No Balloon, No Party

Local News, By Joal, 26th June, 2008

Australians are into unsafe sex, and gay-men are among the worst offenders.

A health report in The Australian yesterday confirmed that along with the rest of the Western world, Australia is seeing a drop in safe-sexual practice, and a rise in the reported cases of sexual transmitted infection. And experts are at a loss as to explain why.

David Wilson from the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research yesterday said that “It’s not only an issue in Australia” but that research has found it’s occurring all over the developed world.

“There’s no simple answer as to why this is happening because safe-sex practices continue to be promoted.”

The report included strong evidence to suggest that although the rise in STIs is a problem for the entire community, the rise is most prevalent amongst gay men.

The National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research based at St Vincent’s Hospital Darlinghurst warned in March of this year, that HIV infections were looking to rise by up to 75% over the next seven years if the use of condoms and similar safe-sexual practice didn’t begin to rise.

The centre conducts quarterly and yearly reports on its surveillance of Australia’s STI health, the most recent of which stated that 1000 new cases of HIV are reported every year. Victoria saw the greatest increase in HIV amongst gay men, with infections rising 96% between 1999 and 2006.

The Australian cited a survey that stated the proportion of unprotected anal sex with casual partners varied from city to city. Brisbane’s gay-male population was found to have the highest percentage at 23%. Sydney, Melbourne and Perth followed at 21%, with Canberra and Adelaide reporting 15% when the studied was completed in 2006.

The increase in STIs includes the most frequently reported infection chlamydia, up from 57 to 238 in every 100,000 Australians. Reports also estimate that, whether symptoms were visible or not, 80% of the population has a form of the genital warts virus.

It is recommended that all sexually active people test for STIs at least every 3 to 6 months, and more regularly if you think you engage in ‘risky’ sexual activity. While HIV infection can be avoided using PEP or post-exposure prophylaxis, there’s no guarantee that the course of medication will stop HIV infection. It must be administered within 72 hours of exposure to the virus, or ideally within 48 hours, to be effective. PEP is still considered a poor alternative to condoms and responsible sexual-safety.

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