Victoria to experience spike in HIV cases

Predictions of a sharp increase in HIV infections in Victoria over the next 7 years have been blamed on falling condom use.

A study by the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology says Victoria's HIV infection rate is likely to rise by 73% by 2015, a substantial increase in comparison with all other areas in Australia.

A 20% rise is predicted for Queensland but the infection rate in New South Wales is predicted to fall slightly.

Researcher Dr David Wilson says reduced condom usage and a rise in other sexually transmitted diseases is expected to contribute to the increase.

"If somebody's HIV positive and have another infection such as syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia, herpes, then they are 200 to 500 per cent more likely to transmit HIV to a susceptible person," he said.

The Director of the Infectious Diseases Unit at the Alfred Hospital Professor Sharon Lewin agrees there is a growing complacency about safe sex.

"We do know that there's less condom use and also increasing numbers of other sexually transmitted infections, particularly syphilis, " she said.

"Other sexually transmitted infections sort of fuel transmission of HIV as well, so we really need to target those infections too."