6 Cairns businessmen contract HIV in PNG

Health authorities say a cluster of Cairns men has contracted HIV after having unprotected sex with women in Papua New Guinea.

The Cairns Sexual Health Service says six men - all businessmen aged between 47 and 66 - have tested HIV positive in the past 10 months.

Dr Darren Russell says it is a worrying new trend.

He says unlike in previous cases, all the men are believed to be heterosexual.

Dr Russell says three of the businessmen have female partners in Cairns but none of the women have contracted the disease.

"We're fairly confident that with these men there hasn't been any ongoing transmission of the HIV to other women in Cairns," he said.

"What we are concerned about though is that there might be other men out there who haven't been tested for HIV and aren't aware they have HIV."