NEWS & RESOURCES

New Sexual Health Portal. The Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet has added a new sexual health portal to its website, which provides information about safe sex, healthy relationships, sexuality, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), blood-borne viruses (BBVs), sexual disorders and reproductive health. The portal has information about publications, policies, health promotion and practice resources, organisations and workforce information to provide up-to-date relevant information for those working in this important area. 

MiBSS Study Participant call-out. The MiBSS study is seeking individuals born in Sub Saharan Africa, South East Asia or North East Asia to participate in their study via an online survey. The study will help understand and improve sexual health and blood-borne virus outcomes in migrant populations. Click here to learn more, and complete the survey. 

Call for Content: Sexual Health Workforce Bulletin. The Australasian Society for HIV, Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM) is seeking submissions from individuals and organisations that reflect on the changes, challenges, successes, adaptations and innovations that you have experienced working in sexual, reproductive and transgender health in 2020, for the Sexual Health Workforce Bulletin. Submissions may be as short as 50 words. Submissions may include links and other images. Photos are encouraged but please ensure you have permission of everyone appearing in the photo. Send your contributions to sexualhealth@ashm.org.au. Please attach any images including logos that you would like to accompany your submission. Submissions close on Monday Nov, 30.

Young Deadly Free Evaluation. The YDF team are conducting a follow-up evaluation to assess whether young people, and health and community workers have seen the Young Deadly Free resources and what they think about these resources. There are two online surveys, one for young Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people aged 16–29 years and one for health and community workers. The surveys should take less than 5 minutes to complete. Each young person who completes the survey has the chance to enter a prize draw to win 1 of 4 $25 vouchers. Click here to complete the survey.

Updated Hepatitis C Guides. Hepatitis Australia has updated their Hepatitis C resources, including an informative video, and pamphlets for patients translated into Arabic, Hindi, Chinese Simplified and Vietnamese. Click here to view the resources. 

My Body. My Health. Jean Hailes and Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health have collaborated and developed a series of five educational presentations to help organisations deliver health information to women from migrant and refugee backgrounds. Development involved consultation and collaboration with service providers, clinicians, women from migrant and refugee communities, and multicultural health organisations. The toolkit is written in plain English and guided by health literacy principles, making it practical and easy to understand and use. It is specifically designed for women who don’t know the Australian healthcare system and struggle to make informed decisions about their health. Click here to view the toolkit. 

CONFERENCES

2020 Joint Australasian HIV&AIDS and Sexual Health Conferences: VIRTUAL. ASHM. The joint conference will now be delivered virtually this year, and ASHM would like to hear your thoughts on how the conference should be run.  More information to come. Click here to complete the short survey. Nov, 16 - 20. Online.

HIVR4P // Virtual - HIV Research for Prevention. The International AIDS Society. The conference will focus on today’s fast-changing HIV prevention paradigm, incorporating cutting-edge science on COVID-19. Delegates from around the world will be able to access the latest in biomedical HIV prevention research and implementation. Jan, 27 - 28 and Feb, 3 - 4 Feb. Online. 

Australasian Viral Hepatitis Conference. ASHM. The conference is run by ASHM in collaboration with key sector partners as a platform for the dissemination and presentation of new and innovative research findings and better management across the Australasian viral hepatitis sector.  Abstract submissions and registrations are now open. May 30 - June 1, 2021. Brisbane.

Finding Ground Conference. West Australian Council on Social Services. The conference will be one of the first major opportunities for the community service sector to take stock since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year's theme is Finding Ground: Building a better way back together. 22 - 24 February 2021. Fremantle. 

TRAINING & SEMINARS

NAIDOC Week. NAIDOC is celebrated not only in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, but by Australians from all walks of life. The theme of NAIDOC Week 2020 is Always was, always will be, which recognises that First Nations people have occupied and cared for this continent for over 65,000 years. All Australians are encouraged to participate in the celebrations and activities that take place across the nation during NAIDOC Week. Click here for events in your area. Nov 8 - 15. Australia wide. 

Aboriginal Health Strategy. Burnet Institute. This webinar will present the latest hepatitis C data from a national sentinel surveillance network of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ATLAS network) and the results of The Goanna Survey 2; a study of knowledge, risk practices and health service access for sexually transmissible infections and blood born viruses among young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Part of the EC Webinar series. Nov, 11. Online.

Rural Sexual Health Network Virtual Meeting: Sexual Health Promotion and Practice Beyond our Borders. Hear from rural health workers from the sexual health and blood-borne virus fields from all states and territories across Australia. A free online event and open to all interested rural workers. Nov 11, Online. 

Grant Applications and Finding Funding. Child and Adolescent Health Service, WA Department of Health. This seminar covers where and how to find grant opportunities and strategies for putting together a high quality grant application. It also focuses on understanding the grant review process, and how to submit and respond to reviewer comments. Nov, 13. Online, live seminar at Perth Children's Hospital and other locations around WA. 

Using hepatitis C notification data to increase access to the hepatitis C treatment and cure. Burnet Institute. This webinar will focus on research findings about logistical, ethical and policy issues associated with implementing a system of hepatitis C notification follow-up to locate people with hepatitis C, inform them about DAAs and link them into treatment. Part of the EC Webinar series. Nov, 18. Online.

Supporting young people engaging in sex work. The YEP Project and Magenta. This free professional development session is for Perth Youth Workers, to enable them to build their skills in supporting sex workers. The workshop will cover an introduction to Magenta’s services and introduction to sex work, sex work in society, tools for working with sex workers and more. Nov 18. Leederville. 

Sexual Health Update: Clinical and public health management of syphilis in WA. ASHM. This webinar will provide Western Australian health professionals with the information and tools required to improve syphilis screening and care for at-risk and key affected populations. The update will use clinical vignettes to illustrate the implications of the infectious syphilis outbreak in WA on health professionals’ practice. Nov, 24. Online. 

Australia's progress towards hepatitis C elimination: Burnet Kirby report launch. Burnet Institute. The webinar will launch the second annual “Australia’s progress towards hepatitis C elimination” report, jointly published by the Burnet and Kirby Institutes. The report brings together data from over 20 sources and provides an overview of progress towards hepatitis C elimination in key areas including: trends in new infections, testing and diagnosis, treatment uptake and outcomes, morbidity, stigma and discrimination, primary prevention, equity, and mathematical modelling. Part of the EC Webinar series. Nov, 25. Online.

Qualitative Research Methods. Child and Adolescent Health Service, WA Department of Health. The use of qualitative research methods is becoming more popular in health, either as the primary research method or as part of a mixed methods approach to investigating a health issue. Topics will include benefits of using qualitative research, types of qualitative methods and more. Nov, 27. Online, or live seminar at Perth Children's Hospital and other locations around WA.

Hepatitis C for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Health Practitioners. ASHM. This online training course aims to provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Health Practitioners with practical skills and knowledge in hepatitis C diagnosis and care to support their clients and communities. Nov, 27 and Dec, 4. Online.

Approaches to Syphilis Testing in Remote Settings. Sexual Health and Blood-borne Virus Program, Department of Health. This event is the next installment of the series of videoconferences designed to provide current information and updates related to the outbreaks of infectious syphilis in Western Australia. RSVP essential, by Nov 23. Click here. Nov, 30. Online.  

World AIDS Day. The WAAIDS Council invites you to save the date in light of World AIDS Day celebrations on Tuesday 1 December. The event will take place in Yagan Square all day which will be opened with a Welcome to Country performance and a community breakfast in the Amphitheatre. There will be information stalls showcasing WAAC and other peer organisations throughout the day, a pop up testing site, an interactive ribbon art installation, and a movie event in the evening. More information will be shared in the coming weeks. Dec, 1. Perth City.

The Birds and the BBVs. Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia. is a one or two-day training course which aims to bring together Aboriginal Health Workers and others who work with Aboriginal people to increase their knowledge, skills, motivation and confidence to yarn with clients and community about why testing for STIs, HIV and BBVs is important and identify ways to normalise testing within a routine health check. Dec, 8 - 9. Highgate. 

GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS

School Relationships and Sexuality Education Programs 2021 Grant. The Sexual Health and Blood-borne Virus Program, WA Department of Health. Small grants (of up to $850) are available to schools to support their Relationships and Sexuality Education programs. The aim of these grants is to provide resources that will assist in the provision of effective Relationships and Sexuality Education. Click here for instructions and eligibility criteria. Applications close March 5, 2021. 

AHPA Graduate Scholarships. The Australian Health Promotion Association WA Branch Scholarships Program is funded by Healthway and offers four six-month workplace scholarships starting in February 2021 under the following categories: one graduate scholarship; one Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scholarship; one regional scholarship (graduate and/or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) and; one scholarship of any category. Apply now.  Applications close November 13.