PORT Macquarie’s Glasshouse glowed red for World AIDS Day from last Friday through to Sunday as part of Mid North Coast activities to raise community awareness about HIV.
North Coast HIV and Related Programs (HARP) partnered with North Coast Medicare Local, ACON Port Macquarie and a number of regional organisations to promote the World AIDS Day 2013 New South Wales theme: Ending HIV.
HARP manager Jenny Heslop said it had been more than 30 years since the first diagnosed case of HIV in NSW and we were getting closer to achieving the goal of ending the spread of HIV.
“Through the remarkable advances in testing and treatment and continued promotion of safe behaviour we now have the means to achieve the goal,” she said.
“Everything has changed; we now have the means to virtually eliminate the transmission of HIV by 2020.
“NSW has a strong track record of achievement in preventing the spread of HIV. However, the 2012 data shows a concerning rise in HIV notifications in NSW, with 409 new diagnoses in NSW residents, compared with 330 in 2011.
“We are reminded that HIV affects people of all ages, genders and cultures; with 14 per cent of notifications in 2012 from heterosexual contact. Currently, up to 15,000 people are estimated to be living with the virus in NSW.”
Mid North Coast local health district chief executive Stewart Dowrick said prevention was still the key to minimising the impact of HIV.
“The most effective way for people to protect themselves and their sexual partners in reducing the spread of HIV is to consistently use condoms and have regular HIV and STI testing,” he said.
“It is important to remember there is still no cure for HIV, therefore it is each and every individual’s responsibility to ensure that they are aware of the risks and change any unsafe behaviour accordingly.”
World AIDS Day was last Sunday, when Australians were asked to show their support for those living with HIV by wearing a red ribbon.
