AAC Newsletter Oct - Dec 2012

Issue October - December 2012

"Now, with the progress we are making together, we can look ahead to a historic goal: creating an AIDS-free generation".

Hillary Rodham Clinton / July 23, 2012 2012 International AIDS Conference, Washington DC

Your input is being sought to help improve

two ways you can get involved:

1.

ageing

Come along to a consultation, which are being held in each state and territory.

Visit www.lgbtihealth.org.au/ageing for the details of each consultation.

For the ACT, the consultation will be: Canberra – The Griffin Centre 20 Genge Street, Canberra ACT 2601 26 October from 9am – 1:30pm (light lunch will be provided) Bookings are essential so please RSVP to Steven Kennedy E: ageing@lgbtihealth.org.au T: (02) 8568 1110.

The draft LGBTI Ageing and ✔ An LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex) person Aged Care Strategy document will be made available to you prior to the ✔ The carer, family member or friend of an older LGBTI person ✔ A worker from an LGBTI community organisation or an aged care service provider consultations and will also be made available on the website. ✔ An academic, policy maker or government employee with an interest in

& aged care

for LGBTI people.

If you are:

LGBTI ageing and aged care

then we want to hear from you!

The Australian Government is currently reforming the aged care sector.

For the first time, the unique concerns and challenges faced by older LGBTI people are being recognised and the Government is developing a national LGBTI Ageing and Aged Care Strategy to help ensure that the needs of older LGBTI people are met.

The Department of Health and Ageing has contracted the National LGBTI Health Alliance to hold broad public consultations throughout the country to feed into this Strategy, to ensure that your voice is heard during this process. This presents an exciting opportunity to express your thoughts on LGBTI ageing, aged care and to influence future government policy in the area.

2.

Email Steven Kennedy at E: ageing@lgbtihealth.org.au to obtain a copy of the Draft Strategy so that you can provide written feedback to the Alliance.

For further information visit www.lgbtihealth.org.au/ageing contact Steven Kennedy, Project Officer (Ageing and Aged Care Strategy) E: ageing@lgbtihealth.org.au T: (02) 8568 1110 during business hours.

We want to hear from you!

Canberra - The Griffin Centre

Community Consultations:

Ageing and Aged Care for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex [LGBTI] Australians

All Welcome!

26 OCTOBER 2012 20 Genge Street 9am - 1pm (Light lunch will be provided) RSVP: Steven Kennedy (02) 8568 1110 ageing@lgbtihealth.org.au

www.lgbtihealth.org.au/ageing

DENTAL SERVICES UNDER MEDICARE FOR PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC AND COMPLEX CONDITIONS

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Crystal Balls During the 5 fantastic years I spent at the AIDS Action Council, I may (!) have occasionally made reference to the enormous changes we have witnessed over the last decade in the circumstances surrounding HIV and its impact. My purpose was to highlight the difficulties for an organisation in not merely keeping up with these changes, but being in a position to anticipate and prepare for them.

Australia has one of the most intense and comprehensive systems of both epidemiological and social research in the world. We are able to access a wealth of information to inform our work in either minimising transmission of HIV or the social and personal impacts. For the sector and partnership to really be able to confidently ensure that future needs are accommodated, we need to be able to predict the future and this is often done with mathematical modelling.

This can tell us a number of things. We know that there will continue to be new diagnoses somewhere close to the current rate and that the population of people living with HIV will therefore continue to increase. We know too that after almost 20 years of some treatment and 17 years of highly effective treatment the average age of those living with HIV will also rise in line with general population ageing. This means that we can develop a reasonably clear demographic picture of the HIV positive population as it will look in 5 or 10 years time.

Other things are much harder to predict, and perhaps the hardest of all to understand is what it will be like to be living with HIV in 5, 10 or 15 years time.

This was brought home to me recently when a close friend tested positive for HIV. I had the privilege of being with him through many of the steps of his journey including his receiving the results of the confirmatory test and the discussion of treatment options. Perhaps the most moving thing for me was to be with him when he took his medication for the first time in what may well be a lifetime of doing so. Now at 30 years of age this may mean treatment for 50 or more years. Or will it?

5 years ago this is exactly what I would have expected. 10 years ago I would have expected a lifetime of treatment, some reduction in longevity, probable side effects and eventual

comorbidities or other complications. Today I’m not sure that I think any of these things. My friend was ‘lucky’ to have been diagnosed and commencing treatment within only a few weeks of acquiring the virus. The evidence suggests that for him, the physical or medical impact is likely to be so minimal that we can consider it to be zero. Already there is some evidence that robust treatment early after infection can produce a sustained viral suppression even if treatment is discontinued. No doubt this will be an area of further study leading to possible increased treatment choices for those more recently diagnosed. It is also likely that sometime over the next decade or two our understanding of the complexities of this virus will be that people living with HIV, permanent viral suppression can be achieved. This might be for some the elusive “cure”.

Also known as the Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) dental scheme The EPC Dental scheme is now closed – if you have been undertaking any dental work within this scheme you have until the end of November to complete it all. No further claims to Medicare will be paid as of the 1 December 2012.

Any amount of the $4250 limit that you have remaining can be used before this date.

Discuss your options now with your GP and Dental provider.

For specific questions, please contact the Department of Human Services (which administers the Medicare program) on 132 011 (patients) Marcus or Nada at the AAC on 02 6257 2855

Whether this is really likely is not known, but some things haven’t changed for my friend.

The shock of the diagnosis, the loss of esteem, feeling permanently undesirable and becoming an outsider were his first reactions as they are with so many in his situation. This uncertainty about what HIV is going to mean to him is not mitigated in the short term by probable future advances in treatment regimens. I hope over time that it will.

There is undoubtedly a new reality for people who get a positive HIV test result today and it is a much better one. Perhaps I think we don’t reflect this enough when we talk about HIV and we are allowing fear to continue to inhibit some from taking a test, even when they know that they are or have been exposed to risk.

If a week is a long time in politics then 5 years can seem like a lifetime in our response to HIV and AIDS. 5 years ago I had no idea what today would look like but I’m pleased with how it is starting to look, particularly for my friend. www.aidsaction.org.au Oct 2012- Dec 2012 | 3

‘Awesome’ Anti-homophobia Campaign

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The AIDS Action Council has seen a renewed push to develop local campaigns over the last few years.

Below is an update on some of the campaigns that we have been working on over the first quarter of the 2012-13 financial year as well as some that will be coming up over the next 3-6 months.

The AAC has been working with the ACT Education Directorate since January of this year to have a comprehensive rollout of the Council’s already wellreceived ‘Awesome’ anti-homophobia campaign.

In mid September the materials were finally sent to every public high school and college in the ACT, this is the most comprehensive presence that the AAC has had directly with schools in many years.

The ‘Awesome’ campaign was first launched at IDAHO (International Day against Homophobia) in 2011 at an anti-homophobia forum run by the Education Directorate. Because of the encouraging feedback from schools, students and BitBent as well as then Education Minister Andrew Barr MLA, we decided to take a bolder approach to the campaign.

Late 2011 again saw us connecting with the Education Directorate and our first meetings were held in January of this year. It was quickly established that as the campaign was not framed around sexual behaviour but instead bullying it was possible to have the campaign materials distributed throughout ACT public high schools and colleges.

Getting into the non-government schools would be more difficult.

Working with the Directorate has been fantastic. We sometimes lament that in the ACT we don’t have some of the programs that we see in jurisdictions such as Victoria who have incredibly progressive GLBTI support documents, funding and services in health, community services and education. Yet while the process was often stop-start because of the need to prioritise other projects, whenever we were in a position to reengage with the Directorate we were always very well supported and encouraged to pursue this campaign.

I ♥ Sex, I ♥ Condoms 3 and 4 The 3rd phase of I ♥ Sex, I ♥ Condoms was launched at the 2011 SpringOUT Fairday and continued on until March 2012 wrapping up shortly after the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. The campaign was assessed using an online survey that was based on the phase 2 survey which was developed with the assistance of AFAO (Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations) and allowed us to look at the longitudinal attitudes towards the campaign. Nearly 80 guys from the ACT and surrounding region filled in the survey. The results have been largely positive and consistent over the 3 years of implementation.

I ♥ Sex, I ♥ Condoms 3 continued to use the key physical elements of the two previous phases: • •

• aidsaction.org.au

•

•

High profile peers ‘talking’ to other gay men with the use of easily understood quotes Appealing to a variety of gay men across a variety of ages, physical types, cultural backgrounds and gay-community connections Simple black and white imagery with the condoms highlighted Distribution of materials restricted to community settings (including online and print) Corresponding condom packets

New elements for this campaign included • • •

4 | Oct 2012- Dec 2012 www.aidsaction.org.au

Even with the support of the Directorate there was concern that the campaign would be buried or ignored by schools if the people receiving the campaign did not agree with the need for it. Likewise, it would be a lost opportunity to see the poster only put up in the Counsellor’s waiting room only to be seen by young people who were accessing support.

To ensure there was support behind the campaign the Directorate asked the Council to provide an evidence based letter to principals that outlined the purpose of the campaign and the resources attached to it. Once all the resources and materials had been signed off they were sent out for distribution to high schools and colleges.

Overtly sexual (but not explicit) imagery Direct (explicit) language that is culturally and contextually appropriate Condom boxes with 6x condoms and 1x 30ml tubes of lubricant

The fourth phase of the campaign will be launched at SpringOUT Fairday 2012 with this campaign including two very distinct changes to the previous iterations. The first is the visual aspect of the campaign. Moving from a negative space punctuated with a recognisable member of the community and the highlighted condom, we are refocusing the campaign on the context. For over three years we have used the models in the campaigns to ‘talk’ to the audience, it’s now time to start looking at where sex happens. So, you will still see the fluorescent condom pack but rather than cheekily tucked into the pocket or underwear waistband of the model, it will be found in stark black and white images of places you might find guys having sex. Sound interesting? All will be revealed on the 3rd of November.

The second big change this year is that we will be moving the resource focus away from posters at events and instead to online environments. We are hoping to develop a webpage specifically for this campaign, a one-stop-shop outside of the AAC website where this information is currently scattered.

The campaign will still include poster distribution but with a dwindling number of locations and events available for poster display, the opportunity for impact is reduced. It is likely that this will see the campaign sustained over a longer period including beyond Mardi Gras.

I ♥ Sex, I ♥ Condoms is now an integral part of the AAC’s safe sex messaging and we imagine it has a few more years left in it.

Annual AIDS Action Council Trivia Night Extravaganza

Events

This year we saw more than 200 people at the 4th Annual Trivia Night Extravaganza. The Council has run this event and the coinciding raffle draw to help raise money for the Westlund House Community Development Fund. This fund has been established to allow us to help support local GLBTI community development projects with small assistance grants.

Robbie McWilliams, the AIDS Action Council Communications Officer was at the helm of this year’s event and he helped generate more sponsorship than in previous years. Coming from an events management background, Robbie helped generate a sense of calm in the days leading up to the event which was slightly unnerving for those of us who are more familiar with a general sense of panic!

Johnathan Davis once again did a fantastic job as the Master of Ceremonies for the Trivia Night. With his usual joie de vivre and razor wit he maintained an enjoyable pace for the evening with the mix of laughs and questions.

Trivia, auctions, raffles and the always popular coin-toss saw the AAC raise in excess of $6,000 to put into the Westlund House Community Development Fund. Even before the dust could settle on the event we were already talking about what worked, what didn’t and what we can do to make the event better and more successful than it already is.

Thank you to all of the wonderful volunteers who helped on the night. Thank you to those who sold raffle tickets and dragged their friends along for a wonderful night.

Thanks also to our sponsors and supporters and a big thanks to everyone who gave so generously to the Westlund House Community Development Fund.

We look forward to seeing you at the 2013 AIDS Action Council Trivia Night Extravaganza!

WAD2012 – Towards an AIDS-Free Generation “Let me begin by defining what we mean by an AIDS-free generation.

It is a time when, first of all, virtually no child anywhere will be born with the virus. Secondly, as children and teenagers become adults, they will be at significantly lower risk of ever becoming infected than they would be today no matter where they are living. And third, if someone does acquire HIV, they will have access to treatment that helps prevent them from developing AIDS and passing the virus on to others.

So yes, HIV may be with us into the future until we finally achieve a cure, a vaccine, but the disease that HIV causes need not be with us.”

Hillary Rodham Clinton / July 23, 2012 2012 International AIDS Conference, Washington DC For full transcript of the speech "http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2011/11/176810.htm"

World AIDS Day (WAD) and AIDS Awareness week are once again within sight. World AIDS Day is held every year on the 1st of December and is recognised internationally by the United Nations and the UNAIDS program to reinvigorate awareness of HIV and AIDS globally. WAD differs from other days such as the International Candlelight Memorial which has as its focus remembering those we have lost to HIV and continuing the fight to ensure rights won do not become rights lost.

We know that with access to education, caring and appropriate treatments, safe sex products and sexual health testing that people can control their lives and their health. People living with HIV are not looking at a preordained future ending with an AIDS diagnosis. The rates of people progressing on to AIDS have dropped in most developed countries with mortality being even lower. Unfortunately in developing countries, access to treatment is still difficult but we are seeing reductions in AIDS related deaths as treatments become available.

WAD has been internationally recognised since 1988 and many At the AIDS Action Council we know that we can have an AIDS-free generation. governments use the day to make announcements about new To mark World AIDS Day 2012, the AIDS Action Council of the ACT will initiatives or commitments to the fight against HIV. This year in the ACT be hosting our annual free World AIDS Day Community Breakfast here at we are calling for a commitment ‘towards an AIDS free generation’.

Westlund House on Friday November 30.

This theme is directly inspired by United States Secretary of State, There will also be a screening of the documentary All the Way Through Evening Hillary Rodham Clinton’s speech to the 2012 International AIDS

by Melbourne film maker Rohan Sprong at the Dendy Cinema with proceeds Conference in Washington, USA where she declared that it was from the December 1 screening being donated to the AIDS Action Council. indeed possible with the resources available to have an AIDS-free generation. This lofty goal should not be confused with an HIV-free generation as much as we would like to have that as well. www.aidsaction.org.au Oct 2012- Dec 2012 | 5

SpringOUT Fairday 2012 SpringOut Fairday is the largest and highest profile LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans* and Intersex) community event in Canberra. It is an inclusive event that celebrates the diversity, colour and vibrancy of Canberra.

Canberra’s favourite LGBTI event SpringOut Fairday will take place Saturday November 3 on the lawns of Westlund House and we are expecting even bigger crowds than last year.

We’re putting together a fun packed day that will begin at 12 noon going right through to 5pm, as details become available we will publish them on our Facebook page and the Fairday website which you can find at www.westlundhouse.org.au/fairday we can guarantee lots of music, fun and entertainment and we have some great acts already confirmed.

The most exciting news of all though? This year’s SpringOUT Fairday will be hosted by none other than the fabulous Miss Vanessa Wagner!

There will be tons of stalls from businesses and community groups and many of your favourites have already confirmed they are booking a stall. It’s a great day to find out what is going on in the Canberra queer community, to buy some early Christmas presents and to have a fab day out catching up with friends new and old.

Do you want to perform?

If you’re interested in climbing on stage and showing off your talents, give Nick a call on 02 6257 2855 or drop him a line at fairday@aidsaction.org.au

I

y a d r fai 2012

SATURDAY

03

rd

Cube Nightclub AAC Fundraiser

November

Canberra’s biggest LGBT event!

12 noon to 5pm at Westlund House 16 Gordon Street Acton

westlundhouse.org.au/fairday

WESTLUND HOUSE RESOURCE CENTRE

On Friday the 24th August, the night before the Annual Trivia Night Extravaganza, Cube Nightclub hosted a fundraiser for the AIDS Action Council. Funds were raised from raffles, donations and drag queens walking around selling kisses.

The night was packed and the shout-outs from the DJ’s and MC’s were thick and fast helping to raise the profile of the AAC as still a part of the community, including those of Cube. The staff looked fantastic in their co-branded t-shirts.

The AIDS Action Council thanks Cube Nightclub for hosting the night, for the drag queens who donated their time and their kisses, and for everyone who attended the night and gave to the AAC.

Law review regarding sex work in the

ACT 6 | Oct 2012- Dec 2012 www.aidsaction.org.au

AAC

Twelve months ago the ACT Government called for submissions for a review of the current legislation around sex work and the results are now available. The appointed committee has made 17 recommendations of which the Sex Worker Outreach Program (SWOP ACT) is very happy with some content and just plain OK with the other content.

This was the first review conducted and SWOP perhaps naively, believed that the decisions made by the committee would be implemented. It is now clear that it is not that simple and far more complex.

So what happens now? The recommendations and the inch thick report that goes with them are now given to the government and they have three months to consider each recommendation. This process is now complete and has decided the merits of each recommendation. Another report is then written and this too is now complete.

The next step is to actually implement the recommendations of the ACT Legislative Assembly.

However, it is anticipated that this will not occur for at least another year. Basically, it is ‘on the shelf’ because of the October 2012 ACT election. In reality the future of the recommendations will be in the hands of the newly elected members.

So what do the recommendations mean to us now? Well, nothing really. The same laws that are now in place will apply for at least the next twelve months with the daunting possibility of having to do another review and subsequent lobbying all over again. Or, the reviewed recommendations will remain on the shelf for who knows how long? At the very least SWOP hopes that the labelled “Prostitution Act” will be renamed along the lines of “Sex Work ACT” or something in keeping with modern day nomenclature and throughout the document the terms “prostitutes” and “prostitution” be changed to “sex worker” and “sex work”.

We are also monitoring what is taking place around Australia. Most states and territories are undertaking similar reviews; therefore it is important for sex workers to be aware of the legal situation in different jurisdictions if they plan on working in other regions. This can easily be done by checking with the sex worker organisation in each area. SWOP ACT can refer you to similar programs across the country or you can undertake a simple web search.

If you need further information or just a helping hand please contact Lexxie by calling on 02 6247 3443 or drop her a line at lex@aidsaction.org.au.

United Nations issues prison prevention guidelines Needle and Syringe Programs (NSPs) are an essential element of HIV and hepatitis B and C prevention programs in prisons, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has asserted in a new policy brief.

The brief, released in July during the 29th World AIDS Conference in Washington DC also listed as essential “protecting staff from occupational hazards”, condom programs and measures to prevent blood borne virus transmission through tattooing and piercing.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the International Labour Organisation and the United Nations Development Programme (coauthors of the policy guidelines), it is aimed at “supporting decision makers in ministries of justice, authorities responsible for closed settings and ministries of health, as well as authorities responsible for workplace safety and occupational health, in planning and implementing a response to HIV in closed settings.”

The UN policy guideline came shortly after a Fairfax media report that a prisoner was considering legal action against Victorian authorities because he may have contracted hepatitis C while imprisoned.

Interestingly, the front-page coverage which was headlined as “Prisons a disease hotbed” did not generate any follow-up controversy or negative media.

The Australian Medical Association is but one peak organisation in support of prison NSPs. “I welcome the policy brief,” said Professor Kate Dolan from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre. “It’s a comprehensive package of what should be done to prevent and treat HIV in prisons. There’s a lot of guidance for governments, and in particular prison authorities, even in Australia.

gaps in health care behind prison walls, especially concerning HIV and hepatitis. As an example, condoms are not available in every state. Access to Methadone is still very limited in many states. Nor do we have needle and syringe programs in prisons anywhere,” said Professor Dolan.

The UN guidelines sum up the arguments in favour of prison NSPs succinctly: “The vast majority of people in prisons eventually return to their communities. Any diseases contracted in closed settings or made worse by poor conditions of confinement become matters of public health. HIV, hepatitis and tuberculosis and all other aspects of physical and mental health in prisons should be the concern of health professionals on both sides of the prison walls. It is pivotal to foster and strengthen collaboration, coordination and integration among all stakeholders including ministries of health and other ministries with responsibilities in prisons, as well as communitybased service providers.”

Implementation of drug dependence treatment, in particular opioid substitution therapy (OST) and NSPs in prisons should be a priority, the UNODC policy states. Australia has approximately 30,000 people in custody at any one time, with more than 55,000 releases back into the community each year.

“The UN policy guidelines add to the debate we are having. The highest international illicit drug authority, and the organisation tasked with protection of workers’ rights, has recommended these interventions for HIV and Hepatitis C in prisons. We don’t have widespread treatment for Hep C in prison, for example. This is not just about those developing countries where HIV is rampant among prison populations. There are important lessons and recommendations for even a country like Australia,” Professor Dolan said.

Recently in Victoria a number of prison officers were arrested and charged with trafficking drugs into prisons. The main union representing prison officers, the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) remains opposed to prison NSPs, partly because the goal should in their view be to have no drugs in prisons.

The 15 recommended interventions from the UNODC are as below, with Professor Dolan’s comments in brackets.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

Information, education and communication.

HIV testing and counseling.

Treatment, care and support.

Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis.

Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Condom programs (“not available in Queensland and NT, and only piloted in Victoria”).

Prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections.

Prevention of sexual violence.

Drug dependence treatment (“numbers of places available in Australia are extremely limited, especially in Queensland where men are not permitted to go on methadone while in prison”).

Needle and Syringe Programmes (“nowhere in Australian prisons as yet”).

Vaccination, diagnosis and treatment of viral hepatitis (“is less than optimal in Australia”).

Post-exposure prophylaxis.

Prevention of transmission through medical or dental services.

Prevention of transmission through tattooing, piercing and other forms of skin penetration (“WA, Tasmania and the NT do not make bleach available”).

15. Protecting staff from occupational hazards.

“Hopefully this is the first step in improving prevention of and response to HIV in prisons. It’s pertinent to Australia because there are still many www.aidsaction.org.au Oct 2012- Dec 2012 | 7

Towards an AIDS-Free Generation World AIDS Day 2012 – First Brief Introduction Whilst ACT Word AIDS Days have been successful in recent years, this has been largely as a result of using them as opportunities for political objectives. For example in 2011 we focussed on the issue of the management of blood borne viruses in prisons whilst in 2010 we successfully advocated for better sexual health (including HIV) education in the territory’s schools systems.

We have identified that a weakness in this approach is the lack of public political buy-in from our elected legislators although we have seen high attendance at the community breakfast. In 2012 after consultations with SHAHRD, we believe that we must find a way to encourage our political leadership to discuss HIV and AIDS in public forums. To do this we must find an ‘angle’ that is both relevant and one about which they are willing to encourage public discourse. The national theme “HIV is still here” is not an effective one, since it sounds defensive and does not point towards opportunities for achieving meaningful and sustainable declines in new HIV transmissions.

In June 2011 political leaders from around the world came together at the UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS. This meeting resulted in a significant international agreement which was endorsed by all member states including Australia and is called the UN 2011 Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS or UNPD 2011.

This declaration outlines the responsibilities that all signatory governments are committed to, involving 105 individual statements of which more than half are specific commitments. As a document to address the global pandemic, individual countries must identify those issues that are directly relevant to their own HIV situation. Australia has a relatively mature response to HIV and has a favourable political and legislative framework in which to maintain pressure on reducing new transmissions of the virus.

The declaration makes five commitments which have specific targets: • • •

•

•

Commit to working towards reducing sexual transmission of HIV by 50 per cent by 2015 Commit to working towards reducing transmission of HIV among people who inject drugs by 50 per cent by 2015 Commit to working towards the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and substantially reducing AIDS-related maternal deaths by 2015 Commit to accelerate efforts to achieve the goal of universal access to antiretroviral treatment for those eligible based on World Health Organization HIV treatment guidelines that indicate timely initiation of quality assured treatment for its maximum benefit, with the target of working towards having 15 million people with HIV on antiretroviral treatment by 2015 Commit by 2015 to work towards reducing tuberculosis deaths amongst people with HIV by 50 per cent

In the Australian context, turning the Declaration into action requires developing an implementation program and we along with other AIDS Councils and national peak organisations worked together to develop a paper outlining just what needs to be done for Australia to achieve the targets we are now committed to.

8 | Oct 2012- Dec 2012 www.aidsaction.org.au

The 10 key elements of the implementation are: 1. Reinvigorate the partnership approach – opening lines of communication across the partnership (including government partners), welcoming new partners and engaging with new stakeholders so that coordinated and timely interventions can be developed and existing interventions enhanced.

2. Strengthen the enabling environment by addressing legal and policy barriers – entrenching a human rights based approach and removing barriers to effective health promotion and HIV prevention whilst safeguarding the rights of people living with and affected by HIV. 3. Maintain a focus on evidence-based and proven HIV prevention approaches amongst high priority populations – enhancing programs that have effectively minimised HIV transmission, particularly peer-led and harm reduction based work by and for gay men, sex workers and people who inject drugs, to prevent increases in new infections.

4. Develop an Australian combination prevention approach – targeting specific populations with combined biomedical, behavioural and/or structural interventions based on epidemiological data and social and peer-led research.

5. Increase voluntary testing accessibility – improving access to HIV testing to minimise delays between seroconversion and diagnosis, improve health outcomes and reduce health impacts of late diagnosis.

6. Increase voluntary treatment uptake – addressing information needs of people with HIV, education of healthcare providers and addressing issues regarding dispensing arrangements and cost. This ensures that HIV-positive people can take advantage of improved treatment options and outcomes as soon as is practicable.

7. Address stigma and discrimination – decreasing stigma and discrimination experienced by people living with HIV and affected communities whilst increasing quality of life for people with HIV and maximising the effectiveness of prevention strategies.

8. Implement targeted and broad-based HIV awareness campaigns – increasing awareness of HIV infection risk among key current and emerging populations, ensuring the gains of the early decades of HIV prevention practice are not lost.

9. Strengthen the focus on the intersection of HIV and sexual health – re-engaging key population groups, particularly gay men and men who have sex with men, in safe sexual practice: focusing on the intersection of sexually transmissible infections and HIV and a comprehensive approach to sexual health.

10. Improve monitoring and surveillance – ensuring high quality, community agreed surveillance is undertaken across jurisdictions and made available so that policy and programming remains evidence based.

Source: Implementing the United Nations Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS in Australia’s Domestic Response: Turing Political Will into Action, July 2012 AFAO

The 2012 WAD Opportunity Since the Federal Government and by implication all state and territory governments are committed to the proposed outcomes of the UNPD, WAD 2012 is an opportune time for public support backed by our elected representatives.

The theme “Towards an AIDS Free Generation” reflects a realistic possibility that came out of the recent International AIDS Conference, and was spoken about vigorously by a number of keynote speakers with strong credibility in minimising HIV and AIDS internationally. These included Bill and Hillary Clinton, Bill Gates and Sir Elton John.

In Australia, the most challenging yet still realistic goal is to reduce sexual transmission of HIV by 50%, but we have the potential to achieve this in three ways: 1. Reducing the extent of undiagnosed HIV by increasing testing rates amongst vulnerable population by implementing communitybased rapid testing 2. Removing barriers to treatment and for those newly diagnosed to be encouraged and supported to consider earlier uptake 3. Increase public awareness campaigns that help to reduce the time between infection and diagnosis It is true that AIDS diagnoses are rare, but whilst HIV continues to be transmitted AIDS will continue to exist. By reducing HIV infection rates through sexual contact by 50%, community viral loads will reduce to the extent that we can genuinely produce a generation that will never experience AIDS.

Main Event The main advocacy event will continue to be the World AIDS Day community breakfast. It is suggested that this be an opportunity for the Health Minister to provide a local launch for the publication: “Implementing the United Nations Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS in Australia’s Domestic Response: Turing Political Will into Action, July 2012”. This would be on Friday 30 November.

Date: 4 December 2012 Appointments from 11.30am (Extended clinic time until 5.30pm)

Other activities will occur throughout the week leading up to Friday 30 November.

The breakfast will be supported by an integrated communications plan

by AAC, Government, and other partners (Chief Health Officer, Allied organisations, individuals etc.).

Opportunity for Government This is an opportunity for the Government to provide leadership on a particular BBV issue within the context of broader BBV and sexual health issues. The Government could for example, commit the territory to ensuring that not one resident in the ACT will be denied ARV treatment (which is effectively the present situation). Or, the current Government (if returned) could use this as a further opportunity to raise the provision of uncontaminated equipment to people in prisons who inject drugs. Perhaps the Minister could announce the implementation of HIV treatments being available more broadly including in community pharmacies, or the intention to further promote the use of community-based HIV and sexual health testing.

In any case, all territory governments should already be proud of the longstanding bipartisan support of generally good and effective policies that reduce the personal and social impacts and transmission of HIV. This would most likely be an opportunity to be the first state or territory government to publicly endorse and commit to the United Nations Political Declaration.

Next Step As the key objective here is to get public political support from the Health Minister, there is a difficulty in neither knowing who the Government will be nor its Health Minister.

with Jenny McDonald HIV Dietitian and Treatments Officer Come along and hear Jenny talk about healthy eating tips and how to keep yourself living well.

Questions can be submitted beforehand or asked on the night Dinner will start at 6pm with Jenny answering questions throughout the evening Time 6pm Date 4 December 2012 Place Westlund House Rainbow Room RSVP Mandi at Positive Living ACT 6257 2855 or Mandi@aidsaction.org.au

However, the Ministerial Advisory Committee (SHAHRD) remains in place and can help ensure that the Government supports this initiative.

It is suggested that this first draft be circulated to SHAHRD members out of session and that a small working group be established to prosecute the proposition that an AIDS Free Generation is within our grasp. www.aidsaction.org.au Oct 2012- Dec 2012 | 9

THE STIGMA AUDIT “The need to combat HIV Stigma has long been acknowledged in Australia’s domestic response to HIV/AIDS” Well, we’ve all known about it since the beginning of the HIV epidemic, many of us have lived with it and many continue to live with it – what am I referring to? STIGMA. The Microsoft thesaurus parallels stigma to “shame”, “disgrace” and “dishonour”. But really, how can that apply to an illness? It doesn’t make sense; it shouldn’t be stigmatising, should never have been but it still is. A recent research project undertaken by the National Association of People Living with HIV (NAPWA) and the National Centre in HIV Social Research (NCHSR) indicates that stigma relating to HIV is still alive and well in this country.

This is Australia’s first ever formal research study which explores stigma relating to HIV, the research focuses on the experiences of those directly affected. The report highlights two primary findings; firstly that stigma and discriminatory attitudes against people with HIV remain ingrained in the Australian community.

Interestingly, women and heterosexual men reported greater levels of stigma than gay men with the respondents generally reporting greater levels of “perceived stigma” rather than actual “enacted stigma” The report also highlighted the manner in which people take control of disclosure in relation to who they tell. Since the advent of effective combination antiretroviral medications in 1996 a person’s health status in relation to HIV

may have no outwardly physical symptoms or manifestations. The research reflects that those that manage and cope with the stigma surrounding their condition “fare best” by keeping a balance between disclosing to supportive people in their lives while simultaneously keeping it confidential to the “outside world” or to put it another way those people who don’t need to know anyway.

The research also strongly suggests that people who develop “resilience” when facing stigma and other difficult times in their lives can successfully ameliorate the effects of stigma whether it is overt or more subtle in nature.

It states that resilience can be built through social support including peer support and by “minimising the extent in which HIV is regarded as a key aspect of one’s identity”. Resilience is said to be the development of personal qualities that provide one with the ability to bounce back after adversity and go on with their lives in a positive manner.

Fortunately cases of explicit stigma, labelling and discrimination have decreased over the years with changed attitudes, equal opportunity principles and anti discrimination legislation but the report also raises the issue of how people living with HIV “see” themselves. This is a particularly interesting aspect of this research that is definitely worth considering.

The researchers suggest that the metaphor of stigma inferring someone is “dirty” or “unclean” has great social significance in that it can become a “self-fulfilling” prophecy. In building resilience each group and individual must challenge this type of thinking from outside and also from within.

Another interesting finding from the (peer conducted) interviews and online survey is that stigma appears more likely to exist in the gay community, a community where information and knowledge relating to HIV is generally far greater than in the broader community. This contradicts the commonly held belief that greater levels of information lead to less stigma and discrimination.

One of the primary goals of this audit is to provide strong evidence about stigma experienced by people living with HIV that will inform the implementation of the 6th National HIV Strategy and provide sound research to inform the development of future strategies.

The next phase of this project will be turning the research findings into practice particularly in the area of resilience and mental strength of people with HIV and services in this specific area.

More information on The HIV Stigma Audit can be found on the NAPWA website at www.napwa.org.au

Keep up-to-date,

says convert to modern medication By Melissa Davey –Sydney Morning Herald "HIV medications have gotten so much better now" ... Jane Costello, who has had HIV for 18 years.

WHEN Jane Costello was diagnosed with HIV 18 years ago she was understandably reluctant to take antiretroviral drugs. "A person close to me with HIV had horrendous side effects and complications from the drugs they were on," said Ms Costello, 50. "In the old days the drugs were taken three or four times a day, up to 18 tablets a day, and that is very daunting."

At the time of her diagnosis Ms Costello and her doctor opted not to treat because drug side effects could be severe, and her immune system was still strong. "But HIV medications have gotten so much better now, the tablets are much smaller, and I know people who take considerably less tablets now than they used to, with less side effects." She said her current regime of three pills once a day was considerably easier than the combination of drugs she used to take twice a day. But Ms Costello said she understood why people would be reluctant to change treatments. "Some people have been living long-term with HIV and have gone through sometimes a horrendous adjustment period to their drugs and feel fortunate just to find something that works without too many side effects."So they could be understandably reluctant to change to something new." She emphasised that treatment was an individual choice but said people should regularly visit their doctor to stay on top of information.

10 | Oct 2012- Dec 2012 www.aidsaction.org.au

Photo: Kate

Tue 20 Stepping Out Workshop

ary

Di r u o rY

Fo

November

Thu 1

Migration Clinic (Enquiries to Marcus for details) Westlund House, Acton

STRIP Clinic at the Ranch Fantasy Lane (Enquiries to Nick for details) 6pm - 8pm

Sat 3

SpringOUT Fairday 2012 (Enquiries to Nick for details) 12 pm - 5pm, Westlund House, Acton

Tue 6

Stepping Out Workshop (Enquiries to Chai for details) 5.30pm - 9pm, Westlund House, Acton (Rainbow Room)

October

Womens’ dinner

(Enquiries to Marcus for details) Westlund House, Acton

(Enquiries to Mandi for details) 6pm - 9pm, Westlund House, Acton (Rainbow Room)

Thu 8

Wed 24 PSN Dinner (Enquiries to Mandi for details) 6pm - 9pm, Westlund House, Acto (Rainbow Room)

STRIP Sexual Health Check up at The Ranch Fantasy Lane (Enquiries to Nick for details) 6pm - 8pm

Fri 26

Sat10

GLBTI Health alliance Forum on ageing and aged care for the LGBTI community (Enquiries to Marcus for details) 9am - 1pm, Genge Street, Canberra the Griffin Centre

Sat 27 STRIP Sexual Health Check up at Westlund House, Acton (Enquiries to Nick for details) 10am - 12noon

Tue 30 Stepping Out Workshop (Enquiries to Chai for details) 5.30pm - 9pm, Westlund House, Acton (Rainbow Room)

Man2Man Gay Men’s Sexual Health Workshop (Enquiries to Chai for details) 10am - 5pm, Westlund House, Acton (Rainbow Room)

Thu 22 Migration Clinic (Enquiries to Marcus for details) Westlund House, Acton

STRIP Clinic at the Ranch Fantasy Lane

(Enquiries to Nick for details) 6pm - 8pm

Sat 24 STRIP Sexual Health Check up at Westlund House, Acton (Enquiries to Nick for details) 10am - 12noon

Tue 27 Stepping Out Workshop (Enquiries to Chai for details) 5.30pm - 9pm, Westlund House, Acton (Rainbow Room)

Tue 13 Stepping Out Workshop (Enquiries to Chai for details) 5.30pm - 9pm, Westlund House, Acton (Rainbow Room)

Wed 14 Qnet Movie Night (Enquiries to Nick for details) 6pm - 9pm, Westlund House, Acton (Rainbow Room)

Thu 15 Migration Clinic (Enquiries to Marcus for details) Westlund House, Acton

STRIP Sexual Health Check up at The Ranch Fantasy Lane (Enquiries to Nick for details) 6pm - 8pm

Sat 17 Man2Man Gay Men’s Sexual Health Workshop (Enquiries to Chai for details) 10am - 5pm, Westlund House, Acton (Rainbow Room)

Wed 28 World AIDS Day stall at Canberra Hospital (Enquiries to Mandi for details) Volunteers required

Thu 29 Migration Clinic (Enquiries to Marcus for details) Westlund House, Acton

World AIDS Day stall at Canberra Hospital

(Enquiries to Mandi for details) Volunteers required

Fri 30

World AIDS Day Breakfast at Westlund House 8am - 10am, Westlund House, Acton

STRIP Sexual Health Check up at Westlund House, Acton (Enquiries to Nick for details) 10am - 12noon

Reclaim the Night (Enquiries to Lexx for details Tuesday to Friday 10am to 5pm)

STRIP Sexual Health Check up at The Ranch Fantasy Lane (Enquiries to Nick for details) 6pm - 8pm

Thu 25 Migration Clinic (Enquiries to Marcus for details) Westlund House, Acton

(Enquiries to Mandi for details) 6pm - 9pm, Westlund House, Acton (Rainbow Room)

Migration Clinic (Enquiries to Marcus for details) Westlund House, Acton

Tue 23 Stepping Out Workshop (Enquiries to Chai for details) 5.30pm - 9pm, Westlund House, Acton (Rainbow Room)

6pm - 7pm, Westlund House, Acton (Training Room)

PSN Dinner

Wed 7 PSN Dinner

(Enquiries to Mandi for details)

Thu 18 Migration Clinic

Wed 21 AAC Community and Volunteer Meeting

Melbourne Cup Luncheon (Enquiries to Chai for details) 12 pm - 3pm, Westlund Hous, Acton

Wed 17 AAC Community Volunteer Meeting 6pm - 7pm, Westlund House, Acton (Training Room)

(Enquiries to Chai for details) 5.30pm - 9pm, Westlund House, Acton (Rainbow Room)

STRIP Sexual Health Check up at Westlund House, Acton (Enquiries to Nick for details) 10am - 12noon

r

Decembe

Tues 4 Qnet Movie Night (Enquiries to Nick for details) 6pm - 9pm, Westlund House, Acton (Rainbow Room)

Wed 5 PSN Dinner (Enquiries to Mandi for details) 6pm - 9pm, Westlund House, Acton (Rainbow Room)

Wed 19 Westlund House Christmas Party PSN and Volunteers 6pm - 9pm, Westlund House, Acton

Office will be closed during Christmas and New Year, Date and Time will be confirmed

Tue 25 Christmas Day Wed 26 Boxing Day

Y A D S D I A D RL

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Towards an AIDS-free generation “Now, with the progress we are making together, we can look ahead to a historic goal: creating an AIDS-free generation.”

Hillary Rodham Clinton July 23, 2012 2012 International AIDS Conference Washington DC

COMMUNITY BREAKFAST | WESTLUND HOUSE 16 GORDON ST ACTON FRI NOV 30 | 8:00 - 10:00 AM A special free community breakfast on the lawns of Westlund House to bring the community together for World AIDS Day RSVP: www.aidsaction.org.au/breakfast SCREENING: ALL THE WAY THROUGH EVENING | DENDY CINEMA CANBERRA THURS NOV 29 - WED DEC 5 | SESSION TIMES TBA All ticket proceeds from Dec 1 will be donated to AIDS Action Council There will be aa Q&A Q&A with with Director Director Rohan Rohan Spong Spong following following the Wed Wed Nov Dec 5 5 screening screening More information available www.aidsaction.org.au/worldaidsday

VTILL E I H S www.aidsaction.org.au/worldaidsday IS

R E H

www.worldaidsday.org.au