Welcome to CoPAHM's quarterly e-News! This is your source for the latest updates regarding HIV and mobility issues. If you have something you would like to share via CoPAHM please let us know. For broader news relating to sexual health, please view the SiREN e-News or subscribe by emailing siren@curtin.edu.au.

Please get in touch at copahm@curtin.edu.au if you need assistance accessing the research. 

Priority actions for HIV & Mobility document. Building on the Road Map, this work seeks to identify priority actions for addressing HIV among mobile and migrant communities living in and traveling to and from Australia, and create an operational plan for federal and state governments, non-government organisations, community groups and research institutes to work together. We hope to achieve a document with consensus from organisations working in HIV that demonstrates a shared commitment to the priority actions and the activity required to address them. For more information, and to have your say, please visit the website

Barriers to HIV testing among people born in sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia: Final Report released. This project sought to explore the barriers and enablers to HIV testing. Eleven focus groups with 77 migrants from WA, NSW, SA and VIC were conducted, alongside interviews with 11 general practitioners. The final report for this project is now available on the SiREN website

Australian Research Council Linkage Project success for SiREN and partners. The "Reducing health disparities for culturally and linguistically diverse peoples" project aims to better understand factors of poor STI and BBV health outcomes in migrants. This is a multi-jurisdictional project that will be conducted with a number of partners. A School of Public Health Masters student, Victoria Sande, is currently progressing the development of the survey tool. More information on this project will be released soon, so stay tuned! 

News

HIV and Mobility Forum: WA
The WA AIDS Council would like to invite you to a free Forum held on Wednesday 30th May from 8.30 am to 1pm at Crown Perth. The purpose of the Forum is to discuss establishing a Community of Practice for Action on HIV and Mobility (CoPAHM) in Western Australia. For more information and to register, click here

ASHM launches ALL GOOD website
ASHM have released ALL GOOD, a multi-language website which provides health information to multicultural consumers. The website was created in consultation with key representatives from multicultural health, community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and individuals. ALL GOOD delivers key information on BBVs and STIs, and provides tools and referral pathways to testing and treatment. Information is available in 17 different languages, including English, in both text and spoken word recordings. Visit the website here.

PrEP Factsheets
Australian Federation of Aids Organisations (AFAO) has produced a PrEP Fact Sheet to explain about PrEP and subsidies available. The factsheet is available in Plain English, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and Indonesian. View the factsheets here.

Sexual health videos for International students
The WA Department of Health has launched its 2018 “Be Safe. Stay Well” sexual health campaign for international students. The four short videos, available on the Healthy WA website, were developed in consultation with international students and aim to give students from across the world a good understanding of sexual health topics and the health care system in WA. View the videos here.

Research

Engaging Migrant and Refugee Young People with Sexual Health Care: Does Generation Matter More Than Culture?
Botfield et al. explored the complexities and opportunities for engaging young people with sexual and reproductive health information and care. The study found young people positioned themselves as being generationally distinct to 'older' people. The study recommended that attention be paid to ensuring young migrants and refugees feel included as members of a ‘young generation’. Read more here

People Born in Non–Main English Speaking Countries Are Less Likely to Start HIV Treatment Early in Australia
A national cohort analysis of people living with HIV by Gunaratnam et al. estimated the proportion of patients born in non–main English speaking countries in Australian sexual health clinics who had initiated treatment 6 months after diagnosis, compared with other patients. The study found CALD patients were significantly less likely than other patients to have started ART at 6 months after diagnosis. Read more here.

A Meta-analysis and Systematic Literature Review of Factors Associated with Sexual Risk-taking During International Travel
Svensson et al. examined evidence regarding determinants of travel-related sexual risk-taking. The review found non-condom use and multiple partners during travel was greater among young men. It recommended post-travel interventions to increase testing and treatment. Read more here

Exploring the influence of culture upon HIV diagnoses amongst sub-Saharan African communities in Australia
Research by Mullens et al. (2018) used a community forum to explore the relationship between cultural beliefs and health disparities around HIV diagnoses amongst sub-Saharan African (SSA) communities in Australia. The study found that HIV risk, prevention and testing were influenced by cultural beliefs and practices, both when visiting home countries and within Australia. The findings highlight the need to address cultural beliefs and practices in order to prevent HIV transmission. Read more here

HIV knowledge and the use of health services amongst migrant communities in WA
Gray et al. (2018) conducted a cross-sectional survey on HIV knowledge and the use of health services among sub-Saharan African and South East Asian migrants in WA. They found that a number of the participants held incorrect beliefs around HIV transmission and experienced barriers to accessing health services. The study identified that despite a high level of HIV knowledge, low HIV testing rates were reported. This research emphasises the need for culturally appropriate interventions to address barriers to HIV testing among this priority population. Read more here.