Priority actions for HIV & Mobility document. The HIV and Mobility in Australia: Priority Actions report builds upon the HIV and Mobility: Road Map for Action and identifies strategies that specifically address migrants and travellers. You can read more about it here, or endorse the document as an individual here.

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Sexual health help-seeking behaviour among migrants from sub-Saharan African and South East Asia living in high income countries. This systematic review found a need for more culturally secure health services and increased health service literacy will improve sexual health service access for migrants from sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia.

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SiREN Symposium: Roundtable on HIV and Mobility. An overview of the roundtable discussion on HIV and mobility held at the recent SiREN symposium in May is now available online here. 

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SiREN Symposium: Presentations online! The following presentations from the SiREN Symposium may be of interest:

• Professor Rebecca Guy, The Kirby Institute, UNSW  | HIV in migrant populations in Australia: A changing epidemiology

• Carol El-Hayek, Burnet Institute | Forming a migrant community network to build the capacity of communities around blood-borne virus and sexually transmissible infection prevention

• Amira Hosny, Curtin University | Barriers to HIV testing among adult women from South East Asia

• Dr Graham Brown, La Trobe University | Comparison of risk profile of gay men who acquired HIV while travelling with those who acquired HIV in Australia. 

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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. Lots of behind the scenes work has been happening so that the project can kick off in September. We will soon be advertising for several positions attached to the project:
      •    Project Coordinator (Research Fellow, postdoctoral) (full-time)
      •    Research Assistant (part-time)
      •    PhD Candidate (scholarship) (full-time) - applications open now

Detailed information on these positions will be available soon, however if you are interested or would like to find out more in the meantime, you can contact Principal Investigator Associate Professor Alison Reid: alison.reid@curtin.edu.au  

 

NEWS

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7 Good Reasons to Test Now. 7 Good Reasons to Test for HIV Now has been developed in partnership between Positive Life, the Multicultural HIV and Hepatitis Service (MHAHS), and Pozhet, and funded by NSW Health. It has been developed in English, Arabic, Chinese, Indonesian, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai and Vietnamese. View the campaign here. 

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Indaba HIV. This website offers practical information and resources for women living with HIV in South Australia, and for their service providers. Indaba seeks the meaningful involvement and participation of women living with HIV, with a focus on those from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, and aims to create support mechanisms to promote their health and wellbeing. For more information, click here. 

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Migration and HIV: blogging from the World AIDS Conference. Byran Teixeira writes from the World AIDS Conference in Amsterdam about HIV and migration here. 

 

RESEARCH

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Challenges facing Asian sex workers in Western Australia: Implications for health promotion and support services. Selvey et al. examined challenges facing Asian sex workers in Western Australia. Findings support the need for targeted, peer-based health promotion outreach services for Asian sex workers, increased Asian language services in sexual health clinics and decriminalisation of sex work. Read more here.

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Not so different? Comparison of risk profile of gay men who acquired HIV while travelling with those who acquired HIV in Australia. Gay men recently diagnosed with HIV were surveyed regarding the high risk event where they believe they acquired HIV. Those who acquired HIV while overseas had very similar risk profiles, sexual behaviour, and made similar assumptions about their partners and their own HIV status, as those who acquired HIV in Australia. A deeper understanding of contextual factors may be required for HIV prevention and health promotion strategies targeting gay men travelling to locations with different cultural, HIV prevalence, and HIV testing considerations. Read more here.

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HIV rapid testing in community and outreach sites: results of a demonstration project in Italy. Scognamiglio et al. investigated the uptake and success of rapid HIV testing offered to community members attending community outreach settings, including primary care services for migrants, services for people who inject drugs and NGOs in Italy. Results confirm that offering rapid HIV testing through community outreach is feasible, and may encourage HIV testing in those that have not previously been tested. Read more here.

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Accounts of learning about sex and relationships among migrant and refugee young people in Sydney, Australia: "I never got the talk about the birds and the bees". It is recognised that young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds are less likely to engage in mainstream relationship and sexuality education. This study found participants aged 16-24 felt that they were unable to discuss sexuality and sexual health matters with their parents, and often secondary school provided the first opportunity to engage with these issues. Researchers concluded that schools are viewed as a trusted and safe setting for discussion of sexual health issues among refugee and migrant young people, and accessible and appropriate sexual health education may lead to greater engagement with health services in the future. Read more here.

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When HIV figures in family life; exploring the relational reach of serodiscordance. This qualitative study explored the social and cultural impact of HIV serodiscordance among partners and extended family members in couples of mixed HIV status in New South Wales, Australia. 11 participants were born overseas. The study identified two main themes, the disclosure of HIV status to family and pursuing parenthood as a serodiscordant couple. It was concluded that despite medical advancements in HIV management, implications in intimate and extended family relationships continue to be diverse and challenging. Continue reading here.