Pre-exposure HIV drug could halve transmission rates in Australia: experts

Australian health experts are advocating for wider availability of a pre-exposure HIV drug which they say could halve transmission rates in Australia if listed by regulators.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), an antiretroviral pill taken daily by people who are HIV negative, can only be imported for personal use or prescribed by small amount of Australian doctors.

A study on HIV transmission rates shows PrEP is a very effective HIV-prevention tool, University of New South Wales researcher Dr Iryna Zablotska-Manos told local media on Wednesday.

"In the first year of taking the medication, if it is accessible to high-risk gay and homosexually identifying men, about 50 percent of the infections in this population could be averted."

Advocates say the drug should not be viewed as a preventative measure for HIV, but as another option of "taking care of yourself. "

"We don't expect all women of child-bearing age to use condoms if they don't want to be pregnant," Australian Federation of Aids Organisations President Dr Bridget Haire said.

"We expect them to use whatever method is the safest and most convenient for them as organised with their doctor. We need those kinds of options around HIV."

The use of condoms will remain the primary source of HIV prevention, Haire said.

Figures released earlier this week show the number of Australians contracting HIV has stabilised - 1,081 new cases in 2014 - with homosexual men accounting for 70 percent.

The issue is expected to be discussed at the Australian HIV conference in Brisbane starting on Wednesday. Endi