Gay men are less likely to have HIV tests now than in 2000, according to a survey assessing sexual health experiences and attitudes of gay men in Ireland.
Details of the survey, conducted in 2003 and 2004, were released yesterday at the fourth annual All Ireland Gay Health Forum, a body administered and funded by the HSE.
More than 2,000 men took part in the survey, with 46.5 per cent reporting having had an HIV test. In a similar survey in 2000 that figure was 69.9 per cent.
The survey, Real Lives, also reports that men under 20 are the least likely to have an HIV test, while those in their 30s and 40s were most likely to do so.
Gay Men's Health project co-ordinator Mick Quinlan said the results highlighted the need for sustained outreach and education programmes, and also the need to extend those programmes to all sections of the community.