If there's one thing Associate Professor Katherine Brown could tell people about HIV, this is it.
"We treat it the same way as diabetes now - if you get tested early and take your medication you can do whatever you need to live a fulfilled life," Prof Brown, of the Illawarra Shoalhaven Sexual Health Service in southern NSW said.
This HIV Awareness week national AIDS organisations have welcomed the news that at-home self-test kits will be available from Australian pharmacies in early 2022.
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Prof Brown said someone who is diagnosed early has a similar life expectancy to a person without HIV, and every encouragement for people at-risk to get tested early was welcome.
"We hope anyone who gets a reactive test also has the information to know it's a manageable infection now," she said.
"We've come a long way - 25 years ago in the Illawarra we always had patients in hospital, we always had people die.
"Now we rarely have people in hospital, and we have more people in the community with HIV, because they're living with it, not dying of it."
We have more people in the Illawarra with HIV, because they're living with it, not dying of it
- Associate Professor Katherine Brown
The Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations has welcomed the arrival of HIV self-tests in Australian pharmacies from mid-December as a critically important additional tool to help people know their HIV status.
The devices will retail for $25 each.
Initially, they will be available at Serafim's pharmacy at Taylor Square in Sydney and the 777 pharmacy network in WA before coming to other pharmacies in the new year.
"As we mark the start of HIV Awareness Week, this is a very welcome piece of news," said Darryl O'Donnell, CEO of AFAO.
"Testing is absolutely critical to preventing HIV transmission.
"Once people know their status they can start treatment which allows them to completely suppress the virus, preventing further transmission.
"Testing is the first step and this device gives people who wish to test the choice to do so at home.
"The Australian Government's goal is to end HIV transmission. New technologies such as HIV self-tests help power our progress."
