HIV notifications in migrant populations in NSW, 2003-2012
People from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds have been identified in NSW as a population at greater risk of HIV infection. This study aims to describe the epidemiology of newly diagnosed HIV infection in New South Wales residents born overseas, to inform health promotion and clinical service delivery efforts.
Methods: HIV notification data were used to compare Australian-born and overseas-born NSW residents who were newly diagnosed with HIV infection between 2003 and 2012. Notifications of people born overseas were further grouped into one of eight regions of birth. Risk factors for HIV infection and characteristics of testing history and diagnosis were examined.
Results: There were 3667 notifications of newly diagnosed HIV infections in NSW residents between 2003 and 2012. Of these, 2001 (54.6%) were Australian-born, 1349 (36.8%) were born overseas and 317 (8.6%) had an unreported country of birth. The overseas-born group were younger, with a median age of 34.1 years compared to 37.0 years in the Australian-born group. The regions of birth with the highest number of notifications were: Europe (359, 9.8%) and South-East Asia (320, 8.7%). Homosexual contact was the most commonly reported risk exposure for those born in Australia (82.4%) and those born overseas (64.6%). The median CD4+ count at diagnosis was 480 cells/µL in the Australian-born group, higher than that in the overseas-born group (391 cells/ µL).
Conclusion: Overseas-born NSW residents who are newly diagnosed with HIV infection are generally younger and more likely to present at a later stage of HIV infection than their Australian-born counterparts.
