Media Releases

The Victorian AIDS Council (VAC), the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO) and the Australian Drug Foundation are launching TouchBase, a national website providing information on alcohol and drug use as well as mental health and sexual health for LGBTI communities. From basic information on specific drugs, to education about mental health and sexual health, and personal stories — the website is a comprehensive resource assisting LGBTI people to better manage their own health and wellbeing.
LGBTI people have specific experiences when it comes to alcohol and drug use, mental health and sexual health, and TouchBase acknowledges that not everyone’s needs are the same. For example, the website contains information about how specific drugs interact with HIV medication, or for some gender diverse or intersex people, with hormones. TouchBase also looks at the ways drug use can impact mental health for LGBTI people, and the specific roles drug use can play in how LGBTI people have sex.
CEO of VAC Simon Ruth said TouchBase is a unique resource that will provide targeted information on drug use, mental health and sexual health all in one place.
“We’ve created TouchBase to address gaps in existing information for LGBTI people. It’s a unique website, because LGBTI people have different drug-using norms — we use drugs in different patterns, we have different concerns, people have been dealing with different issues throughout their lives,” Ruth said.
“Particularly with this website, there’s a focus on different interactions you may have with certain medications you might be on, whether that’s HIV medications, or whether for some gender diverse or intersex people that’s hormones. There are particular safety issues in both of those cases.
“As far as we know it’s the first website to tackle both drug interactions with HIV medications and drug interactions with hormones. There’s not a lot of information out there on drug interactions with hormones — it’s something that we’re working to develop.”
AFAO Executive Director Rob Lake said TouchBase would help LGBTI communities put drug use, mental health and sexual health in the same context.
“TouchBase offers important and useful health information for LGBTI communities. The site is especially valuable in making links between alcohol and drug use, mental health and sexual health. AFAO’s health promotion efforts have always been grounded in the principle that individual health is influenced by a range of social and contextual factors,” Lake said.
“AFAO also believes that communities play an important role in reducing harms associated with substance use as well as supporting mental and physical resilience. TouchBase encapsulates these principles by bringing together detailed information about alcohol and drugs, sexual and mental health and it does so through a platform that is innovative and engaging. It’s my hope that the site will be widely used and support better health among LGBTI people.”
Australian Drug Foundation CEO John Rogerson said rates of alcohol and drug use were higher in these communities compared with the general population.

“When you know LGBTI communities are a high-risk group we know they require targeted
interventions — so websites like TouchBase play an important role in education,” said Mr
Rogerson.
“We provided the expertise (support and information) to the Victorian AIDS Council so
they could put this website together and we are extremely proud of the product they have
produced.
“Now people in the LGBTI communities have a place to go if they need any information on
the impacts their existing or potential drug use may have on their health.”
Bill O’Loughlin, a gay man living with HIV and the President of drug user organisation Harm
Reduction Victoria, said TouchBase would help address the harmful stigma attached to drug
use.
“Drug use is a part of life for many in our LGBTIQ community and it’s great that our organisations
are helping us to talk about it in our own ways. We need to shift from the silence, secrecy,
taboos and shame associated with drug use because it is harmful,” O’Loughlin said.
“We need to know and talk about how to look after ourselves and others when we use drugs,
for example how to use and inject safely, and how to look after those who might get into
difficulty.”
Nic Holas, Co-Founder of The Institute of Many (TIM), a community group for people living
with HIV, said LGBTI communities have long needed something specifically created for them.
“TouchBase is the one-stop website the community has been waiting for. Our community is
incredibly resilient and knows how to have a good time but sometimes, the good time goes
on a little too long,” Holas said.
“Some of us still struggle with acceptance, loneliness, and other things that can create
pathways to problematic use of alcohol and other drugs. Which is why TouchBase is so great
— it’s specifically created for our community, to help our community, without lecturing or
judging them.”

Wednesday 12 November saw the Victorian Minister for Health, the Hon David Davis; Shadow Minister for
Health Mr Gavin Jennings; Greens MP and party health spokesperson Ms Colleen Hartland; and Australian Sex Party candidate Joel
Murray join for a community forum to discuss the issues surrounding Victoria’s on-going response to HIV/AIDS. Using the Victorian
AIDS Council (VAC) and Living Positive Victoria’s joint election document HIV/AIDS: What Your Government Can Do as a framework,
each speaker was given an opportunity to highlight their respective party’s response to the key issues and recommended actions
before opening the forum to a question and answer session with the public. Questions raised included concerns over possible copayments
when accessing HIV treatment, rural/regional access to treatment and each party’s stance on amending or repealing
section 19A of the Crimes Act 1958 (VIC). With many questions still to be answered, the demand for more substantial commitments
is growing.
The Liberal party announced last week that, if re-elected, they would continue HIV rapid testing efforts with $4 million over the next
four years to continuing and expanding VAC’s PRONTO! service. This announcement comes not long after the Government’s recent
commitments to fund ICE harm reduction initiatives in Victoria over the next two years. Wednesday night’s forum prompted the
Minister for Health to confirm that the July announcement to amend section 19A of the Crimes Act 1958 (VIC) would not include
a feared expansion to other blood borne viruses. Meanwhile, speakers from the Opposition, the Greens, and Australian Sex Party
gave a definitive commitment to repeal the law. The audience heard promises from each of the parties to address the issues, but
the community still seeks clear commitments to actions if elected to be the next Victorian government later this month.
“We’re very pleased to have been able to host all the speakers for the forum and connect them with our community. However, we
were only able to cover so much on the night. We’ve yet to hear firm commitments regarding access to Post Exposure Prophylaxis
(PEP), especially in regional and rural Victoria. Furthermore, we’ve yet to hear if any of the parties would support a firm state-level
position on Pre Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) as we’ve seen in the NSW HIV Strategy,” said VAC CEO Simon Ruth.
Living Positive Victoria Executive Officer Brent Allan added, “In order to end HIV we need to dismantle the ongoing damaging
effects of stigma. We need the incoming government to commit to funding stigma awareness and resilience building work as a key
priority.”
Rural Victorian and PLHIV community advocate Catherine Smith drove into Melbourne to attend the community forum and has
said, “Whichever major party forms Government in the upcoming Victorian State Election, they must make a commitment to do
all in their power to remove any and all barriers to accessing HIV services and treatment for rural and regional Victorians. In doing
so, they will honour the call from Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations Secretary-General, to ensure that no one is left behind in our
global fight to end AIDS by 2030.”

News that actor Charlie Sheen is expected to announce he is HIV positive in an interview with a US talk show is
today being widely reported by local and international media.
Living Positive Victoria and the Victorian AIDS Council (VAC) applaud Sheen for coming out as HIV-positive, and said the media will
play a vital role in shaping how this news affects people living with HIV.
Brent Allan, CEO of Living Positive Victoria, said, “All people living with HIV benefit when high profile people come out as HIV
positive, because this makes it easier for others to follow suit. The discussion we have now in the media has to focus on how
important coming out as HIV-positive is. It is a very difficult thing to do, and high profile celebrities who publicly disclose their HIV
status can be role models for other people living with HIV who don’t feel able to disclose their own HIV status.”
Allan continued, “However, when he and others are shamed and represented as either victims or perpetrators, any benefit from
his disclosure is nullified. We request that the media refrain from using language that stigmatises people living with HIV, such as
‘carrier’, ‘victim’, or ‘sufferer’. UNAIDS, governments, and clinical and community advocates all understand the damaging effects
that stigma has on driving the HIV response.”
Allan referred media to guidelines produced by the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO), which outline best practise
for reporting on HIV.
The AFAO media guidelines can be found here: www.hivmediaguide.org.au
Simon Ruth, VAC CEO, added that media could also play a role in perpetuating HIV stigma, and cautioned media outlets to be
careful to ensure the facts reported around HIV are accurate.
“This is a crucial moment for how the media talks about HIV and about people living with HIV. We recognise that HIV is a challenging
topic to report, but the way media represents stories about HIV transmission and disclosure of HIV status can have a major impact
on the lives of people living with HIV and people at risk of HIV, such as gay men,” Ruth said.
Ruth also addressed news reports of Charlie Sheen saying the virus is “undetectable” in his system.
“We imagine by these comments Sheen is referring to ‘undetectable viral load’. Having an undetectable viral load does not mean
that a person is not HIV-positive, and it does not mean that they are free of HIV. However, a person living with HIV on effective
antiretroviral treatment can have HIV in their system at levels below current methods of detection (less than 20 copies of the virus
per mL of blood). We refer to this as having an ‘undetectable viral load’,” Ruth said.
“What we know from research is that it is unlikely that anyone with undetectable viral load can pass HIV on to others.”

Holding the Man film director Neil Armfield has received the Victorian AIDS Council (VAC)
President’s Award at this year’s annual general meeting on Sunday, which also saw the inaugural presentation of the
Greig Friday Leadership Award. The award is named in honour of long-serving VAC volunteer Greig Friday, who passed
away earlier this year along with his mother Carol in the Germanwings Flight 4U9525 tragedy, and recognises young
leaders in our community.
Neil Armfield has made a commitment throughout his career to giving voice to issues central to the lives of gay men.
He directed the first ever Australian production of the epic play Angels in America, about the early days of the AIDS
epidemic in New York, and was instrumental in bringing Timothy Conigrave’s memoir Holding the Man to the big screen.
“The film itself was made so much better for the involvement of VAC. The whole organisation was incredibly welcoming
and gave us such depth and insight into the community as it existed in the 80s, where most of the film was set. There’s
something lovely about the cred of a community organisation. These people are the real deal,” said Neil Armfield.
The inaugural Greig Friday Leadership Award, presented at the AGM by Greig’s father and sister, was given to peer
education volunteer Jesse Oey. Jesse facilitates Young and Gay, the same group Greig Friday was a part of when he first
became involved with the organisation.
VAC CEO Simon Ruth said the award was a fitting way to honour Greig’s legacy with VAC.
“Greig was an astounding young leader for VAC. He appeared on our campaigns, he set up the Young and Gay Alumni,
he was acknowledged this year by GLOBE, winning their Volunteer of the Year Award,” Ruth said.
“After his far too early death this year we decided to establish the Greig Friday Leadership Award. He was still a young
leader himself at the time of his death. We were ecstatic to give that award to Jesse Oey, and it was wonderful to have
Greig’s family present as well—we’ve developed a very strong and warm relationship with them this year.”
VAC’s highest honour is Life Membership of the organisation, which was this year awarded to the original VAC Board
who served in 1984. Five of the original 12 Board members were present to receive their Life Memberships, including
the first VAC President Phil Carswell. Three of the original 12 have since passed away.
“We have to always remember our heritage and our roots, and the AIDS Council was born out of activism. It was born
out of people standing up and taking control of a situation that looked absolutely uncontrollable. It was born out of a
passion for people to fight to keep their lovers and friends alive. That honest, gut-wrenching passion is the foundation
of the organisation. It always has been and it always will be,” said Carswell.
“We honestly thought when this first started that this was going to be going for the rest of our lives, but I never thought
we’d be at a stage in the epidemic where we actually have a chance to see the end of the epidemic, at least in Australia.”
The full list of VAC Award recipients is below:
• Life Memberships: 1984 VAC Board
• President’s Award: Neil Armfield
• Greig Friday Leadership Award: Jesse Oey
• Media Award: Archer Magazine
• Special Service Award: Daniel MacPhail and Chris Williams — co-founders of the PrEP’d for Change Facebook group
• Special Service Award: Zoe Belle Gender Collective — trans and gender diverse support and advocacy organisation
• Special Service Award: Harm Reduction Victoria — drug user rights and harm reduction organisation
The 23rd Annual Keith Harbour Address, a key part of the AGM, was given this year by Federal Labor MP Tim Watts.
Watts was asked to deliver the address following his impassioned speech in Parliament House earlier this year in support
of same-sex marriage, about his uncle who died from an AIDS-related illness when Watts was young.
The AGM also saw the results of elections to the Board, with three members re-elected and two members newly
elected to the combined Victorian AIDS Council/Gay Men’s Health Centre Board. Greg Carter, Christopher McDermott
and Glenn Pannam were re-elected to the Board, with new members Jim Hyde and Aram Hosie also elected. Aram Hosie
is the first trans board member elected to the organisation.

On Wednesday 12 November 2014, VAC along with Living Positive Victoria will be hosting a community forum
event in the lead up to the Victorian State Election on 29 November 2014. Largely focused on the issues and suggested actions
outlined in the organisations’ joint election document HIV/AIDS: What Your Government Can Do, the community forum will offer
the community an opportunity to hear directly from:
• Minister for Health, the Hon David Davis
• Shadow Minister for Health, Mr Gavin Jennings
• Greens Party Member, Ms Colleen Hartland
• Australian Sex Party Candidate, Mr Joel Murray
Moderated by former VAC Executive Director Mike Kennedy, each of the speakers will be given 10 minutes to speak individually
before opening the floor to a question and answer session.
“Events like these are incredibly important for the community. We’re at a turning point in the epidemic where we can see an end
to HIV. It’s important for the community to hear directly from each of the parties - How they address the issues? How will that
differ from the other parties? Understanding these differences will mean a more informed decision on November 29th,” said VAC
CEO Simon Ruth.
Living Positive Victoria Executive Director Brent Allan added, “In recent months, there’s been a lot of discussion regarding the
repeal of Section 19A, improving access to treatment and working to end HIV stigma. Now we need to hear in further detail what
we can expect from each party if they are to become the next Victorian Government.”
The event will be held at VAC’s Positive Living Centre, 51 Commercial Road, South Yarra with doors opening at 6:15PM for a 6:30PM
start. While this event is free to attend, space is limited. RSVP by emailing enquiries@vac.org.au or calling 03 9865 6700.

Impressive crowds of over 1500 people attended Northside Bizarre 2015 at The Laird
Hotel in Abbotsford on Saturday 10 October, with more than $22,500 raised throughout the day. Each
year the proceeds of the event are divided between GLBTI radio station JOY 94.9 and VAC’s David Williams
Fund, which supports people living with HIV through financial hardship.
For the first time in years, Northside Bizarre expanded beyond The Laird Hotel to include Henry Street
and the Masonic Hall across the road, transforming the area in to a GLBTI community street fair and
marketplace. The famous Laird Auction, a Northside Bizarre staple, saw attendees bid on items donated
by generous community members and local businesses.
“This year we wanted to make sure the event felt like it belonged to everyone in the community—having
the street fair created such a great atmosphere and gave Northside Bizarre a really visible presence. Not
only did people come out in force for a great day, the turnout showed how willing our community is to
support its organisations,” said VAC CEO Simon Ruth.
“The David Williams Fund works with some of the most vulnerable people in our community, and the
donations we received will help make a real difference in those people’s lives. On behalf of VAC, I want to
say a huge thank you to everyone who came along and gave generously on the day.”
JOY 94.9 General Manager Amy Moon said the event was a great example of how GLBTI community
organisations in Victoria are working together.
“It’s always a pleasure to work with our friends at VAC and The Laird in this partnership, and to see our
community really come together,” said Moon.
“It was fantastic we could have the street fair and whole extravaganza for Northside Bizarre this year—the
turnout was great, and people seemed to really get into the vibe with the marketplace and everything else
going on. As usual the JOY barbeque was flat-chat all afternoon.”
Co-owner of The Laird Hotel Brett Lasham thanked everyone who attended and contributed to the success
of the event.
“For The Laird, Northside Bizarre 2015 was truly amazing,” said Lasham.
“We knew that expanding Northside Bizarre was vital for the evolution of the event. That said, all the
planning and speculating doesn’t prepare you for that sweet spot in the day where you can just stop, look
around and see your community come together like it did last Saturday.”
“There are so many people to thank and we will be acknowledging you all at some point in the near future,
but for now, thank you to everyone who contributed in some way to this event.”
For more information, visit: www.northsidebizarre.com

Posters advocating for pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV (PrEP) were distributed in Melbourne’s CBD today by a
group of activists, highlighting growing community demand for this effective HIV-prevention method. The Victorian AIDS Council (VAC)
and Living Positive Victoria said the community response to the posters shows how now more than ever, people at risk of HIV need access
to PrEP in Australia.
If taken as prescribed, PrEP is a proven, highly effective HIV-prevention method—throughout numerous, rigorous and scientific studies
there have been no recorded transmissions of HIV to a person using PrEP as prescribed.
“This is a passionate issue for our community, and the vocal response to the posters’ strong language demonstrates that,” said VAC’s
acting CEO Kent Burgess.
“PrEP is an effective HIV-prevention tool, and we still have a lot of work to do to inform the community about how it works. We have some
concerns about how the posters might stigmatise gay sex and people living with HIV through simplistic, inflammatory language, but one
message is clear: our community wants and needs PrEP.”
PrEP has not yet been approved for use by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia, and so is not currently subsidised
through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Some Australians currently have access to PrEP through clinical trials, while others
are purchasing PrEP through overseas websites, using ‘off-label’ prescriptions from informed GPs.
“We’ve been working with the government to get PrEP approved in Australia for some time now, but the process is too slow—unless TGA
approval is fast-tracked, PrEP might not be approved before 2017,” said Burgess.
Chief Executive Officer for Living Positive Victoria, Brent Allan commented; “Living Positive Victoria strongly supports community efforts
to see PrEP made available in Australia. We know all too well the impact that an HIV diagnosis has, and the long-term challenges of living
with a serious illness and combating the stigma that surrounds HIV. That’s why we support increased testing, early treatment, and the full
range of HIV prevention technologies including condoms and PrEP.
“PrEP isn’t about giving gay men a licence to ‘fuck raw’, it’s about putting them in control of their sexual health by ensuring that they have
the tools they need to stay HIV negative. It’s also about breaking down the barriers between positive and negative men, reducing anxiety
about HIV, and challenging stigma.
Referring to this latest activism, Mr Allan continued, “While we have concerns about the appropriateness of the messages conveyed by
this campaign, we think it shows the level of interest in and demand for more effective HIV prevention in our community.
“And though I am not sure that having a discussion about PrEP on the streets of Melbourne is the best place, it’s pretty clear that we
cannot ignore this call to action, and we have no desire to silence those who rightly demand access to lifesaving forms of proven HIV
prevention. Both state and federal governments should consider their own capacity to act and make PrEP available.”
For more information about PrEP and about what VAC is doing to help make it available visit: www.vac.org.au/prep
For a PrEP guide for HIV positive people from Living Positive Victoria, head to: www.livingpositivevictoria.org.au/announcements/prep-aguide-
for-hiv-positive-people?A=SearchResult&SearchID=56038608&ObjectID=82696&ObjectType=7

The Victorian AIDS Council (VAC) has today released a position statement opposing
any move by the federal parliament to hold a plebiscite on marriage equality.
VAC believes such a plebiscite would not be the appropriate forum to discuss an issue of human rights,
and would be costly, divisive and potentially harmful to GLBTI Australians. A plebiscite would also be nonbinding,
and even if successful would not extend the right to marry to same-sex couples.
The Australian Electoral Commission this week estimated the cost of a plebiscite on marriage equality at
$158 million, or $44 million if held concurrently with the next federal election.
“A plebiscite would be an expensive and completely unnecessary exercise — this is money that could be
much better spent on services urgently needed by LGBTI Australians,” said VAC CEO Simon Ruth.
“$158 million could mean 160,000 12-month courses of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV, 79,000
rehab beds for ice users, or counselling for 225,000 GLBTI people affected by family violence or experiencing
mental health difficulties.
“Beyondblue has recently acknowledged the negative impact of our current marriage laws on GLBTI
people’s mental health — why waste more money that could go to supporting GLBTI people at risk?”
VAC is concerned a plebiscite could descend into election-like campaigning, serving as a public platform for
divisive attitudes towards Australia’s GLBTI communities.
Ruth warned such a debate could become hostile and vitriolic, and could lead to increased aggression
towards GLBTI communities.
“The last thing we want is for a public debate about the rights of same-sex couples in Australia to see
outdated stereotypes about GLBTI Australians used to drum up fear of the proposed change,” he said.
“Marriage equality should improve the health and wellbeing of GLBTI Australians — not only will this
plebiscite fail to allow same-sex couples to marry, it has the potential to make the lives of people in
marginalised communities worse.”
“This is a matter that should be resolved in our federal parliament. The human rights of GLBTI Australians
should not be put to a public vote.”
VAC’s position statement on a plebiscite on marriage equality is attached.

A decision in regards to the sale of 6-8 Claremont Street South Yarra, otherwise known as
the Peter Knight Centre and the home of the Victorian AIDS Council, was made tonight. This sale has been
a long process, guided by staff, board and membership consultation in order to gain the greatest benefit
for VAC and the communities VAC serves. The site has sold for $14,600,000 to Glorious Sun Enterprises
Limited, who will be establishing a residential apartment complex. VAC has a two year lease back option
on the site to allow the organisation to take the time to consult with its communities and funders about
possible future locations.
“The Peter Knight Centre has faithfully served as home base for VAC for twenty years; it’s been a safe place
for VAC and many other organisations to work and grow from and has seen many changes, both inside and
out.” Said Greg Carter President of VAC “The decision to sell and move on to a new location was not made
lightly, but with changes in the local landscape and with the benefits that can be gained from the sale it
was judged, in lengthy consultation, to be the right time for this move.“
“Twenty years ago VAC moved from our old site in Collingwood to the Peter Knight Centre. Then, just as
now, our organisation and its needs have grown and changed to the point where a new space is needed to
facilitate the work we are doing” Said Simon Ruth CEO of VAC.
Further information about sale of 6-8 Claremont Street will be forth coming in the near future.

The Victorian AIDS Council (VAC) is hosting a retrospective exhibition to look back at
the country’s longest continuously running sexual health campaign - The Drama Downunder. With over
8 years of arresting imagery and sexual health messaging, this exhibition will look at the more iconic
iterations and images, in addition to versions that were never publicly released. The exhibition will also
include a first-look at the campaigns newest series.
Commissioned by the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO), the Drama Downunder was
developed by VAC to remove the embarrassment and shame associated with discussing sexual health and
make the dialogue about looking after one’s sexual health and wellbeing more accessible by employing a
humorous, shame free approach. The campaign was the first implemented by VAC in mainstream outdoor
and transport media. As a result, the campaign has received unprecedented brand recognition amongst
its target audience of sexually active gay men, but Drama Downunder has exceeded expectations in who
it reached.
“The model we chose was a VAC volunteer who had a look that we thought was warm and approachable,”
said VAC’s Director, Health Promotion, Policy and Communications Colin Batrouney, “so much so that upon
evaluation we found that gay men who saw the campaign assumed he was gay and straight focus groups
assumed he was straight, making it the first sexual health campaign to achieve crossover appeal.”
“We’re incredibly proud of the success of the campaign these past eight years and it will be exciting to
see the newest iterations during this upcoming exhibition,” said VAC President Greg Carter. “We hope this
latest series of images premiering at the exhibition continues to build on that success and causes more of
us to discuss sexual health openly and act to ensure we look after ourselves.”
The Drama Dowunder Retrospective Exhibition opens at the OKLA Gallery (15-35 Keele Street, Collingwood)
on Wednesday 26 August for a VAC Members-only event before being open to the public from Thursday 27
August until Monday 31 August. For more details, head to: www.vac.org.au/DDUretro

The Victorian AIDS Council (VAC) is calling for medications to be exempted from any plans
to apply GST to overseas online purchases, amidst concerns this would mean an additional financial barrier
for people currently importing pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) online to prevent HIV.
This comes in response to reports out of this week’s Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting
of an in-principle agreement between Australia’s state/territory leaders and the Prime Minister to charge
GST on overseas online purchases under $1000.
“Australians at risk of HIV are still waiting for PrEP to be approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration,
making it much harder to access this key HIV-prevention strategy,” said Johann Ruth, Acting CEO of VAC.
“While they wait, some people are taking responsibility for their sexual health and wellbeing by importing
lower-cost medications for use as PrEP, under Australia’s personal importation scheme for medicines.
News out of this week’s COAG meeting of an in-principle agreement to charge GST on overseas online
purchases under $1000 raises some concerns for us about any increased financial burden on people at risk
of HIV who are importing PrEP.”
“This decision could have unintended health consequences if applied to medications, especially PrEP, and
could contribute to an increase in HIV notifications in Australia. We want to ensure that whatever new
arrangement regarding GST on imported goods comes out of these discussions, it will not result in further
barriers for people accessing a vital tool for preventing HIV. People most at risk in our community should
not have to bear an additional financial burden while we wait for TGA licensing and PrEP’s inclusion in the
pharmaceutical benefits scheme.”

The Victorian AIDS Council (VAC) has welcomed the call from the 8th International AIDS
Society Conference (IAS 2015) in Vancouver for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to be made available to
protect all people at high risk of acquiring HIV.
The ‘Vancouver Consensus‘ statement issued out of the conference currently taking place (19–22 July)
is the strongest call yet from the global HIV community for widespread access to PrEP. When taken as
prescribed, PrEP is a medication that significantly reduces a person’s risk of getting HIV.
“VAC is advocating for better access to PrEP in Australia for people at risk of HIV, including men who have
sex with men, so it’s good to see global leaders in the field supporting this key strategy in effective HIV
prevention,” said Greg Carter, President of VAC.
“PrEP still hasn’t been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for use in Australia, so we hope
this acknowledgement of its importance by the world’s top HIV experts will help substantiate the case for
wider access to PrEP for everyone who needs it.
“The recognition of PrEP as part of an effective prevention response to HIV worldwide would be a fantastic
legacy of this conference,” said Johann Ruth, Acting CEO of VAC.
The Vancouver Consensus also calls for access to antiretroviral (ARV) treatment for all people living with
HIV upon diagnosis, drawing on recent results from the START study showing the benefits of immediate
treatment for people diagnosed with HIV.
Australian guidelines around the prescribing of antiretroviral drugs for PLHIV removed any restriction on
people commencing therapy in 2014. However, starting ARV treatment remains an individual choice based
on readiness and an individual’s ability to adhere to the treatment regimen.