It shows people are thinking about seeing their GP for an HIV test,” Dr Ryder said.
“There is still quite a lot of stigma, but people seem to feel more comfortable to go to their GP.”
HNE population program manager Carolyn Slattery said the face of HIV was changing and the presumption it only affected gay men was outdated – a quarter of cases are heterosexual.
Ms Slattery said the stigma and fear, reminiscent of the “grim reaper” advertisements, had not caught up with medical advances.
“It is quite different now to the ’80s,” Ms Slattery said.
“Once upon a time it was a death sentence.”
Now, if HIV is diagnosed and treated early, people with HIV can live a long, healthy life like any other person.
“Unfortunately there’s still a lot of stigma in smaller communities ... it’s hard enough people coming out and saying they are homosexual, let alone that they have HIV,” Ms Slattery said.
“It’s not warranted at all, it should be looked at as another transmitted illness that we can all get.
“It can be managed, like diabetes needs to be managed, it is the same with HIV.”
She said HIV-positive people, with treatment (one tablet a day) can be in a relationship without transmitting the infection.
Around 10,500 people in NSW are living with a diagnosed HIV infection.
As people with HIV may not display symptoms, about one in 10 Australians with HIV are unaware they are infected and can unwittingly spread it.
Ms Slattery highlighted the importance of safe sex; using condoms, having annual STI checks (even if you are in a long-term relationship), and not being complacent about sexual health.
