The end of AIDS …but not HIV

[GeminiParticipant]

Hi 

Anyone seen this article in the news today?
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-10/the-ends-of-aids-as-a-public-health-issue-in-australia/7580852

Their point is that it is (almost) “the end of AIDS”  in Australia these days due to excellent treatments and very few people dying from AIDS in Australia anymore – which is obviously amazing! However it is a slightly misleading headline, as there is still HIV in Australia which is most definitely a public health issue …hopefully people won’t misunderstand the difference between HIV and AIDS. Lots of comments on the Facebook post for the article about this, as you can imagine!

More info on HIV and AIDS here: https://playsafe.health.nsw.gov.au/sti/hiv-aids

[MsBlueStreakParticipant]

I saw that on the Sydney Morning Herald last night – did a little dance of happy (for our medical progress) and then wondered just how badly the television media were going to screw up their coverage/discussion of the topic.

I’m expecting at least one breakfast show to completely misunderstand that HIV and AIDS are not the same thing – and spread some really bad STI misinformation.

[MsBlueStreakParticipant]

Also relevant for anyone whose interested, NSW is running a PrEP trial: 

http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/gamechanging-hiv-drug-trial-makes-gay-icon-of-health-minister-jillian-skinner-20160522-gp0xbx.html

[Author]

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