Serosorting still a risk

As community health experts laud the nine percent decline in new HIV notifications among NSW gay men, a recent study suggests some personal strategies gay men use to protect themselves provide no safety at all.

By tracking HIV gene sequences a Canadian study published this month found almost half of all new infections were transmitted from recently infected undiagnosed individuals.

Nick Corrigan, director of community health at ACON, found those results concerning in light of evidence of serosorting among HIV-negative gay men in Sydney.

A Sydney-based study from last year found that, although the number of people having unprotected casual sex is declining, those who did were increasingly likely to choose those of the same HIV status.

It’s an admirable strategy, and it works for positive men, but won’t protect negative men, Corrigan said.

Neg-neg serosorting is fraught because of people who are unaware of their newly infected status, and people in new relationships choosing to drop condoms before they’ve confirmed through testing.

It’s not that people are lying, but they may not know and therefore would be very infectious.

Corrigan said HIV-negative men need to be aware of the symptoms of infection.

If they’ve had unsafe sex and then they have flu-like symptoms, fevers or rashes, that might indicate they’ve picked up HIV and might be passing it on -“ nobody wants to do that.

Corrigan said people shouldn’t be complacent about the decline in new HIV notifications because the rates are still high.

ACON CEO Stevie Clayton has credited the new notifications decline in NSW to education campaigns by a number of local HIV/AIDS organisations and the contributions of GPs and research bodies.

In addition to targeting those practising ineffective risk reduction strategies, Clayton said ACON would focus on older gay men and those placed at risk due to alcohol and drug use, particularly crystal methamphetamine, or concurrent infections.