HIV diagnoses drop 25% in a decade, but gaps remain between communities
HIV diagnoses fell 25 per cent in a decade, but progress has stalled for women and First Nations peoples.
Australia has achieved a major HIV health win, with diagnoses falling 25 per cent over the past decade. Among men, the decline reached 28 per cent, driven by high rates of testing, treatment and the use of PrEP (a preventive medicine).
Currently, 94 per cent of people living with HIV in Australia have been diagnosed, 95 per cent of those are on treatment, and 98 per cent of those treated have the virus suppressed to undetectable levels.
Australia is expected to achieve the preliminary UNAIDS targets. But progress is uneven.
Among women, HIV diagnoses have not changed in nine years. First Nations peoples now face the highest notification rate at 3.9 per 100,000 people, nearly double the rate for Australian-born non-Indigenous people.
Gay and bisexual men born overseas showed only an 18 per cent reduction in diagnoses compared to 48 per cent for Australian-born men.
- 25 per cent over past decade
- Overall decline
- 28 per cent from 2016 to 2025
- Male decline
- 3.9 per 100,000 people
- First Nations notification rate
- 98 per cent
- Treated people with suppressed virus
Why it mattersUneven progress means some Australians miss out on prevention and treatment, leaving pockets of the community at ongoing risk.
AustraliaAustralia is winning the HIV battle overall, but First Nations peoples and women need targeted prevention and testing programs to share in the gains.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 9 d ago
