Rev. Steve Pieters, an HIV survivor and gay activist who helped shift views around HIV/AIDS the ’80s, has died at 70. Pieters was known for his landmark terview wh televangelist Tammy Faye Baker on her broadst which went to lns of nservative Christians. Sunday TODAY’s Willie Geist remembers a life well lived.
Contents:
- HIV AMONG GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN THE U.S.
- HIV S ARE RISG AMONG STRAIGHT PEOPLE. ADVOT SAY A NEW STRATEGY IS NEEDADVOT SAY A NEW PUBLIC HEALTH MPAIGN IS NEED TO REACH POPULATN GROUPS WHERE S OF HIV ARE ON THE RISE ATRALIA.JANE COSTELLO SAYS STIGMA IS STILL A HDRANCE TO DRIVG DOWN HIV TRANSMISSN RAT AND ENURAGG MORE PEOPLE TO GET SCREENED REGULARLY. SOURCE: SUPPLIED / JANE COSTELLOKEY POTSADVOT SAY DIFFERENT STRATEGI ARE NEED TO REACH EMERGG AT-RISK GROUPS.HIV RAT ARE GROWG FASTT AMONG HETEROSEXUAL MEN AND WOMEN. THOSE WHO ARE SEXUALLY ACTIVE ARE ADVISED TO SEEK A FULL SEXUAL HEALTH SCREEN AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR.WHEN JANE COSTELLO FOUND OUT SHE HAD HIV, SHE WAS SURPRISED. AS A HETEROSEXUAL WOMAN A MONOGAMO RELATNSHIP, SHE DIDN'T THK SHE WAS AT RISK. "IF YOU HAD ASKED ME IF I WAS AT RISK OF HIV BACK THEN I WOULD HAVE SAID NO. AND I THK THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE STILL THK TODAY," SHE TOLD SBS NEWS.IT WAS THE EARLY 1990S AND THE FOC AT THAT TIME FOR HIV OUTREACH WAS GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN. HER PARTNER, WHO LATER BEME HER HBAND, RECEIVED A DIAGNOSIS THAT LED HER TO GET TTED. READ MORETHERE ARE FEARS THE GLOBAL RPONSE AGAST HIV IS 'SEVERE DANGER'. WHY?"IT TOOK A YEAR-AND-A-HALF FOR HIM TO BE DIAGNOSED. NOBODY THOUGHT TO TT HIM BEE AT THAT TIME WAS PREDOMANTLY GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN WHO WERE DIAGNOSED WH HIV," SHE SAID.COSTELLO IS THE CEO OF POSIVE LIFE NSW, A GROUP REPRENTG THOSE LIVG WH HIV THE STATE. THE ANISATN WORKS G A PEER MOL WHERE THOSE LIVG WH HIV ARE SUPPORTED BY OTHERS WH LIVED EXPERIENCE. "SO WE'VE GOT A DIVERSE RANGE OF PEOPLE: YOUNG HETEROSEXUAL WOMAN, HETEROSEXUAL MEN, PEOPLE OM CULTURALLY LGUISTILLY DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS," SHE SAID.HER EXPERIENCE SHOWS UP THE LATT ANNUAL DATA ON HIV RAT ATRALIA. HIV TRANSMISSN RISG AMONG WIR POPULATNCOLLECTED BY THE KIRBY INSTUTE AT UNSW, THE 2022 NUMBERS SHOW HIV SE NUMBERS ARE GROWG THE FASTT AMONG HETEROSEXUAL WOMEN AND MEN (30 PER CENT OF S), FIRST NATNS ATRALIANS, AND THOSE BORN OVERSEAS. GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN STILL ACUNT FOR THE MAJORY OF THE 555 NEW DIAGNOS OF HIV 2022, BUT OVER A 10-YEAR PERD THE SE NUMBERS HAVE CLED BY 50 PER CENT. READ MOREMORE THAN 70 PER CENT OF MIGRANT WOMEN ATRALIA SAY THEY N'T AFFORD TO SEE A DOCTORDR SKYE MCGREGOR OM THE KIRBY INSTUTE SAID THE DATA REVEALED THE NEED FOR PREVENTN STRATEGI TARGETED AT ALL POPULATNS. "THE DATA SUGGT THAT, TO ELIMATE HIV, THERE NEEDS TO BE CREASG FOC ON PREVENTN STRATEGI THAT ENPASS ALL POPULATNS, CLUDG HETEROSEXUAL MEN AND WOMEN, PARTICULARLY AS WE ALL BEG TO TRAVEL MORE FOLLOWG THE RELAXG OF COVID-19 NTROL MEASUR," SHE TOLD SBS NEWS."THIS CLUS SAFE SEX TRAVEL MPAIGNS AND REGULAR SEXUAL HEALTH CHECKS UPS WHICH CLU HIV TTG."ATRALIA MOVG CLOSER TO 2030 TARGETDARRYL O'DONNELL, THE CEO OF ADVOCY GROUP HEALTH EQUY MATTERS, SAID ATRALIA'S SUCCS RCG OVERALL TRANSMISSN RAT THE LAST IS PRAISEWORTHY. "BY GLOBAL STANDARDS, AND ALSO WH ATRALIA'S HISTORY, THE ARE THE LOWT (ANNUAL) NUMBERS WE'VE SEEN TO DATE," HE SAID. HE SAID MONORG WHERE TRANSMISSN IS GROWG WILL BE KEY TO ACHIEVG THE 2030 GOAL SET BY UNAIDS TO ACHIEVE A 90 PER CENT RCTN HIV FECTNS AND AIDS-RELATED ATHS PARED TO THE 2010 BASELE. "SO WE ARE VERY EXCED AND PLEASED TO BE TRACKG TOWARDS VERY LOW RAT OF HIV TRANSMISSN. BUT THIS IS AN FECT DISEASE, SO YOU N'T STOP WORKG TOWARDS ELIMATN UNTIL 'S OVER. IF WE STOP OUR WORK, THE EPIMIC WILL TAKE OFF AGA."INCREASED ACCS TO HIV TREATMENT KEY TO RCED TRANSMISSNHE SAYS CREASED ACCS TO THE PRCRIPTN ANTIRETROVIRAL TABLET MEDITN PREP (PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS) HAS BEEN KEY TO THE SUCCS ACHIEVED DRIVG DOWN S OVER THE LAST .THE TREATMENT IS SUBSIDISED BY THE ERNMENT THROUGH THE PHARMACTIL BENEFS SCHEME. ADVOT HAVE ALSO BEEN SUCCSFUL HELPG TO BRG ABOUT A ERNMENT-FUND SCHEME ACROSS ATRALIAN STAT AND TERRORI, WHICH ALLOWS THOSE WHOUT MEDIRE TO ACCS HIV TREATMENT EE OF CHARGE OR AT LOW ST THROUGH ERNMENT-FUND HOSPAL PHARMACI.THE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MA BY THE FERAL ERNMENT ON 1 DECEMBER 2021, WH ATRALIAN STAT AND TERRORI PLETG THE ROLLOUT OF THE SCHEME THIS YEAR.COSTELLO, WELED THE CREASED ACCS, SAYG IS CRIL TO ACHIEVG THE 2030 GOAL TO "END THE AIDS EPIMIC". "IT WILL MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE BEE WE KNOW THAT IF PEOPLE ARE ON MEDITN THEY N MATA AN UNTECTABLE VIRAL LOAD AND THAT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT [WHEN TO ENDG HIV TRANSMISSN]."STIGMA STILL A BARRIERCOSTELLO SAYS HER OWN LIVED EXPERIENCE WH HIV AND THE STORI OF OTHERS THE POSIVE LIFE WORK UNRLE THE IMPORTANCE OF BUILDG TST AND RAPPORT WH TARGET POPULATNS. SHE SAID ANY SUCCSFUL PUBLIC HEALTH MPAIGN WOULD NEED TO E IMAGERY AND LANGUAGE THAT REACHED THE TARGET DIENCE. "I SEE A LOT OF YOUNG WOMEN HERE AND THEY SAY THAT EVEN WHEN THEY GO TO SEXUAL HEALTH CLICS, ALL OF THE RMATN ON THE WALLS AND PAMPHLETS DON'T SPEAK TO THEM."COSTELLO REMEMBERS BEG GIVEN THE PROGNOSIS THE 1990S THAT SHE WOULD ONLY LIVE FOR THREE YEARS. WH THE VELOPMENT OF HIV TREATMENTS, SHE HAS NOW BEEN LIVG WH THE DISEASE FOR 29 YEARS.READ MORETHE US HAS BEE THE LATT NATN TO REMOVE S 'GAY BLOOD BAN'. WILL ATRALIA FOLLOW?SHE SAID STIGMA STILL EXISTED AND THAT ULD IMPACT THE EQUENCY WH WHICH PEOPLE SOUGHT SEXUAL HEALTH SCREENGS, AS WELL AS HOW QUICKLY THEY GOT ONTO THE MEDITN. "SOMETHG THAT WE OFTEN HEAR OM PEOPLE WHO ARE NEWLY DIAGNOSED: I DIDN'T THK I WAS AT RISK," COSTELLO SAID."GETTG A HEALTH SCREENG IS ABOUT KNOWG WHAT YOUR HEALTH SUATN IS. THAT EMPOWERS YOU TO MAKE REALLY GOOD CISNS ABOUT YOUR HEALTH OUT AND YOUR HEALTH GOG FORWARD."SHE SAID THOSE WHO ARE SEXUALLY ACTIVE SHOULD BE HAVG A FULL SEXUAL HEALTH SCREEN AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR. IT'S REMEND EVERY THREE MONTHS FOR GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN. WHAT WOULD A SUCCSFUL AWARENS MPAIGN LOOK LIKE?THE ANISATN IS ABOUT TO LNCH A NEW HEALTH MPAIGN FEATURG THE SLOGAN 'N'T PASS ON', WHICH IS SPIRED BY SUCCSFUL MPAIGNS UNTRI LIKE THE UK AND CANADA. "WE WORK WH PREVENTN MSAGG. WE CERTALY WORK AROUND TTG AND TREATMENT AS WELL," COSTELLO SAID."BUT YOU'VE ALSO GOT TO FACTOR STIGMA AND DISCRIMATN. I DON'T THK WE'VE ACHIEVED A GREAT AL HOW HIV IS SEEN THE WIR POPULATN; AND THE STIGMA THAT STILL EXISTS AROUND GETTG A NEW HIV DIAGNOSIS."SHE SAID THE 1987 GRIM REAPER AD THAT WAS BROADST ON ATRALIAN TELEVISN ED FEAR AS A TACTIC, WHICH END UP FURTHER STIGMATISG THOSE LIVG WH HIV. COSTELLO SAID EFFECTIVE MSAGG TODAY WOULD NEED TO E MORE EMPOWERG LANGUAGE."IF WE'RE TALKG ABOUT A BROAR NVERSATN, WE NEED TO REALLY TALK ABOUT NORMALISG, FOR WANT OF A BETTER EXPRSN, HIV. WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT SEXUAL HEALTH AS SIMPLY ANOTHER WAY OF LOOKG AFTER YOURSELF AND YOUR OWN HEALTH," SHE SAID."PEOPLE NEED TO BE REALLY PROACTIVE ABOUT SEXUAL HEALTH, BUT ALSO ABOUT THEIR HEALTH MORE BROADLY. IF WE N SOMEHOW RPORATE SEXUAL HEALTH TO AN OVERALL HEALTH AND WELLBEG APPROACH, I THK THAT WOULD HAVE BETTER OUT."ABORIGAL AND TORR STRA ISLANRS ANOTHER AT-RISK GROUPHIV DIAGNOS AMONG ABORIGAL AND TORR STRA ISLANR PEOPL HAVE CREASED OVER THE PAST YEAR, WH 25 DIAGNOS 2022.BUNDJALUNG MAN ROBERT MONAGHAN IS THE MANAGER OF ABORIGAL AND TORR STRA ISLANR HEALTH REARCH AT THE KIRBY INSTUTE. HE SAID EVEN THOUGH THE TOTAL NUMBER WAS LOW, WAS IMPORTANT TO ENSURE DIDN'T NTUE TO RISE. "WE NEED TO GET AHEAD OF THIS. IT ULD BE VERY TASTROPHIC IF THIS GETS OUT [SPREADS]," HE TOLD SBS NEWS."EVEN THOUGH THE NUMBERS ARE LOW, ULD BE VERY DIRE THE ABORIGAL MUNY. ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE NATURE OF ABORIGAL PEOPLE, LIVG VERY CLOSE TO PROXIMY TO ONE ANOTHER REMOTE MUNI; THE TTG FACILI AREN'T THE SAME AS THE METROPOLAN AREAS." ROBERT MONAGHAN SAYS ACTN NEEDS TO BE TAKEN TO ENSURE HIV TRANSMISSN DON'T RISE ABORIGAL AND TORR STRA ISLANR MUNI. SOURCE: SUPPLIED / KIRBY INSTUTEMONAGHAN SAID EFFORTS NEED TO FOC ON REACHG ABORIGAL AND TORR STRA ISLANRS THE 16-29 AGE GROUP."THEY TEND TO BE LS NCERNED ABOUT THEIR HEALTH. WE NEED TO GET TO THEM EARLY," HE SAID.MONAGHAN SAID ANY PUBLIC HEALTH MSAGG WOULD NEED TO RCE STIGMA, NOT ADD TO . HE ALSO DISMISSED THE FEAR TACTICS ED THE 1987 GRIM REAPER AD. "I THK 2023 WE'VE MOVED ON A LOT OM THE GRIM REAPER APPROACH [AND] SRG THE LIVG DAYLIGHTS OUT OF PEOPLE. WE'RE MORE ACCEPTG OF PEOPLE LIVG WH HIV. WE'RE MORE ACCEPTG OF GENR DIVERSY. SERVIC WANT TO ENGAGE. BUT IS HOW TO ENGAGE — THAT IS THE CHALLENGE."ADDNAL REPORTG BY LUCY MURRAYSHARE8 M READPUBLISHED 21 JULY 2023 6:19AMBY BIWA KWANSOURCE: SBS NEWSTAGSHEALTHATRALIASHARE THIS WH FAY AND IENDSCOPY LKSHAREREMEND FOR YOU
- REV. STEPHEN PIETERS, HIV SURVIVOR AND GAY ACTIVIST, DI AT 70
HIV AMONG GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN THE U.S.
The high percentage of gay and bisexual men who are livg wh HIV means that, as a group, they have a greater risk of beg exposed to HIV; browse lks here. * of hiv gay *
Gay and bisexual men n take the followg steps to rce their risk of HIV fectn:. New HIV fectns cled among gay and bisexual men the last , but HIV ntu to disproportnately affect gay and bisexual men relative to other muni the U.
Progrs rcg new HIV fectns among gay and bisexual men has also not been equal, wh differenc by race, ethnicy, and age.
HIV S ARE RISG AMONG STRAIGHT PEOPLE. ADVOT SAY A NEW STRATEGY IS NEEDADVOT SAY A NEW PUBLIC HEALTH MPAIGN IS NEED TO REACH POPULATN GROUPS WHERE S OF HIV ARE ON THE RISE ATRALIA.JANE COSTELLO SAYS STIGMA IS STILL A HDRANCE TO DRIVG DOWN HIV TRANSMISSN RAT AND ENURAGG MORE PEOPLE TO GET SCREENED REGULARLY. SOURCE: SUPPLIED / JANE COSTELLOKEY POTSADVOT SAY DIFFERENT STRATEGI ARE NEED TO REACH EMERGG AT-RISK GROUPS.HIV RAT ARE GROWG FASTT AMONG HETEROSEXUAL MEN AND WOMEN. THOSE WHO ARE SEXUALLY ACTIVE ARE ADVISED TO SEEK A FULL SEXUAL HEALTH SCREEN AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR.WHEN JANE COSTELLO FOUND OUT SHE HAD HIV, SHE WAS SURPRISED. AS A HETEROSEXUAL WOMAN A MONOGAMO RELATNSHIP, SHE DIDN'T THK SHE WAS AT RISK. "IF YOU HAD ASKED ME IF I WAS AT RISK OF HIV BACK THEN I WOULD HAVE SAID NO. AND I THK THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE STILL THK TODAY," SHE TOLD SBS NEWS.IT WAS THE EARLY 1990S AND THE FOC AT THAT TIME FOR HIV OUTREACH WAS GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN. HER PARTNER, WHO LATER BEME HER HBAND, RECEIVED A DIAGNOSIS THAT LED HER TO GET TTED. READ MORETHERE ARE FEARS THE GLOBAL RPONSE AGAST HIV IS 'SEVERE DANGER'. WHY?"IT TOOK A YEAR-AND-A-HALF FOR HIM TO BE DIAGNOSED. NOBODY THOUGHT TO TT HIM BEE AT THAT TIME WAS PREDOMANTLY GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN WHO WERE DIAGNOSED WH HIV," SHE SAID.COSTELLO IS THE CEO OF POSIVE LIFE NSW, A GROUP REPRENTG THOSE LIVG WH HIV THE STATE. THE ANISATN WORKS G A PEER MOL WHERE THOSE LIVG WH HIV ARE SUPPORTED BY OTHERS WH LIVED EXPERIENCE. "SO WE'VE GOT A DIVERSE RANGE OF PEOPLE: YOUNG HETEROSEXUAL WOMAN, HETEROSEXUAL MEN, PEOPLE OM CULTURALLY LGUISTILLY DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS," SHE SAID.HER EXPERIENCE SHOWS UP THE LATT ANNUAL DATA ON HIV RAT ATRALIA. HIV TRANSMISSN RISG AMONG WIR POPULATNCOLLECTED BY THE KIRBY INSTUTE AT UNSW, THE 2022 NUMBERS SHOW HIV SE NUMBERS ARE GROWG THE FASTT AMONG HETEROSEXUAL WOMEN AND MEN (30 PER CENT OF S), FIRST NATNS ATRALIANS, AND THOSE BORN OVERSEAS. GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN STILL ACUNT FOR THE MAJORY OF THE 555 NEW DIAGNOS OF HIV 2022, BUT OVER A 10-YEAR PERD THE SE NUMBERS HAVE CLED BY 50 PER CENT. READ MOREMORE THAN 70 PER CENT OF MIGRANT WOMEN ATRALIA SAY THEY N'T AFFORD TO SEE A DOCTORDR SKYE MCGREGOR OM THE KIRBY INSTUTE SAID THE DATA REVEALED THE NEED FOR PREVENTN STRATEGI TARGETED AT ALL POPULATNS. "THE DATA SUGGT THAT, TO ELIMATE HIV, THERE NEEDS TO BE CREASG FOC ON PREVENTN STRATEGI THAT ENPASS ALL POPULATNS, CLUDG HETEROSEXUAL MEN AND WOMEN, PARTICULARLY AS WE ALL BEG TO TRAVEL MORE FOLLOWG THE RELAXG OF COVID-19 NTROL MEASUR," SHE TOLD SBS NEWS."THIS CLUS SAFE SEX TRAVEL MPAIGNS AND REGULAR SEXUAL HEALTH CHECKS UPS WHICH CLU HIV TTG."ATRALIA MOVG CLOSER TO 2030 TARGETDARRYL O'DONNELL, THE CEO OF ADVOCY GROUP HEALTH EQUY MATTERS, SAID ATRALIA'S SUCCS RCG OVERALL TRANSMISSN RAT THE LAST IS PRAISEWORTHY. "BY GLOBAL STANDARDS, AND ALSO WH ATRALIA'S HISTORY, THE ARE THE LOWT (ANNUAL) NUMBERS WE'VE SEEN TO DATE," HE SAID. HE SAID MONORG WHERE TRANSMISSN IS GROWG WILL BE KEY TO ACHIEVG THE 2030 GOAL SET BY UNAIDS TO ACHIEVE A 90 PER CENT RCTN HIV FECTNS AND AIDS-RELATED ATHS PARED TO THE 2010 BASELE. "SO WE ARE VERY EXCED AND PLEASED TO BE TRACKG TOWARDS VERY LOW RAT OF HIV TRANSMISSN. BUT THIS IS AN FECT DISEASE, SO YOU N'T STOP WORKG TOWARDS ELIMATN UNTIL 'S OVER. IF WE STOP OUR WORK, THE EPIMIC WILL TAKE OFF AGA."INCREASED ACCS TO HIV TREATMENT KEY TO RCED TRANSMISSNHE SAYS CREASED ACCS TO THE PRCRIPTN ANTIRETROVIRAL TABLET MEDITN PREP (PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS) HAS BEEN KEY TO THE SUCCS ACHIEVED DRIVG DOWN S OVER THE LAST .THE TREATMENT IS SUBSIDISED BY THE ERNMENT THROUGH THE PHARMACTIL BENEFS SCHEME. ADVOT HAVE ALSO BEEN SUCCSFUL HELPG TO BRG ABOUT A ERNMENT-FUND SCHEME ACROSS ATRALIAN STAT AND TERRORI, WHICH ALLOWS THOSE WHOUT MEDIRE TO ACCS HIV TREATMENT EE OF CHARGE OR AT LOW ST THROUGH ERNMENT-FUND HOSPAL PHARMACI.THE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MA BY THE FERAL ERNMENT ON 1 DECEMBER 2021, WH ATRALIAN STAT AND TERRORI PLETG THE ROLLOUT OF THE SCHEME THIS YEAR.COSTELLO, WELED THE CREASED ACCS, SAYG IS CRIL TO ACHIEVG THE 2030 GOAL TO "END THE AIDS EPIMIC". "IT WILL MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE BEE WE KNOW THAT IF PEOPLE ARE ON MEDITN THEY N MATA AN UNTECTABLE VIRAL LOAD AND THAT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT [WHEN TO ENDG HIV TRANSMISSN]."STIGMA STILL A BARRIERCOSTELLO SAYS HER OWN LIVED EXPERIENCE WH HIV AND THE STORI OF OTHERS THE POSIVE LIFE WORK UNRLE THE IMPORTANCE OF BUILDG TST AND RAPPORT WH TARGET POPULATNS. SHE SAID ANY SUCCSFUL PUBLIC HEALTH MPAIGN WOULD NEED TO E IMAGERY AND LANGUAGE THAT REACHED THE TARGET DIENCE. "I SEE A LOT OF YOUNG WOMEN HERE AND THEY SAY THAT EVEN WHEN THEY GO TO SEXUAL HEALTH CLICS, ALL OF THE RMATN ON THE WALLS AND PAMPHLETS DON'T SPEAK TO THEM."COSTELLO REMEMBERS BEG GIVEN THE PROGNOSIS THE 1990S THAT SHE WOULD ONLY LIVE FOR THREE YEARS. WH THE VELOPMENT OF HIV TREATMENTS, SHE HAS NOW BEEN LIVG WH THE DISEASE FOR 29 YEARS.READ MORETHE US HAS BEE THE LATT NATN TO REMOVE S 'GAY BLOOD BAN'. WILL ATRALIA FOLLOW?SHE SAID STIGMA STILL EXISTED AND THAT ULD IMPACT THE EQUENCY WH WHICH PEOPLE SOUGHT SEXUAL HEALTH SCREENGS, AS WELL AS HOW QUICKLY THEY GOT ONTO THE MEDITN. "SOMETHG THAT WE OFTEN HEAR OM PEOPLE WHO ARE NEWLY DIAGNOSED: I DIDN'T THK I WAS AT RISK," COSTELLO SAID."GETTG A HEALTH SCREENG IS ABOUT KNOWG WHAT YOUR HEALTH SUATN IS. THAT EMPOWERS YOU TO MAKE REALLY GOOD CISNS ABOUT YOUR HEALTH OUT AND YOUR HEALTH GOG FORWARD."SHE SAID THOSE WHO ARE SEXUALLY ACTIVE SHOULD BE HAVG A FULL SEXUAL HEALTH SCREEN AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR. IT'S REMEND EVERY THREE MONTHS FOR GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN. WHAT WOULD A SUCCSFUL AWARENS MPAIGN LOOK LIKE?THE ANISATN IS ABOUT TO LNCH A NEW HEALTH MPAIGN FEATURG THE SLOGAN 'N'T PASS ON', WHICH IS SPIRED BY SUCCSFUL MPAIGNS UNTRI LIKE THE UK AND CANADA. "WE WORK WH PREVENTN MSAGG. WE CERTALY WORK AROUND TTG AND TREATMENT AS WELL," COSTELLO SAID."BUT YOU'VE ALSO GOT TO FACTOR STIGMA AND DISCRIMATN. I DON'T THK WE'VE ACHIEVED A GREAT AL HOW HIV IS SEEN THE WIR POPULATN; AND THE STIGMA THAT STILL EXISTS AROUND GETTG A NEW HIV DIAGNOSIS."SHE SAID THE 1987 GRIM REAPER AD THAT WAS BROADST ON ATRALIAN TELEVISN ED FEAR AS A TACTIC, WHICH END UP FURTHER STIGMATISG THOSE LIVG WH HIV. COSTELLO SAID EFFECTIVE MSAGG TODAY WOULD NEED TO E MORE EMPOWERG LANGUAGE."IF WE'RE TALKG ABOUT A BROAR NVERSATN, WE NEED TO REALLY TALK ABOUT NORMALISG, FOR WANT OF A BETTER EXPRSN, HIV. WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT SEXUAL HEALTH AS SIMPLY ANOTHER WAY OF LOOKG AFTER YOURSELF AND YOUR OWN HEALTH," SHE SAID."PEOPLE NEED TO BE REALLY PROACTIVE ABOUT SEXUAL HEALTH, BUT ALSO ABOUT THEIR HEALTH MORE BROADLY. IF WE N SOMEHOW RPORATE SEXUAL HEALTH TO AN OVERALL HEALTH AND WELLBEG APPROACH, I THK THAT WOULD HAVE BETTER OUT."ABORIGAL AND TORR STRA ISLANRS ANOTHER AT-RISK GROUPHIV DIAGNOS AMONG ABORIGAL AND TORR STRA ISLANR PEOPL HAVE CREASED OVER THE PAST YEAR, WH 25 DIAGNOS 2022.BUNDJALUNG MAN ROBERT MONAGHAN IS THE MANAGER OF ABORIGAL AND TORR STRA ISLANR HEALTH REARCH AT THE KIRBY INSTUTE. HE SAID EVEN THOUGH THE TOTAL NUMBER WAS LOW, WAS IMPORTANT TO ENSURE DIDN'T NTUE TO RISE. "WE NEED TO GET AHEAD OF THIS. IT ULD BE VERY TASTROPHIC IF THIS GETS OUT [SPREADS]," HE TOLD SBS NEWS."EVEN THOUGH THE NUMBERS ARE LOW, ULD BE VERY DIRE THE ABORIGAL MUNY. ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE NATURE OF ABORIGAL PEOPLE, LIVG VERY CLOSE TO PROXIMY TO ONE ANOTHER REMOTE MUNI; THE TTG FACILI AREN'T THE SAME AS THE METROPOLAN AREAS." ROBERT MONAGHAN SAYS ACTN NEEDS TO BE TAKEN TO ENSURE HIV TRANSMISSN DON'T RISE ABORIGAL AND TORR STRA ISLANR MUNI. SOURCE: SUPPLIED / KIRBY INSTUTEMONAGHAN SAID EFFORTS NEED TO FOC ON REACHG ABORIGAL AND TORR STRA ISLANRS THE 16-29 AGE GROUP."THEY TEND TO BE LS NCERNED ABOUT THEIR HEALTH. WE NEED TO GET TO THEM EARLY," HE SAID.MONAGHAN SAID ANY PUBLIC HEALTH MSAGG WOULD NEED TO RCE STIGMA, NOT ADD TO . HE ALSO DISMISSED THE FEAR TACTICS ED THE 1987 GRIM REAPER AD. "I THK 2023 WE'VE MOVED ON A LOT OM THE GRIM REAPER APPROACH [AND] SRG THE LIVG DAYLIGHTS OUT OF PEOPLE. WE'RE MORE ACCEPTG OF PEOPLE LIVG WH HIV. WE'RE MORE ACCEPTG OF GENR DIVERSY. SERVIC WANT TO ENGAGE. BUT IS HOW TO ENGAGE — THAT IS THE CHALLENGE."ADDNAL REPORTG BY LUCY MURRAYSHARE8 M READPUBLISHED 21 JULY 2023 6:19AMBY BIWA KWANSOURCE: SBS NEWSTAGSHEALTHATRALIASHARE THIS WH FAY AND IENDSCOPY LKSHAREREMEND FOR YOU
Factors that fluence health out—cludg HIV-related stigma, homophobia, racism, discrimatn, poverty, limed accs to high-qualy health re, and other longstandg barriers—have ntributed to the unequal reach of HIV preventn and treatment; higher levels of HIV some muni; and ntued equi. Addnally, 2020, 49% fewer HIV tts were admistered among gay and bisexual men non-healthre settgs than 2019.
REV. STEPHEN PIETERS, HIV SURVIVOR AND GAY ACTIVIST, DI AT 70
Wh effective preventn and treatment tools at our disposal, the natn has a s--the-makg opportuny to end the domtic HIV epimic and elimate dispari HIV preventn and re among gay and bisexual men and other populatns disproportnately affected by HIV.
And I thk that's what a lot of people still thk today, " she told SBS was the early 1990s and the foc at that time for HIV outreach was gay and bisexual men.
Nobody thought to tt him bee at that time was predomantly gay and bisexual men who were diagnosed wh HIV, " she said. Gay and bisexual men still acunt for the majory of the 555 new diagnos of HIV 2022, but over a 10-year perd the se numbers have cled by 50 per cent.