World AIDS Day – ending AIDS, discrimination and stigma

World AIDS Day is an annual global event on December 1.

The national 2023 World AIDS Day theme for Australia is ‘Inclusion. Respect. Equity.’ The day aims to:

• raise awareness of the HIV/AIDS epidemic
• educate people about HIV and how it’s transmitted
• support people living with HIV/AIDS to be free from discrimination and stigma.

Globally, there's around 39 million people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), the virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).¹

And tens of millions of people have died from related causes since the 1980s.¹

What is HIV/AIDS?

HIV attacks the body’s immune system.

While some people can live for years with HIV without getting sick, others can develop AIDS when their immune system becomes so weak it can no longer fight off disease, viruses or bacteria.²

HIV is most infectious in the first few months after infection. But, because most people aren’t aware they have the virus during this time, this is when transmission is most likely.¹

HIV is passed from person to person through bodily fluids such as blood, semen and breast milk. It can be spread through unprotected vaginal and anal sex and by sharing injecting equipment. It can also be passed from a mother to her child during pregnancy and childbirth.

There’s been a lot of misinformation around how HIV spreads, which has caused those living with HIV/AIDS to face social exclusion, stigma and discrimination.

You cannot get HIV/AIDS from hugging, kissing, shaking hands, using the same toilet, or sharing food and water.

HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention

There’s no cure for HIV – once you have the virus you have it for life.

But, with proper medical care you can control the virus and live a full life.

The medications used to control and manage HIV/AIDS are called antiretroviral therapy (ART).³

ART medications lower the amount of HIV in the bloodstream and can help support the immune system and reduce the chances of spreading HIV to others.³

There are several ways to reduce or prevent the risk of HIV infection, including:

• using condoms during sex
• using sterile injecting equipment
• not sharing injecting equipment
• screening for HIV during pregnancy.^3,4

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medicine can be taken by people at higher risk of HIV – for example those whose partner is HIV positive.⁴ PrEP is a tablet taken once a day that reduces the risk of being infected if exposed to HIV by 99% (if taken correctly).⁵

Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) medicine can also be used within 72 hours after possible exposure to HIV to potentially prevent infection.⁴

Improved access to HIV testing, diagnosis, treatment and care means people who have the virus can live long and healthy lives.

The impact of the COVID pandemic on HIV services

COVID has had an impact on many health services globally, including the disruption of essential HIV testing, treatment and prevention services.⁶

Less people accessed PrEP during COVID-related lockdowns, but these numbers have since recovered with more people getting access.⁷

COVID infection is a particular risk for anyone with HIV and AIDS who is not on antiviral treatments, as their immune system is already weakened.⁶

HIV/AIDS in Australia

Australia’s response to HIV is considered best practice globally.⁸

In 2021, there were 29,460 people with HIV in Australia. Of these, an estimated 91% were diagnosed and 92% of people diagnosed were receiving HIV treatment.⁹

In 2021 the Australian Federation of AIDS Organizations (AFAO) developed Agenda 2025; a plan to eliminate HIV transmission in Australia by 2025. The plan calls for investment in prevention, testing and treatment, and a renewed campaign against the stigma associated with HIV.¹⁰

While HIV infection rates have steadily declined, certain groups continue to be disproportionately impacted by the virus – particularly men who have sex with men and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people – a HIV priority population

Over recent years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have seen a significant increase in HIV rates.

Here’s the facts:

• Between 2016 and 2019, non-Indigenous Australians had a 22% decrease in HIV transmission rates, while Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations saw a 33% increase.¹¹
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are three times as likely to be diagnosed with HIV than non-Indigenous women.¹²
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are five times more likely to get HIV from sharing drug equipment than non-Indigenous people.¹²

To understand the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities around HIV, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander HIV Awareness Week (ATSIHAW) was launched in 2019. Held on the first week of December each year to coincide with World AIDS Day, ATSHIHAW brings together communities, HIV researchers and health care professionals to raise awareness of HIV and mobilise community action to bring down HIV rates. Want to get involved? There are some great events happening, check them out on the World AIDS Day Australia website. Read more information on safer injecting practices.