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A Special 21st birthday! … and a warning - July 2003

Today as Australia's HIV infections continue to climb significantly in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, we call on Federal and State governments to produce an HIV/AIDS awareness message to be directed at the whole population through the mass media.

Presently there's no message at all for the general population and what there is within the gay community is proving virtually worthless. It's not complacency that's to blame, it's sheer half-heartedness.

As was said in the final days of Eve's life, she did more for AIDS education in Australia than any ill-thought out Grim Reaper campaign. We are not seeking its return, but there does need to be a new and vital message for all.

Please don't let Eve's memorable struggle go to waste.

The nation's latest cumulative figures up to September, 2002, reveal:

HIV Infected ... 22,305
AIDS case ... 9,918
Deaths ... 6,202

Australia-wide, the figures show 13,090 people living with HIV/AIDS ... 10,370 living with HIV alone.

Nationwide, there are 14 children (under the age of 13) living with AIDS; and 142 living with HIV.

A total of 1,135 women are living with HIV.

The Australian AIDS Fund does not believe that the official figures tell the real story of HIV infection in Australia.

How could they when no one knows how many of the nation's 20 million people are infected and who themselves don't know it?

No one's inviting the heterosexual community to have themselves tested for HIV.

The whole focus of prevention is presently limited to the gay community; the overwhelming number of reported infections involve homosexual men; and those infections are on a continuing upward surge.