A 10-year survey of injecting drug users who used needle and syringe programs nationwide has found that just two per cent tested HIV-positive.
However the study, presented at the International AIDS Society (IAS) conference in Sydney on Monday, showed that those most likely to be infected were gay men who injected methamphetamines.
Dr Carolyn Day, of the National Centre for HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research, told the congress the gay community was most at risk because they had higher rates of both HIV infection and use of injected stimulant drugs.
"The HIV epidemic is (within the homosexual community) in Australia and we know that," Dr Day said.
"I wouldn't say that meth use is higher in that population at all but it is more likely to perhaps be used recreationally."
She said the HIV epidemic in Australia was associated with male-to-male sexual contact and risky behaviours such as taking methamphetamines.
Changes to Australian drug trends also meant HIV-positive injecting drug users were more likely to be using methamphetamine than heroin, Dr Day said.
"(There have been) changes to the drug market," she said.
"We know that there's been a big decrease in use of heroin and fairly significant increases in the use of methamphetamine."
But the overall prevalence of HIV among injecting drug users in Australia remained low due to the success of national needle and syringe programs, which monitored the prevalence of HIV and risk behaviours of injecting drug users in Australia.
The programs also succeeded in highlighting the dangers of sharing needles and unprotected sex, she said.
The survey concluded that the prevalence of HIV among injecting drug users mirrors that of the broader Australian population.
