WAGGA will unite with cities and countries around the globe to bring the spotlight on the fight against HIV on World AIDS Day.
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On Monday December 1, communities around the world will raise awareness about the issues surrounding HIV and AIDS, show support for people living with HIV and commemorate people who have died.
According to World Health Organisation data, there were 35 million people worldwide are living with HIV/AIDS in 2013.
While the vast majority of people living with HIV are in low and middle income countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1,236 people were diagnosed with HIV in Australia in 2013.
To highlight World AIDS Day on a local level and promote awareness of HIV testing and prevention, the Murrumbidgee Local Health District is preparing to host three events in the city.
HIV and Related Programs (HARP) manager Alison Nikitas said this year’s World AIDS Day theme for NSW is ‘Ending HIV’, which focuses on the three key areas of Testing More, Treating Early and Prevention.
“Preventing HIV is still as important as ever,” she said.
“Around 10,500 people in NSW are living with diagnosed HIV infection, but around 10 percent of people with HIV in NSW may be unaware they are infected.
“We are committed to changing this statistic.
“To end HIV, more people need to get tested more often.
“The earlier people know their status, the better their outlook.”
Local sexual health clinics, drop-in clinics, tests at GP clinics and faster and easier ways to get HIV test results are all part of a new era in HIV testing in NSW.
The most effective way for people to protect themselves and their partners in reducing the spread of HIV is to consistently use condoms with sex partners and have regular HIV and STI tests.
HIV can affect people of all ages, genders, races and cultures.
In addition to gay men, heterosexual people at risk of HIV should be tested, especially people from countries with high rates of HIV, or who have had unprotected sex with a person at high risk of HIV.
“Increasing HIV testing rates is vital, as many people who have not been tested recently do not know they are HIV positive, and are possibly transmitting HIV to others,” she said.
“Through the remarkable advances in testing and treatment and continued promotion of safe behaviour we now have the means to achieve the goal of ending HIV.”
The Murrumbidgee Local Health District are inviting the local community to visit the Wollundry Lagoon Precinct to see the Mayor’s Tree in Red – the universal colour of awareness of HIV – until Monday, December 1.
Residents also had the opportunity to support the Twilight Remembrance Vigil in the Wagga Botanic Gardens on Tuesday night.