title: State of the (positive) nation: findings from the fourth national Australian HIV futures survey.
abstract: This paper characterises the health and wellbeing of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Australia. The HIV Futures 4 Survey is a self-complete anonymous questionnaire distributed through multiple sites. Data were collected on health, clinical and social variables. There were 1059 responses, approximately 8% of the estimated HIV-positive population. Respondents were aged between 18 and 92 years and 77% were homosexual men. In total, 60% reported a viral load of <500 copies/mL and 83% a CD4 count of over 250 cells/microL. A total of 44% reported another major health condition and 35% a mental health condition. A total of 71% were using antiretroviral therapy. More than half of the respondents had stopped working because of HIV and 25% were living in poverty. In conclusion, adequate planning for the future of our response to HIV/AIDS relies in no small part on our access to detailed information about how the epidemic affects those with the virus.
authors.affiliation: Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. j.grierson@latrobe.edu.au
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Grierson
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Pitts
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Thorpe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D020276:HIV Long-Term Survivors; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life