There are relatively low rates of HIV among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia. This can be attributed to the prevention work done by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in their communities, and to the development of dedicated sexual health worker and nursing roles in communities, under an inclusive policy and partnership approach (8). 

Between 2012 and 2016, the HIV notification rate among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples increased from 4.9 to 6.5 per 100 000, declined to 3.3 per 100 000 in 2019, and then declined further to 2.3 per 100 000 in 2021. By comparison, in 2021, the HIV notification rate was 2.2 per 100 000 among the non‑Indigenous population. Trends in HIV notification rates in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population are based on small numbers and may reflect localised occurrences rather than national patterns (9). 

Transmission modes differ, with higher rates of HIV among women, people who inject drugs and heterosexuals within indigenous populations (10,11).