AAC Newsletter July 2014

AIDS ACTION COUNCIL OF THE ACT

NEWSLETTER

JULY 2014

20th International AIDS Conference Edition

The AIDS Action Council has a clear mandate to deliver care and support to people living with HIV as well as education and prevention campaigns, events and health promoting activities. During the past few months the Council has showcased our response to HIV and the vibrancy and resilience of the workforce. I’m very pleased to be here and continue to be Acting Executive Director.

We know the number of HIV infections has increased and every public health program and community initiative should be scrutinised. More testing and treatment options must be a priority. The Government has unveiled its 7th National HIV Strategy with a target to eliminate new HIV infections by 2020. This is ambitious and so the government has lifted the restrictions on preventing the manufacture and sale of HIV home testing kits. This is exciting but we need to be cautious, we need to remember that oral fluid based tests are not a sensitive as capillary blood tests. Both can be done in a clinic, community setting or in the home. The government and policy makers need to weigh up the balance between ease of use, acceptability to users as well as the associated benefits.

Watch this space – these are interesting times …

Philippa Moss Acting Executive Director

Notice of Annual General Meeting 12 November 2014 We invite all members of the AIDS Action Council to share this year’s achievements and challenges at our annual general meeting.

Date : Time : Location :

Cost :

Wednesday 12 November 2014 6.30pm Room 6, Griffin Centre Genge Street, Canberra Free

For more information call Ben Martin on 02 6257 2855 or email contact@aidsaction.org.au The 2014 Dr Peter Rowland Memorial Address: Back to our Roots Dr Peter Rowland was a key figure in the early response of HIV in the ACT and throughout Australia. The Council continues to honour Peter by hosting an annual address in his name.

The 2014 address will be delivered by Fiona Patten, leader of the Australian Sex Party, former WISE (precursor to SWOP ACT) staff member and former Board Member of the AIDS Action Council and Fabulous Member since 1998.

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FREE TRAINING

This free, essential, and relevant one day training for all workers in the aged care sector will help promote a better understanding of the needs of the LGBTI people and provide staff with more confidence to deliver an inclusive, best practice service.

To arrange free training at your Aged Care Service, contact Suzanne at the AIDS Action Council of the ACT contact@aidsaction.org.au

This national initiative is being presented at a venue near you.

Please check the website for dates, venues and to register.

For more info about dates and venues, or to register for a workshop, visit:

www.acon.org.au/lgbti-aged-care-training Funded by the Commonwealth Department of Social Services

RIP STSexual

health check-ups

Is it time to take control of your health?

Getting a sexual health check-up from STRIP is quick, easy and FREE!

Thursday evenings

Saturday mornings

(men only) Upstairs @ The Ranch 6:00 – 8:00 pm July 31 – Aug 28 Oct 30 - Nov 28

(for everyone) Westlund House 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Aug 2 – Aug 23 Nov 8 - Nov 22

For more information call 02 6257 2855 or visit www.aidsaction.org.au/strip No appointments necessary. Allow 20 - 40 minutes for consultation

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Show your support for LGBTI young people Wear it Purple Day is about showing rainbow (sexuality and gender diverse – SGD) young people that they are supported, celebrated and respected exactly as they are. It’s about raising awareness in your school, workplace, uni, or general community that rainbow young people face challenges that they shouldn’t, and it won’t be tolerated.’

Find out how you can show your support checking out: www.wearitpurple.org/wear-it-purple-day

Free wrist band available from the AIDS Action Council. Drop in or call 02 6257 2855 to arrange yours now!

The AIDS Action Council needs your help!

If you are interested in issues concerning sexual health, HIV and AIDS and want to support a grass roots community organisation, we want you!

Throughout the world, people living with or affected by HIV and AIDS are banding together in organisations in an effort to increase awareness about the virus and to address stigma and discrimination and to educate themselves and their communities on HIV prevention, care and treatment. In Canberra the organisation is the AIDS Action Council.

The AIDS Action Council is at the vanguard of social change, creating networks of support, producing educational materials, and advocating for a positive voice for positive people.

The AIDS Action Council works to ensure that people living with HIV and AIDS have input into the creation, development, and implementation of services and policies within the organisation and advocates and lobbies for change within the broader community. This is achieved through the members of the organisation working with people living with HIV and AIDS, by supporting community events, being informed and educated and working together to address stigma and discrimination.

services, two awesome safe sex packs per year, invitations to all Council events, newsletters and access to ‘members only’ offers from our partners. And importantly, you get to support the ongoing work of the AIDS Action Council.

ALREADY A MEMBER — RENEWALS ARE DUE NOW! We know how easily membership renewal can slip to the bottom of the task list. By renewing now you’ll be ensuring that you continue to receive your members benefits..

Voting: Although you can join at any time, to be an active ‘voting’ member, you need to apply or renew your membership at least 30 days prior to our Annual General Meeting.

Don’t let your renewal laps: Anyone who has not renewed their membership since the last Annual General Meeting will be automatically removed from the list, please renew ASAP. Call 6257 2855 or email: contact@aidsaction.org.au or download the Council membership form directly at: www.aidsaction.org.au/become-a-member

Our members encourage others to get tested, speak out, raise awareness, seek medical help, provide support, and advocate for change.

BECOME A NEW AAC MEMBER TODAY, EACH PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Members receive access to discounted safe sex products, information and news on sexual health, access to member

Peer Education Philippa Moss The Council’s Peer Education Program launched a new and rejuvenated Stepping Out Program in partnership with Northside Community Services and A Gender Agenda.

Stepping Out is a course for same sex attracted women or as some of the recent graduates called it “Lesbian School”.

interesting women. The next Stepping Out course will be held on two Saturdays in the very near future. Contact the AIDS Action Council on 02 6257 2855 or via email them at contact@aidsaction.org.au if you would like to know more.

Women come to Stepping Out because they are interested in making new friends and discussing issues like, healthy relationships, sexual health, the LGBTIQ community in Canberra, communication, feeling confident, as well as Legal Issues in LGBTIQ relationships. The course concluded at the famous Tilley’s Bar with a speednetworking event where women talked about themselves and what they want from their life.

The eleven women on the June course were a diverse mix of ages and life experiences. All of them fantastic, empathic,

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My name is Philippa, & I am a green smoothie devotee!

Philippa Moss

I have to admit the green smoothie has changed my life and I am one of those insufferable people who take my green smoothie to work and drink it in an over-sized glass bottle and yes it looks like green gloop.

that I am getting all my greens done for the day and drinking them - essentially I am cramming a bunch of nutrients into me that I couldn’t be bothered eating throughout the day. It’s just so efficient.

What is a green smoothie – well I am glad you asked because green smoothie drinkers love nothing more than to detail all the healthy goodness we are ingesting. Today my green smoothie is ginger, kale, spinach, kiwi fruit, frozen banana, chia seeds and coconut water.

Truthfully, this is the main reason I’m a green smoothie devotee.

Yes it looks and sounds disgusting but I promise you it is delicious and so very good for you. I make a batch every day or so and store them in the fridge in a glass bottle and then grab one as I head out the door every morning.

I have a super blender and I think it makes all the difference.

Mine is a Thermomix but there are others on the market which can do the job just as well (maybe not as well as the Thermomix but good enough to drink). Blending it all up into the smoothe green gloop is the key to enjoying.

In case you’re wondering (let me tell you even if you’re not!), I’ve discovered many benefits to drinking green smoothies. I love not having to think about what I’m going to have for breakfast and I love how portable they are. I can drink them in the car, in the bathroom while I’m getting ready for work, at my kids’ basketball games and in airports on my way to meetings. I love

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My favourite green smoothie combinations are : • Ginger (blend this up individually first before anything else), Kale, Spinach, Cucumber, Kiwi fruit, Half a frozen banana (freeze them with the peel off), Coconut Water.

• Kale, spinach, cucumber, mint, lemon, chai seads, mango (lovely when in season) and coconut water.

Blend it up and try one today – you will be a green smoothie devotee too!

Canberra’s 25th International AIDS Candlelight Memorial Canberra’s 25th International AIDS Candlelight Memorial on Sunday 18th May was held at the beautiful Canberra Hyatt Hotel. We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to hear the moving stories of our speakers US Ambassador John Berry and Sally Richards, who spoke of how they and those in their lives had been touched by HIV. Host Genevieve Jacobs, and performers Johnathan Davis and the Canberra Gay & Lesbian Qwire carried us through this emotional evening of solidarity.

Thanks also to all the volunteers on the night for the generosity of their time in their various roles helping everything run so smoothly.

IT’S TIME TO LOOK AFTER YOURSELF

FIND SOMEONE TO TALK TO AND SURROUND YOURSELF WITH GOOD SOCIAL SUPPORT.

MAKE YOUR PLAN TO KEEP A HEALTHY

IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY TO TAKE CONTROL

HIV testing has become easier, quicker and less stressful. If you’ve put off having a test, it’s Time to Test – call your clinic or GP today.

www.timetotest.com.au

AND FOR MORE INFO AND TIPS CHECK OUT:

www.yourbodyblueprint.org.au

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SPECIAL: INTERNATIONAL AIDS CONFERENCE 2014

The following pages provide a range of different people’s experiences, reflections and even actions of the AIDS 2014 International Conference in Melbourne in July. The narratives shared below are each person’s personal reflection on their time at the Conference and their learnings. They do not necessarily reflect the position of the AIDS Action Council of the ACT.

Ben Martin AIDS Action Council I am really excited to be able to share some of my experiences from the AIDS 2014 Conference, and am still feeling extremely lucky to have been able to attend.

While I was at the AIDS 2014 Conference I kept trying to think of the ‘perfect’ topic to bring back home and share with others. I had my pen and paper at the ready in every session I attended and took as many notes as I could. Topics I learnt about included: • PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) • Transgender issues (the ‘invisibility factor’ is a term that often came to mind) • HIV and ageing • Survivor guilt (who would have thought that LIVING could make you feel guilty? But I get it now) • Patent laws (Don’t get me started on ‘Big Pharma’) • Discriminatory laws, including of all places Canada (go figure?)

• And the variety of experiences and challenges around the world, across every inhabited continent.

But the one topic that kept rearing its head was stigma. Stigma: this insidious thing that takes on so many different faces, and presents itself in so many different ways.

So again, there were many important topics that were discussed at the AIDS 2014 conference, and I learnt so much in my time there. For me though, the major take home message was the importance of fighting stigma when considering the regional, national, and global strategies for ending HIV. I feel really humbled to be able to be working for an organisation that values education as a key tool in continuing the ‘fight’ against HIV and AIDS.

Michael Carter AIDS2014 is big. So I decided to focus on two things: young people and the first peoples. Taking it as it comes and having some fun.

Nice lady, Nobel Laureate, co-discoverer of HIV. The Indonesian Minister for Health was there too. In discussion with Muslim leaders she had said “Well we have a choice.

We can either kill them [those with HIV], or save them. Which is it going to be?” Effective. They were saved. And Amanda Vanstone “Thank god for the children of Australian. Educating their parents”. Exactly.

I spent time with young people. With Demi from Beijing. What a find she was!

Stigma can be the greatest barrier between a person accessing healthcare, medication, education and counselling. Stigma can create complacency, hatred, fear and ignorance. Stigma only creates shame. And where shame exists, progress is impeded.

We all may face stigma at some point in our lives. Women face stigma, people from culturally diverse backgrounds face stigma, people with mental health issues face stigma. Stigma is all around us – but I think the most concerning thing in regards to HIV and AIDS related stigma is that stigma is not discussed within our society as openly and normatively as other forms of stigma.

I think stigma’s biggest enemy is lack of education. If people are educated and knowledgeable then it becomes very hard for stigma to exist.

During the launch of the 7th National HIV Strategy, the Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Health stated that the Australian Government spends only 13% of its HIV and AIDS related funding on prevention, as compared to globally where it is, on average, more like 33%. This begs the question really: how highly do our governments and our society take education when considering preventative measures to reach the goal of an HIV free world?

I would argue not nearly enough.

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"Young people. Don’t restrict their minds. So many brilliant skills. Listen to them. Hear their voice. Let them be involved.

Speak out. Their passion - a higher intelligence. I gave it the title. VOICE OUT. I think it’s stronger. More powerful. I think it’s an interesting title” And her friends from Youth Force, from all over the world. And the UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund).

“Speak in a language that is exciting. That is meaningful, that motivates people”

with the vitality, resilience and humour of those living in lesser circumstances!

“Young People. Over represented as the disadvantaged Voiceless. HUGE ISSUE. The entire UN is committed to bring young people into the decision process”.

Though I already knew it, the re-enforcement of healthy lifestyle, healthy eating exercise and recreational opportunities are important and for me, deserve reflection and reconsideration.

The big bonus in attending this Conference was to bring into focus the absolute triviality of my own problems – such as they are, and to re-open my mind to the rich diversity of the gay and heterosexual groups and sub-cultures we have on this planet.

And I also spent time with first peoples. In the Yarning Space and elsewhere. My new mate is Adam Hopkins from Cherboug.

Aboriginal People Living with HIV.

The stage performance of “sex workers rock” was a particular highlight for an aging rocker like me; any further involvement on my part, though we were invited to participate, may have resulted in a lasting degree of embarrassment.

Lexxie Jury SWOP ACT The experience of a life time! The conference was empowering whether you were at the Global Village or in the ‘conference proper’. There was something for everyone.

“With Aboriginal people it’s best to just sit. And listen. Asking questions is ok” And the take home message?

“Getting to zero is considered impossible for Indigenous populations. Lack of visibility = lack of support. Indigenous people barely identified in the global response”.

If I had to sum up a whole week in a few words it would be: “Nothing about us, without us”

Peter Firstly I would like to thank the AIDS Action Council for the opportunity to attend the Global Village Exhibition at the 20th International AIDS Conference Melbourne. With over 200 exhibition stalls, events and entertainment at the village, plus plenary papers being presented live via video link from the main conference hall, there was always something of interest to experience over the 4 days which I attended.

In addition, on Tuesday 22nd July Ray and I took the opportunity to visit the AIDS Council of Victoria`s Positive Living Centre at South Yarra where we met with Gerry O`Brien who showed us the facilities on offer at their premises. As this coincided with their weekly client lunch day we stayed on to enjoy their hospitality. About 100 clients usually attend these lunches which are a small part of a most complete client services program: there are advantages to living in a large city of about 5 million people, compared to Canberra`s 400,000 people!

I was a little disappointed with the lack of sex worker related presentations at the conference but even more disappointed when I went to a session that was promoted as sex worker related only to find it was delivered by non sex workers who were trying to save us! However, I was very impressed with the amount of sex worker organisations from overseas present at the conference. Amongst the organisations were Empower (Thailand), OPSI (Indonesia) and ZITENG (Hong Kong). Scarlet Alliance (peak body of sex workers in Australia) held an important place and the crowds were entertained by the sex worker performers called Debbie Doesn’t Do It For Free.

The most positive and empowering session I went to was The Lancet Special Theme Issue: HIV and Sex Work. The Lancet special theme issue not only researched and explored sex work but they also spoke with sex workers and it was great to see the voices of sex workers included in the findings.

I attended a conversation with Sir Bob Geldof titled HIV and Poverty - the challenges ahead. This was brilliant I gained a whole new respect for Sir Bob. I liked that he pulled no punches and he made no apologies for it.

I learnt so much. Thank you to ASHM (Australasian Society for HIV Medicine) for the scholarship as I would never have been able to attend without it.

Overall the Conference was a very up-lifting experience but when one`s attention is drawn to the dire predicaments borne by other gay and HIV/AIDS people living in some countries particularly Africa and Asia, one cannot help feeling fortunate that we live in Australia. Free (or virtually so) ART, medical and hospital access and minor HIV/AIDS discrimination truly make this the ultimate ‘lucky country’. I was very impressed

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Melbourne Mornings so cold they were beautiful, culture as far as the eye can see, tributes to MH17 and all the while AIDS2014 cast a vibrant red glow across the city.

Conference The International AIDS Conference is the premier gathering for those working in the field of HIV, as well as policy makers, persons living with HIV and other individuals committed to ending the pandemic.

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Global Village The vibrant and beating heart of the conference. Where art, education, community and networking came together as one.

Protest & Memorial A tradition of every International AIDS Society Conference is the protest march.

Reminiscent of rallies 20 years ago, the conference took to the streets and held up peak-hour Melbourne traffic. The march finished at Federation Square where the Candlelight Memorial took place.

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Michael Lamont I applied for a scholarship to attend the International AIDS Conference 2014 through ASHM and I was lucky enough to be one of the recipients. This meant that I was able to travel to Melbourne and attend my first ever AIDS Conference. The Conference was held at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre and on the first night I attended the Opening Ceremony. This is where it dawned on me how big the Conference was going to be. Plenary rooms 1, 2 and 3 were combined into one auditorium and it was packed. There were thousands of people there sharing the same event as me. Like me, they may be living with HIV, may be impacted by HIV or working in the field of HIV through research and activism. It was truly and amazing experience to be there.

There was so much to do and see at the conference, I downloaded the AIDS 2014 app onto my mobile phone and planned what I wanted to go and see each day. I learnt about criminalisation and HIV around the world, how stigma impacts on people and the goals and targets that are being set to assist in the reduction of HIV infections. Then there was the Global Village where I got the opportunity to meet people from all over the world and learn about what they are doing in their countries in the fight against HIV and stigma. I even participated in my first ever March from the Melbourne Exhibition Centre to Federation Square through the streets of Melbourne CBD, which was followed by a Candlelight Memorial. It was a truly amazing experience.

The conference showed me that I am not alone, there are many people experiencing the same things as me and most importantly, there are thousands of people out there fighting for the rights of people living with and impacted by HIV. It was truly an amazing experience and has shown me that I need to get involved too. If I ever have the opportunity to go to another Conference, I definitely would.

Ray Prasad Firstly let me thank the AIDS Action Council for the opportunity to attend the AIDS 2014 Conference in Melbourne I attended the Global Village and had a very interesting time looking at the exhibits and looking for information and resources.

While I was there I had the opportunity to visit the Positive Living Centre in Melbourne. During this visit I talked with Mr Kent Burgess Director of Client Services and was shown around by the Peer Support Officer. We had lunch there, met

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some of the guys and girls who access the service and were made very welcome.

The services they offer their clients are great and the space they work out of is truly an amazing old building, the old Braille Library.

I picked up a lot of great Idea’s from them and look forward to providing input for Client Services here in Canberra in the future. I got a lot out the Melbourne AIDS Conference and met a lot of nice people who I will remember for a long time to come.

Two highlights were that I helped with the Protest March from the Global Village to Federation Square and I took part in the Candlelight Memorial to the people that they have lost the HIV and AIDS.

Samuel Rutherford, A Gender Agenda Sara Stanley (our Chair) and I had the privilege of attending the Global Village event which was held in conjunction with the conference proper. For the first time at an AIDS conference there was a dedicated Transgender Networking Zone entitled “Trans People Step Forward”, where activists from a number of different countries were able to meet and discuss the particular ways in which HIV impacts on our communities.

There are human rights issues which are uniquely intertwined with an experience of being transgender and HIV risk, especially in the Global South, and transwomen are especially vulnerable. Discrimination, stigma, violence, and high rates of unemployment mean that a disproportionate number of transwomen in many countries are pushed into sex work and contract HIV as a result. In India, for example, studies indicate an HIV prevalence rate among Hijras/transgender women of between 17.5% and a staggering 41% (as compared with a general prevalence of 0.36%).

It became clear at the conference that a key issue is the way transwomen are frequently included under the term MSM (‘men who have sex with other men’). This is inaccurate, inappropriate and disrespectful, and ineffective at targeting the particular needs of these populations. There is plenty of work to be done in getting trans communities genuinely included in HIV prevention programs, but having a trans-specific space at the conference was a great start in raising the profile of these issues and getting the conversations happening.”

Pauline Bourke AIDS Action Council I was lucky enough to receive a scholarship from ASHAM, to attend AIDS 2014 Conference. It was a pleasure to attend and share my time at the conference with likeminded people, it provided an opportunity to meet up with former and current colleagues working with the same vision to “getting to zero” in our communities.

I am especially thankful to a group of people who were a constant support at the different events, The Opening Ceremony, was an emotional one, acknowledging the tragedy of flight MH17 and the loss of valued contributors in the field of HIV, which set the tone to remember and celebrate how much progress had been made in the last 30 years.

Being able to discuss personal experiences of the varied programme sessions and individual activities was far more enriching shared with others, the protest march, highlighting the message to onlookers and the media, “No More Stigma”, “No More Discrimination”, ended at Federation Square with a Candlelight Service, a remembrance of love and care for those we have lost to HIV, but also a celebration to the people living with HIV. The messages at the conference, “Stepping up the Pace”, and “Driving change, through Positive Health, Dignity and Prevention.

Test More + Treat Early + Stay Safe = Ending HIV

AIDS 2014 Community Feedback Forum On Friday 8th of August, the AIDS Action hosted a forum at the Shine Dome bringing together a range of experiences from the conference. Materials collected from the Global Village were on display, including posters with the famous Act Up slogan ‘Silence = Death’ which were carried during the conference march. A range of resources were also available to be taken home by people who attended.

Thank you to everyone who attended the Community Feedback Forum last night. The evening was a bigger success than we could have hoped for.

Special thanks must go to our guest speakers; Mr. Arthur den Hartog, Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Mr Kenn Basham, a long term ACT representative to NAPWHA (National Association of people with HIV Australia), Ms Zoya Patel, the Communications and Advocacy Officer at YWCA Canberra, Dr Alexandra Greig, Public Health Registrar in Canberra and Mr Rob Lake, Executive Director at AFAO. The participants in the forum agreed that it is not enough to wait until the next International AIDS Conference in 2016, we must mobilise communities, clinicians, Governments and researchers to ensure we continue to make meaningful progress combatting HIV in the ACT, in Australia and globally.

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The Melbourne Declaration Health providers who discriminate against people living with HIV or groups at risk of HIV infection or other health threats, violate their ethical obligations to care for and treat people impartially.

We therefore call for the immediate and unified opposition to these discriminatory and stigmatizing practices and urge all parties to take a more equitable and effective approach

We gather in Melbourne, the traditional meeting place of the Wurundjeri, Boonerwrung, Taungurong, Djajawurrung and the Wathaurung people, the original and enduring custodians of the lands that make up the Kulin Nation, to assess progress on the global HIV response and its future direction, at the 20th International AIDS Conference, AIDS 2014.

We, the signatories and endorsers of this Declaration, affirm that non-discrimination is fundamental to an evidence-based, rights-based and gender transformative response to HIV and effective public health programmes.

To defeat HIV and achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support – nobody should be criminalized or discriminated against because of their gender, age, race, ethnicity, disability, religious or spiritual beliefs, country of origin, national status, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a sex worker, prisoner or detainee, because they use or have used illicit drugs or because they are living with HIV. We affirm that all women, men, transgender and intersex adults and children are entitled to equal rights and to equal access to HIV prevention, care and treatment information and services.

The promotion of gender equity is essential to HIV responses that truly meet the needs of those most affected. Additionally, people who sell or who have sold sex, and people who use, or who have used illicit drugs are entitled to the same rights as everyone else, including non-discrimination and confidentiality in access to HIV care and treatment services.

We express our shared and profound concern at the continued enforcement of discriminatory, stigmatizing, criminalizing and harmful laws which lead to policies and practices that increase vulnerability to HIV. These laws, policies, and practices incite extreme violence towards marginalized populations, reinforce stigma and undermine HIV programmes, and as such are significant steps backward for social justice, equality, human rights and access to health care for both people living with HIV and those people most at risk of acquiring the virus.

In over 80 countries, there are unacceptable laws that criminalize people on the basis of sexual orientation. All people, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people are entitled to the same rights as everyone else. All people are born free and equal and are equal members of the human family.

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• Governments must repeal repressive laws and end policies that reinforce discriminatory and stigmatizing practices that increase the vulnerability to HIV, while also passing laws that actively promote equality.

• Decision makers must not use international health meetings or conferences as a platform to promote discriminatory laws and policies that undermine health and wellbeing.

• The exclusion of organisations that promote intolerance and discrimination including sexism, homophobia, and transphobia against individuals or groups, from donor funding for HIV programmes.

• All healthcare providers must demonstrate the implementation of non-discriminatory policies as a prerequisite for future HIV programme funding.

• Restrictions on funding, such as the anti-prostitution pledge and the ban on purchasing needles and syringes, must be removed as they actively impede the struggle to combat HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and hepatitis C among sex workers and people who inject drugs.

• Advocacy by all signatories to this Declaration for the principles of inclusion, non-criminalization, nondiscrimination, and tolerance. through the following actions: In conclusion we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to fairness, to universal access to health care and treatment services, and to support the inherent dignity and rights of all human beings. All people are entitled to the rights and protections afforded by international human rights frameworks.

An end to AIDS is only possible if we overcome the barriers of criminalization, stigma and discrimination that remain key drivers of the epidemic.

It’s not too late to sign the Melbourne Declaration. Visit www.aids2014.org.au, click Melbourne Declaration and scroll to the bottom of the page to find the link.

COAG Health Council

AIDS 2014

Legacy Statement Australia’s Ministers for Health Hon Peter Dutton MP Minister for Health Parliament of Australia

Hon Robyn Lambley MLA Minister for Health Northern Territory

Hon Michael Ferguson MP Minister for Health Tasmania

Hon David Davis MP Minister for Health Victoria

Hon Katy Gallagher MLA Minister for Health Australian Capital Territory

Hon Lawrence Springborg MP Minister for Health Queensland

Hon Jillian Skinner MP Minister for Health New South Wales

Hon Dr Kim Hames MLA Minister for Health Western Australia

Hon Jack Snelling MP Minister for Health South Australia

Australian Health Ministers commit to: •

working towards the virtual elimination of new Australian HIV transmissions by the end of 2020

•

a rejuvenated response to HIV and ensuring that the HIV responses of all jurisdictions reflect new scientific advances and the vision of ending HIV and AIDS

•

continue measures to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain a high priority area for Australia’s HIV response and to achieving HIV prevention and treatment targets – with a focus on research and health literacy

•

•

take necessary actions, in partnership with key affected communities and sector partners, to remove barriers to accessing HIV testing, treatment, prevention, care and support across legal, regulatory, policy, social, political and economic domains continue to support high quality, multi-disciplinary, collaborative research that incorporates basic science, clinical research, social and behavioural science and operational research to inform local and international action to eliminate HIV

•

advance actions to ensure an appropriately trained and supported HIV workforce, including in clinical, community, research and policy and program areas

•

continue to demonstrate global leadership in the response to HIV.

Thirty years after the discovery of the HIV virus, the HIV epidemic remains one of the greatest public health challenges of our time.

However, as each year has passed, our understanding of HIV and our capacity to prevent and treat the disease has steadily advanced thanks to the dedicated work of scientists, clinicians, people with HIV, affected communities and governments.

These exciting developments are transforming the global HIV response and have led many political, scientific and community leaders to acknowledge the real possibility of achieving an “AIDS free generation” and eventually a cure.

Achieving this vision will require bold leadership and a strengthened enabling environment where all people feel confident about accessing HIV testing, prevention and treatment services. It is everyone’s responsibility to help advance the dignity and human rights of people affected by HIV and to counter stigma and discrimination.

The Australian non-partisan HIV response - built on a foundation of meaningful partnership - is widely acknowledged as being remarkably successful and underpins our virtual elimination of HIV transmission among injecting drug users and in the sex industry.

However, despite our many achievements in policy, research and prevention, Australia is facing serious challenges in our HIV response, including the highest rate of newly diagnosed HIV infections seen in many years. Yet the science is unequivocal and through a combination of new diagnostic and prevention tools and highly effective antiretroviral treatments it is possible to eliminate the transmission of HIV and for people with HIV to live longer, healthier lives.

Now is the time to commit to galvanising actions and for all involved in Australia’s HIV partnership to refocus efforts to meet these challenges and to fully capitalise on the opportunities before us to end the HIV epidemic.

Australia has joined other countries in committing to the global goal of an “AIDS free generation” and to meeting the actions and targets endorsed in the 2011 United Nations Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS. Meeting these commitments will require Australia to be brave in its vision - especially on the eve of the Melbourne 20th International AIDS Conference we need to act on the Conference’s theme and “Step up the Pace”.

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Donate and help make a difference Have you considered making a financial donation to the AIDS Action Council? The AIDS Action Council has been working with HIV impacted communities in and around the ACT for 30 years now through the provision of support, resources, events and opportunitiies for those living with HIV, as well as those who are at risk of HIV or otherwise touched by it.

Unfortunately, not all of the work we need to do is financially supported by our funding agreement and that’s where we need your help to expand our work with the LGBTI community, run events like Fairday and even further support people living with HIV in need.

You can help to be a part of this change by financially supporting the Council or the Trevor Daly Fund. The TDF supports people living with HIV, financially assisting them to reach their full potential and overcome crisis. Donations to either the Council or the TDF over $2.00 are tax deductable.

To make your donation: drop in, call 02 6257 2855 or email contact@aidsaction.org.au Payments can be made via credit card, eftpos, cash or cheque.

AIDS Action Council of the ACT Newsletter July - August 2014 Page 14

Volunteers - We need YOU! We have a very exciting calendar of events coming up for the rest of 2014 and leading into a busy and productive 2015. We are putting a call out for help of our valuable volunteers, old and new. We will be running a series of training opportunities over the coming months, including the reintroduction of some volunteer working groups to help lead some major events and projects.

What do you need to do to be a volunteer at the Council?

First you need to be a member! If you would just like to help with building, maintenance or event set-up/pack-up, that’s all we need, but if you would like to represent the organisation on a stall or other forum, we need you to attend the introductory volunteer training. This helps to set the scene, gives you a basic knowledge of HIV and a history of the work we do and what our aims are into the future. We have specialised training for more skills-heavy activities which can be done after this initial training has been completed.

We also require all volunteers to successflly complete the ACT Working with Vulnerable People’s checks, which are free for those doing it as a volunteer.

If you are interested in any of the below activities please contact Ben, our Volunteers Coordinator, on 6257 2855 or email ben.martin@aidsaction.org.au • Fairday Working Group/Volunteers • Rainbow Ride Working Group/Volunteers • World AIDS Day Working Groups/Volunteers • AIDS Awareness Week Working Group/Volunteers • Sexual Health Outreach Clinic (PACT) Volunteers • Peer Education Facilitation Volunteers • Gardening and maintenance • Grant writing • Community Outreach We also encourage anyone with skills and spare time that aren’t listed above, but have ideas for how you might be able to help with the work of the AIDS Action Council, we are always interested in your thoughts.

Results: Canberra 2013 Gay Community Periodic Survey If you cast your minds back to SpringOUT last year, many gay and bisexual men in Canberra will remember having generously donated some of their time at Fairday, Bushdance, Cube Nightclub, The Ranch or Canberra Sexual Health Centre, to share some information about themselves by filling

out a marathon survey. The numbers have been crunched for Canberra and while they haven’t quite got us clutching our pearls, there are some numbers which are cause for concern.

The survey is done every two years here in Canberra, asking sexually active and community attached gay and bisexual guys about their use, experience and/or attitudes towards condoms, HIV, STI check-ups and drug use. The research is conducted by the Centre for Social Research in Health at UNSW. In Canberra it is supported with funding from ACT Health and the AIDS Action Council. Recruiters are all fabulous and hard-working volunteers.

The Periodic Survey isn’t usually a highlight for most gay and bisexual men’s SpringOUT experience, but it is one of the most generous things these men can do for the community. The data from the survey provides information for the AIDS Action Council, clinicians, and policy-makers and also feeds into a bigger picture story about gay men in Australia.

The numbers everyone wants to know about is the use of condoms, and especially for casual sex. In 2013, just less than 30% of men with casual partners having any sex without condoms in the previous six months. This is actually a minor decline from 2009 and 2011, but is still higher than 2000 when the survey first started (22% to 28%). The number of men who only ever use condoms for casual sex has declined from 53% to 46%.

Other numbers of concern include one in six guys have never had an HIV or STI screening, and since 2003, the number of men who do not know the HIV status of their regular sexual partner has doubled to nearly 30%. The data shows that 61% of guys have had unprotected sex with their regular partner in the last 6 months, and with so many not knowing their partners status, they are potentially at risk of HIV. However, around 50% of relationships have absolutely no agreement about sex with other people.

There is a good deal of evidence which suggests that gay and bisexual men are making informed decisions about their health and their relationships. Regarding the numbers above, the majority of gay and bisexual men in Canberra are using condoms with casual partners most of the time – and this is a good thing. There has also been a steady increase in men who have had an HIV check-up in the last 12 months. Relationship agreements with regular partners have significantly increased, with the most common agreement being no sex outside of the relationship. There continues to be a trend in discussing HIV status with all sexual partners, including casual sex partners. There has been a minor decline in awareness of PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis), but it remains high at more than 65%.

Gay and bisexual men in the ACT continue to lead rich and complex sexual lives. The way gay and bisexual men meet, conduct relationships and their relationship to HIV is ever evolving. The AIDS Action Co¬¬¬¬uncil works to ensure everyone continues to have access up to date and relevant information for making informed choices. If you

AIDS Action Council of the ACT Newsletter July - August 2014 Page 15

have any questions or would like information regarding HIV, safe sex, PEP, getting a sexual health check or communication in relationships, give the Council a call on 02 6257 2855, email contact@aidsaction.org.au or check out www.aidsaction.org. au Snapshot: • 61% of guys have regular sexual partners, with monogamous relationships the most common relationship type in Canberra, reported by 31%.

• 61% of guys with a regular partner said they have had unprotected anal sex with their partner in 2013. This proportion is stable.

• 30% of men with casual partners reported any unprotected anal sex with those partners in the six months prior to survey. This number has not changed significantly between 2009 and 2013, but the trend over time is upwards.

• Nearly 50% of relationships have no agreements about sex outside of the relationship. 70% of relationships have agreements about sex and condom use within the relationship.

• The use of the internet has dropped significantly since 2009 (to 28% in 2013) while the use of mobile apps has become the most popular way to meet guys for sex (35%).

• Non-HIV-positive men reporting an HIV test in the 12 months prior to the survey was 67%. In 2003 this was 57%. 1 in 6 have never had an HIV or STI test.

• HIV-negative men in a relationship that don’t know the HIV status of their partner has risen from 14% in 2003 to 28% in 2013.

To read the full report visit: www.aidsaction.org.au/research

Survey Community Forum On June 28 the AIDS Action Council hosted a Community Forum to present the results of the Canberra 2013 Gay Community Periodic Survey. Associate Professor Martin Holt from the UNSW Centre for Social Research in Health made the trip down to Canberra on a very cold and inhospitable evening. Well over thirty highly engaged people crowded into the Westlund House Training Room to hear Martin, as well as a panel of community members, respond to the finding from the survey.

Martin started his presentation with the unsurprising revelation that Canberra was not all together unique in any of the survey findings. Indeed, many of the features that make Canberra stand out from other parts of Australia are higher levels of monogamous relationships and comparatively high levels of education. Canberra did not veer significantly from the norms around Australia.

This does not mean however that some of the numbers presented from the survey aren’t cause for concern. The increasing numbers of HIV diagnosis in the ACT, along with increased incidents of casual sexual encounters where

AIDS Action Council of the ACT Newsletter July - August 2014 Page 16

condoms are not used are not all together surprising. These encounters may not be entered into without some sort of informed decision making, as HIV testing rates within the last 12 months continue to generally trend up over the last decade.

Discussion with the community panel was lively and engaging, most people stayed until well after Martin had to leave to catch his flight back to Sydney. The panel was diverse in age, experiences and relationship to HIV. Ken Basham as an older person living long-term with HIV, Douglas Robinson is a vocal advocate amongst young LGBTI people, HIV nurse Philip Habel, Stephen Lawton who is a former Education Manager at the Council and Philippa Moss, Acting Executive Director.

There are still many questions which we need answered and we are looking forward to working with the Centre for Social Research in Health, as well as ACT Health as we dig further into the data. There are many avenues to explore such as what role, if any risk reduction strategies are being used by gay and bisexual men in Canberra, as well as where access to emerging technologies such as PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) and home testing sit within the range of strategies used to navigate HIV.

• Be part of a grass roots community organisation • Receive two free safe sex packs per year • Be kept up to date with the latest news and events at the Council • And much more!

www.aidsaction.org.au Contact the AIDS Action Council on (02) 6257 2855 or contact@aidsaction.org.au

Saturday1st November Westlund House, Gordon St Acton

Live entertainment, pet parade, kids zone, markets stalls, food and drink and much, much more!

AIDS Action Council of the ACT Newsletter July - August 2014 Page 17

Dates for your diary Dates are accurate at time of print August 14 16 21 23 28 29

STRIP Clinic at The Ranch 6:00-8:00pm STRIP Clinic at Westlund House 10:00am-12:00pm STRIP Clinic at The Ranch 6:00-8:00pm STRIP Clinic at Westlund House 10:00am-12:00pm STRIP Clinic at The Ranch 6:00-8:00pm Wear it Purple Day

September 17 29

Membership payments required to vote in AGM Family & Community Day Public Holiday

October 5 – 12 6 11 30 31

AIDS Action Council of the ACT Annual General Meeting 13 STRIP Clinic at The Ranch 6:00-8:00pm 15 STRIP Clinic at Westlund House 10:00am-12:00pm 15 Canberra Gay & Lesbian Tennis Club Bushdance 20 STRIP Clinic at The Ranch 6:00-8:00pm 22 STRIP Clinic at Westlund House 10:00am-12:00pm 24 – 1 AIDS Awareness Week 27 STRIP Clinic at The Ranch 6:00-8:00pm December 1 24

Mental Health Week Labour Day Public Holiday International Coming Out Day STRIP Clinic at The Ranch 6:00-8:00pm Reclaim the Night

25 26

World AIDS Day and Community Event AIDS Action Council end of year stand-down commences Christmas Day Public Holiday Boxing Day Public Holiday

January

November 1 – 30 1 6 8 8

12

SpringOUT Pride Festival Fairday STRIP Clinic at The Ranch 6:00-8:00pm STRIP Clinic at Westlund House 10:00am-12:00pm FUSE Annual Bake-off

1 5

New Year Day Public Holiday AIDS Action Council re-opens for 2015

AIDS ACTION COUNCIL OF THE ACT aidsaction.org.au GPO Box 229 Canberra ACT 2601 Westlund House 16 Gordon Street Acton ACT 2601 02 6257 2855