HIV tests offered as part of AIDS Awareness Week

Dubbo Community Health Centre Sexual Health Service offers free HIV tests at their Brisbane Street facility. 

Western NSW Local Health District HIV-related programs manager Ann Ryan said the target was to eliminate HIV transmission in NSW by 2020, but while the number of people recently infected with the disease had dropped, the number of sufferers who had been infected for some time before seeking a test was rising.

One in five patients are heterosexual.

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Ms Ryan said some were afraid of the test result.

“You’ve also got people who come from overseas, particularly some of the Asian countries, who might not practise safe sex in the way we do,” she said.

“A portion of men who have sex with men don’t identify with the gay scene, so if they have sex with men and come home to a female partner, they could be passing on those sexually-transmitted infections.

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“But being diagnosed means you can get treatment and not get other HIV-related illnesses.”

Ms Ryan said detection was also critical so patients’ viral loads were brought to a level where they could not pass it on, but there were also discreet ways to be tested.

“You can go online and order a test, take a finger prick, get a blood spot and get it tested for HIV,” she said.She also said antiretroviral medication was now available on the pharmaceutical benefits scheme to HIV negative people at risk of coming into contact with the virus.

“It’s exciting – it’s made it easier for people to get access,” she said.

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