By Tony Field
A new study has found one in five gay or bisexual men with HIV in Auckland do not know they have the disease.
The study was based on saliva samples taken from just over 1,000 anonymous bisexual or gay men at events including last year's Big Gay Out, and found one in 15 participants tested positive for HIV. The research also found an increase in the rate of HIV infection among gay men.
Of those who tested positive, one in five did not know they were HIV positive, something AIDS Foundation executive director Shaun Robinson says is disturbing.
“Even one person who has HIV and isn’t aware of it is a problem,” he says.
Over half of those who tested positive but did not know they had HIV had the disease despite having an HIV test in the previous 12 months.
“It reminds us that even if someone has tested negative in the past and tells you they are negative they may have become infected since then, placing themselves and others at risk,” says Peter Saxton of the University of Otago.
The organisation Body Positive helps people living with HIV and says some people are reluctant to be tested because of the stigma that still surrounds the disease.
“Making it easier for people to be tested and combating the stigma and discrimination around that is important work to be done,” says Body Positive CEO Bruce Kilmister.
His organisation offers a free, rapid HIV test.
The test is simple and quick, a finger prick, a drop of blood and 60 seconds later the result.
The AIDS foundation also offers a free rapid HIV test.
However, the test is not available through GPs.
“If someone has the courage to come in for a test, they don’t want to have to wait for a week before they go back for the results,” says Body Positive’s Bruce Kilmister.
The two organisations say testing is only part of it though: safe sex is the ultimate prevention.
“It’s about every time using a condom, whether you are in a long-term relationship and only have one partner or whether you are single and have multiple partners. Absolutely there are no exceptions,” says Mr Robinson.
The AIDS Foundation gives away half a million free condom packs each year - and will be promoting the safe sex message at this month's Big Gay Out.
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