Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this issue. HIV and AIDS are back in the news for all the wrong reasons. Recently, the HIV in Ireland 2012 Report was published by the HSE's Health Protection Surveillance Centre, HPSC. It indicates a worrying trend in the incidence of HIV that needs to be tackled as a matter of urgency in a concentrated, joined-up way by all of the relevant agencies and non-governmental organisations, NGOs.

In 2012, 341 people were newly diagnosed with HIV, an increase of 7% on 2011, with a crude notification rate of 7.4 per 100,000 of population, 30% higher than the EU-EEA rate of 5.7 per 100,000 population. These trends and statistics are worrying in themselves, but when one analyses them more closely, they highlight an urgent need for action.

Undoubtedly, gay and bisexual men are most likely to acquire HIV. The diagnosis rate in this group increased by 160% between 2005 and 2012, representing 48% of all new HIV cases. This is a key point. The remaining cohort of 52% are not in this category.

Along with an increase in the overall number of diagnoses, the median age for newly diagnosed cases in the group in question has fallen to 32 years, one year younger than the median age for all those newly diagnosed with HIV. This indicates a reluctance among some young men to engage in safe sex practices and, more importantly, to consider greater health challenges. Another significant worry is that gay and bisexual men represent an increasing proportion of diagnosed cases. We must communicate the message to young men in particular that HIV and AIDS remain a risk and can have a catastrophic effect on life. Many people are under the illusion that HIV will no longer kill them and, as a result, do not think sensibly and engage in practices that are less than beneficial to their overall health and welfare.

It is not just gay and bisexual men who are affected by these increasing rates. In 2012, there was a 12% increase in the number of heterosexual cases, from 116 to 130. The lack of awareness and testing leads to late diagnoses. In 10% of cases of people diagnosed with an AIDS defining illness, HIV was diagnosed at the same time. Of these 34 cases, 56% were heterosexual. This is a significant number.

The HPSC's report indicates that the current policy does not reduce the incidence of HIV cases and that there is a need to increase awareness of HIV and sexual health. It is important that we praise and acknowledge the work of the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network, GLEN, particularly its director of gay HIV strategies, Mr. Tiernan Brady.

While there is no cure for HIV, advanced medical treatments, including combination therapies, can improve a person's quality of life vastly and slow down the progression of the virus, preventing it from continuing to damage the immune system. Although we have moved away from the devastating consequences of the 1980s, serious repercussions for the health of all men remain. As a society, we cannot afford to let an increase in incidence rates continue without the Government taking measures to counteract it.

To address these issues, we must increase awareness, enact a Government strategy involving the Department of Health and NGOs, communicate a message on how infection can be avoided and, more importantly, make young men aware of the risks associated with their actions so that they can be informed when making decisions about protecting themselves.

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