New diagnoses of HIV among gay and bisexual men in NSW have nearly halved over the past five years.
NSW Health says the number of new cases in Australian-born men dropped by 48 per cent in the first three months of 2018 compared to the average for the same period in the previous five years.
The department released the data to encourage more people to check their status during HIV Testing Week, which began on Friday.
The state's chief health officer Kerry Chant attributed the promising change to more testing, a high uptake of treatment for people with HIV, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and condom use.
Nearly 70 per cent of men diagnosed in the first quarter of 2018 had their last test more than a year ago, she added.
"Small numbers of HIV notifications through heterosexual contact still persist in NSW," Dr Chant said in a statement.
"Of the people diagnosed in NSW in January to March 2018, 15 per cent likely acquired their infection through heterosexual sex."
The results covered a period before PrEP was listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme from April 1, which dropped the price of the anti-HIV medication to $39.50 a month for general patients and $6.40 for concession holders.
PrEP is 99 per cent effective in preventing the transmission of HIV among gay and bisexual men. Prior to the PBS listing, it cost $2500 a year.
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