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: Introduction: New South Wales (NSW) has one of the world's highest uptake rates of HIV pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). This uptake has been credited with sharp declines in HIV transmission, particularly among Australian‐born gay and bisexual men. Concerns have been raised around the potential for the emergence of tenofovir (TFV) and XTC (lamivudine/emtricitabine) resistance in settings of high PrEP use. Such an emergence could also increase treatment failure and associated clinical outcomes among people living with HIV (PLHIV). Despite low levels of nucleoside reverse‐transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) resistance relating to PrEP use in clinical settings, there are few published studies describing the prevalence of NRTI resistance among people newly diagnosed with HIV in a setting of high PrEP use. Methods: Using HIV antiretroviral drug resistance data linked to NSW HIV notifications records of people diagnosed from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2021 and with HIV attributed to male‐to‐male sex, we described trends in TFV and XTC resistance. Resistance was identified using the Stanford HIV Drug Resistance genotypic resistance interpretation system. To focus on transmitted drug resistance, resistance prevalence estimates were generated using sequences taken less than 3 months post‐HIV diagnosis. These estimates were stratified by timing of sequencing relative to the date of diagnosis, year of sequencing, birthplace, likely place of HIV acquisition, and stage of HIV at diagnosis. Results: Among 1119 diagnoses linked to HIV genomes sequenced less than 3 months following diagnosis, overall XTC resistance prevalence was 1.3%. Between 2015 and 2021, XTC resistance fluctuated between 0.5% to 2.9% and was 1.0% in 2021. No TFV resistance was found over the study period in any of the sequences analysed. Higher XTC resistance prevalence was observed among people with newly acquired HIV (evidence of HIV acquisition in the 12 months prior to diagnosis; 2.9%, p = 0.008). Conclusions: In this Australian setting, TFV and XTC resistance prevalence in new HIV diagnoses remained low. Our findings offer further evidence for the safe scale‐up of PrEP in high‐income settings, without jeopardizing the treatment of those living with HIV., INTRODUCTION Australia has made remarkable progress in its effort to meet the UNAIDS 2030 target of ending AIDS as a public health threat with HIV diagnoses attributed to male‐to‐male sex [...]

Introduction: Due to a lack of robust population denominators, Australia is unable to accurately monitor changes in the HIV epidemic for some populations. The ratio of HIV transmission relative to the number of people with HIV (an incidence prevalence ratio, or IPR) can measure such changes. The IPR is measured against an IPR benchmark derived from post‐HIV acquisition life expectancy, to indicate whether an HIV epidemic is shrinking or growing. Using IPRs and Australia‐specific IPR benchmarks, this study aims to describe the Australian HIV epidemic among three groups: men with HIV attributed to male‐to‐male sex, women with HIV and people with HIV attributed to injection drug use. Methods: Using mathematical modelling derived from HIV notifications, cohort and administrative data, IPRs were generated for each of the three groups. These IPRs were compared with IPR benchmarks derived from post‐HIV acquisition mortality estimates using abridged life tables for men, women and people who inject drugs. The IPR benchmark for men was applied to people with HIV attributed to male‐to‐male sex. Trends in the IPR over time were described for each reported population from 2015 to 2022. Results: Overall, the IPR fell by 80%, from 0.040 (range: 0.034−0.045) in 2015 to 0.008 (range: 0.003−0.013) in 2022 and fell below the benchmark (0.022) in 2020. Among people with HIV attributed to male‐to‐male sex, the IPR fell by 85%, from 0.041 (range: 0.034−0.047) in 2015 to 0.006 (range: 0.003−0.024) in 2022 and fell below the benchmark (0.022) in 2020. Among women with HIV, the IPR fell by 56%, from 0.032 (range: 0.026−0.039) in 2015 to 0.014 (range: 0.003−0.029) in 2022 and fell below the benchmark (0.022) in 2019. Among people with HIV attributed to injection drug use, the IPR fell by 61%, from 0.036 (range: 0.022−0.047) in 2015 to 0.014 (range: 0.002−0.057) in 2022 and fell below the benchmark (0.028) in 2019. Conclusions: Australian IPRs in all populations examined have dropped below the level required to sustain the HIV epidemic at current levels. By applying this method in other contexts, the changing scale of HIV epidemics may be better described for populations lacking robust population denominators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

: Introduction: Australia has set the goal for the virtual elimination of HIV transmission by the end of 2022, yet accurate information is lacking on the level of HIV transmission occurring among residents. We developed a method for estimating the timing of HIV acquisition among migrants, relative to their arrival in Australia. We then applied this method to surveillance data from the Australian National HIV Registry with the aim of ascertaining the level of HIV transmission among migrants to Australia occurring before and after migration, and to inform appropriate local public health interventions. Methods: We developed an algorithm incorporating CD4[sup.+] T‐cell decline back‐projection and enhanced variables (clinical presentation, past HIV testing history and clinician estimate of the place of HIV acquisition) and compared it to a standard algorithm which uses CD4[sup.+] T‐cell back‐projection only. We applied both algorithms to all new HIV diagnoses among migrants to estimate whether HIV infection occurred before or after arrival in Australia. Results: Between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2020, 1909 migrants were newly diagnosed with HIV in Australia, 85% were men, and the median age was 33 years. Using the enhanced algorithm, 932 (49%) were estimated to have acquired HIV after arrival in Australia, 629 (33%) before arrival (from overseas), 250 (13%) close to arrival and 98 (5%) were unable to be classified. Using the standard algorithm, 622 (33%) were estimated to have acquired HIV in Australia, 472 (25%) before arrival, 321 (17%) close to arrival and 494 (26%) were unable to be classified. Conclusions: Using our algorithm, close to half of migrants diagnosed with HIV were estimated to have acquired HIV after arrival in Australia, highlighting the need for tailored culturally appropriate testing and prevention programmes to limit HIV transmission and achieve elimination targets. Our method reduced the proportion of HIV cases unable to be classified and can be adopted in other countries with similar HIV surveillance protocols, to inform epidemiology and elimination efforts., INTRODUCTION UNAIDS has set the ambitious target to eliminate the global transmission of HIV by 2030 [1] and Australia is aiming for “virtual elimination” by the end of 2022 [2]. [...]