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DARWIN - An HIV-positive male prostitute from Canberra, who spent time in New Zealand at Christmas, has had contact with people in Australia's Northern Territory, according to health authorities.
Hector Scott, 41, was an unregistered sex worker who advertised himself as a prostitute in Canberra media throughout 2007 using the names "Adam" and "Josh".
Scott was charged in December last year and since then ACT Health officials have been sifting through a list of about 250 people who may have had contact with him to determine whether any have been infected.
An alert was issued in New Zealand after Scott flew there at Christmas, but New Zealand health authorities this week said no one had reported any contact with him.
Wendy Armstrong, manager of the NT government's Sexual Health Program, today issued a statement saying Territorians were among those on their list.
"ACT Health has contacted people who may have had sexual contact with the infected man, including people who reside in the NT," she said in a statement.
"This is a reminder for people who have casual unprotected sex that they should seek screening to ensure they are not unwillingly transmitting an infection."
Ms Armstrong said ACT Health had done "a fantastic job" trawling through ads and mobile phone numbers to speak with people that may have had contact with Scott.
She said she was not aware how many people in the Northern Territory were in question but added: "I don't think it's anything we need to be alarmist about".
Scott, from the Canberra suburb of Kingston, yesterday pleaded guilty to providing a commercial sexual service while knowing he was infected with a sexually transmitted disease.
He also had failed to register as a sex worker.
Scott has been HIV positive for about eight years, but it is unclear how long he has known about his illness or how long he has been working in the sex industry.
- AAP
