health
ComePrEPd: Trans man Vincent shares his PrEP journey
PrEP is a prevention strategy where HIV negative people take medication to prevent HIV infection. Taking PrEP is as simple as taking one oral pill a day. ComePrEPd is a community-driven HIV prevention campaign by the Queensland Council for LGBTI Health to increase awareness of PrEP. To find out more, visit the ComePrEPd website here. …
Doctors call for end to Australia’s gay blood donation bans
A Melbourne doctor has joined dozens of other medical professional to sign a new declaration calling for changes to Australian gay and trans blood donor policies. Currently, Australia’s Lifeblood donation service refuses male donors who have had sex with men in the past 12 months. In April, the Therapeutic Goods Administration approved a reduction of …
Glory Holelujah: NYC Safe Sex and COVID-19 guidance
The New York City Health Department which offered refreshingly frank safe sex and COVID-19 advice about three months ago, this month updated the advice. Glory Holelujah! Among the advice, the NYC Health recommends glory holes, masturbation, both solo and with a partner at distance and face masks but definitely no orgies. NYC Health begins by …
Queer Aussies reveal biggest struggles during COVID-19 isolation
Transgender people have had gender-affirming medical procedures delayed and young queer people have returned to unsupportive home environments due to COVID-19, according to a community survey. The NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby (NSWGLRL) surveyed the LGBTIQ community about the economic, health and safety impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The groups reported 65% of respondents …
How COVID-19 isolation impacts LGBTIQ Aussies’ mental health
A new study has revealed the mental health impacts of social isolation on the LGBTIQ community during the COVID-19 pandemic. The University of Tasmania study heard from over 200 Tasmanians on their health and social needs during coronavirus lockdown. The study found their concerns included mental health, loneliness, discrimination in healthcare, strained family relationships, and …
New study to support Australian ‘conversion therapy’ survivors
A new study led by a La Trobe University academic will investigate the impact of harmful LGBT “conversion therapy” in Australia. Dr Timothy Jones from the university will head a team researching how to better help survivors of the discredited practices. “Previous research has shown that attempts to change the sexual and gender orientation of …
No timeline yet for easing of gay blood donor restrictions
Gay and bisexual men may still face a lengthy wait before long-standing restrictions on them donating blood are eased. Currently, Australia’s Lifeblood donation service refuses gay blood donors who have had sex with men in the past 12 months. However last month, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved Lifeblood’s proposal to lower that deferral period …
Gay nurse with COVID-19 shares shocking before and after photos
A US man who contracted COVID-19 at an LGBTIQ festival in March has shared before and after photos after spending weeks hospitalised on a ventilator. Mike Schultz, who is a nurse in San Francisco, got sick after contracting the coronavirus at Florida’s Miami Winter Party Festival in early March, before US lockdown restrictions. A week …
Australian medical students take a stand against ‘conversion therapy’
The peak body representing thousands of Australian medical students has backed a ban on harmful so-called “gay conversion therapy”. In 2018, survivors of the “conversion” movement and allies penned the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Change Efforts (SOGICE) Survivor Statement. It calls on Australia to end the “conversion” movement by not only banning it, but …
Trial shows promise for PrEP alternative taken every two months
A new long-acting HIV prevention drug injected once every two months as an alternative to a daily pill for PrEP has seen success in a major trial. Currently, people who are at high risk of HIV can take a daily pill that’s 99% effective at stopping transmission. But drug giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has announced promising …