health
Young queer women reporting high levels of psychological distress: NSW study
Young LGBTIQ women in New South Wales are reporting experiencing high or very high levels of psychological distress, according to new research from the periodic Sydney Women and Sexual Health Survey (SWASH) released this week. The biennial survey, conducted by ACON and the University of Sydney, collected data from nearly 1300 participants in 2018, ranging …
Here’s how you can beat the dreaded back acne
Bacne can be a bigger issue than facial acne due to the lack of information available, so we went to the experts at Australian Skin Clinics to find out some straightforward facts about it. What is it? Bacne has the same characteristics as facial acne, including pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, red spots, oily skin and even …
OPINION: Five ways we still need to progress LGBTIQ rights in Australia
By Liam Elphick, University of Western Australia Wednesday, November 15 2017, Northbridge Plaza, Perth, 7.00am: “Yes responses, 7,817,247, representing 61.6% …” read the chief statistician of the Australian Bureau of Statistics, David Kalisch, on the big screen. The huge crowd erupted. Hugging, crying, comfort, joy. That was one of the happiest moments of my life, …
AskDocQ: Here’s your survival guide for your Mardi Gras weekend
It’s Mardi Gras season, when the eastern seaboard of Australia is inundated with rainbow-festooned tourists, and there’s a mad rush for tickets to the parties and after-parties and pool parties and recovery parties. If you’ve spent the last few months working on your abs and butt to show off those new shorty shorts you’ve bought, …
AskDocQ: When Things Go Wrong During Chemsex, Getting Urgent Help May Save Your Life
If you or someone you know uses drugs such as crystal meth, mephedrone or GHB, especially in group situations with strangers, then it’s important to understand how to manage common emergencies in this environment. Things can go seriously wrong, and urgent help may be life-saving. People have died due to the seriousness of their condition …
Condoms, Condoms And More Condoms!
No one wants an STI (sexually transmitted infection), nevertheless STI rates have increased in Queensland, particularly in men who have sex with men. It’s time to say no and Stop the Rise of STIs like chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis. PrEP is great. One daily pill decreases the risk of contracting HIV and its introduction has …
‘Their Lives Were Intertwined’: Story Of Two Remarkable Queensland Women
Phyllis Cilento has, in recent years, been lauded as Queensland’s great female medical pioneer, a title that rightfully belongs to another woman. However, the true story of Queensland’s ground-breaking female medical pioneer is a tale of not one, but two women, Lilian Cooper and Josephine Bedford. In this extract from the forthcoming book By Any …
Australian Social Workers Call For States To Ban ‘Gay Conversion Therapy’
The Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) has welcomed the Victorian government’s recent pledge to outlaw gay “conversion therapy” and called on other states to look at similar bans. The discredited “conversion” practices attempt to change or suppress an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity using psychological or spiritual means, and have been condemned by …
Fear Of Discrimination Stopping LGBTIQ People Seeking Crisis Help, Study Finds
An alarming number of LGBTI+ Australians are choosing not to seek help from crisis support services in times of need, a new report has found. The Understanding LGBTI+ Lives in Crisis report, released today, was commissioned by support service Lifeline and conducted by the Australian Centre for Sex, Health and Society at La Trobe University. …
AskDocQ: Here’s The Facts About Poppers, As TGA Considers Ban
Recently there has been talk of changing the laws on poppers, rescheduling them as a serious illicit drug and criminalizing their possession. But banning them would criminalise the normal sexual practice of many thousands of gay men. Thankfully, a public outcry has prompted a reconsideration. So, what’s all the fuss about? Poppers are a group …