Aussie govt considers anti-HIV campaign

CANBERRA, Australia, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- The Australian government is considering a $7.7 million sexual health campaign to combat a rise in HIV infections.

Health Minister Tony Abbott says the campaign would target the general community but be specifically designed to include gay men.

Latest figures on the number of new HIV infections in Australia show a 41 percent increase in the years between 2000 and 2005.

Abbott told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. the country has "been regarded as a world leader at arresting the spread of HIV/AIDS and the last thing we want to do is put that at risk."

Australian Federation of AIDS Organizations spokesman Donald Baxter says the gay community should be targeted through mainstream media.

"I think one of the missing parts of our response (to HIV/AIDS) is social marketing ... as the lives of gay men and lesbians have become more mainstream in the last 10 or 15 years, we need to be putting HIV messages to the gay community on mainstream media."