New Zealanders are being cautioned against complacency following an increase in the number of men infected with HIV. The number of HIV cases among men who have sex with men last year was the highest since 1996, according to the AIDS Foundation. Executive Director Kevin Hague said 50 men tested positive for HIV, a rise from a stable number of about 35 over each of the previous four years. Hague said this was a cause for concern, although the numbers were still small and just a few additional cases could mean a big percentage change. HAART therapy and "the decreasing public visibility of AIDS" may lead many uninfected gay men into believing that HIV was no longer a threat, speculated Hague. He also added as the third decade of the AIDS epidemic approached, the risks associated with any one occasion of unprotected sex had increased. "It's therefore important for people not to assume that their sexual partner is HIV-negative," said Hague.

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