Call to Boost Sexual Health Education

19th October 2006

The Queensland Association for Healthy Communities (QAHC) is calling on the Queensland government to release additional funds to prevent the transmission of HIV and sexually transmitted infections.

Figures released by the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research show that Queensland has experienced a 48% increase in newly acquired HIV infection from 2001 to 2005, the highest increase in the country.

The rises in HIV diagnoses and newly acquired HIV are likely to be caused by a range of reasons including:

• people using condoms less with both regular and casual partners
• an increase in sexually transmitted infections which makes it easier for HIV to be passed on or picked up
• more people with recent HIV infection, who have high levels of HIV making it more easy to pass on (but who may not know they have it)

“Queensland has a sound HIV strategy and quality services that are working together to help prevent HIV,” said general manager Paul Martin. “However the funding available to us is not enough to get the job done. The size of Queensland’s response does not match the size of the need.”

QAHC notes the recent announcement by the Victorian Government of a $2.7million increase in funds over 2 years to fight HIV increases. This follows increased investment in NSW of several millions over the past years, including a recurrent yearly increase of $400,000 to the AIDS Council of NSW. This financial year QAHC received an increase of only $50,000 for HIV prevention.

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