Media Releases

Saturday 12 July 2014 the Victorian AIDS Council’s rapid HIV testing site, PRONTO!,
hosted the first of many international visitors in the lead up to the 2014 International AIDS Conference in
Melbourne. Two groups of Australian Award Fellows visited the Fitzroy-based site to see the local model
of community based testing as a reference for their own initiatives in rolling out or scaling up community
based testing in their home countries across Asia Pacific.
The twenty-five delegates from the Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health (APCOM) were comprised
of advocates and community leaders from South East Asia and Pacific region. Representing a range of
national MSM and Transgendered networks and community organisations, there were 1-2 delegates from
nearly every country in the region. A second group, linked with VAC partner Asia Pacific Council of AIDS
Service Organisations (APCASO), included twenty-five representatives from a broader range of people
living with (PLHIV) and service delivery organisations from Cambodia , Laos, Vietnam and Indonesia.
PRONTO! will welcome its next group of international visitors on Wednesday 16 July at 2PM with a preconference
meeting for the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). IPPF staff from their
central office in London as well as six regional offices will be visiting the site prior to attending AIDS 2014.
Post-conference, PRONTO! will welcome a small group of supervisors and social workers from the Society
of Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention, Hong Kong (SRACP) to learn more about VAC’s service delivery and
model on Tuesday 29 July 2014. The following day, Senior HIV Technical Specialist, Dr Thet Tin Tun, and HIV
Program Manager, Dr Zaw Min Oo, will be visiting from Burnet Institute’s site in Yangon (formerly known
as Rangoon), Myanmar (formerly known as Burma).
Throughout the conference, PRONTO! will be operating on extended hours of 12PM-8PM daily from 19-
27 July from its location at 175 Rose Street, Fitzroy. In addition, PRONTO! will be increasing its Outreach
programming with walk-in sessions in a private and confidential space at the follow times and locations:
• 4PM-Late – Sunday 20 July at The Laird Hotel
• 5-8PM – Thursday 24 July at Sircuit
• 8PM-Late – Saturday 26 July at The Laird Hotel
For more information on PRONTO! or to book an appointment at the Rose Street location, go to:
www.pronto.org.au

Victoria’s criminal laws must be reformed if the state is to achieve the goal of eliminating HIV
transmissions by 2020, the Victorian AIDS Council and Living Positive Victoria have said. The call
comes as the two organisations release a joint policy discussion paper focusing on the repeal of
section 19A of the Victorian Crimes Act.
“Section 19A, which is the only HIV-specific criminal law in Australia, is a remnant of a time when
HIV infection was almost invariably fatal,” said VAC CEO Simon Ruth. “Today, with improvements
to HIV treatments that ensure people with HIV can lead healthy, productive lives, section 19A
serves no useful purpose.”
While only rarely prosecuted, section 19A falsely characterises people living with HIV as a threat
to public safety. It contributes to the stigmatisation of HIV and people living with HIV, and this
stigma is one factor that discourages people from being tested, seeking treatment, and disclosing
their HIV status to sexual partners.
“Studies have shown that criminalising HIV has no positive impact on people’s sexual risk taking.
In fact it can have a negative impact by forcing HIV underground, and discouraging people from
disclosing their status,” said VAC/LPV HIV Legal Working Group Chair Paul Kidd.
Respected international organisations, including UNAIDS and the Global Commission on HIV and
the Law, have strongly condemned the use of criminal laws as a way to control HIV. HIV-specific
laws, such as section 19A, have been especially criticised as counterproductive to HIV prevention
efforts.
“The eyes of the world will be on us when the International AIDS Conference starts in Melbourne
in just a few days’ time. The latest Australian HIV Strategy, released earlier this week includes
bold new targets including the elimination of new HIV transmissions by 2020. Now is the right
time to address those criminal laws that impede our shared commitment to end HIV ” said Ruth.
Victoria has a well-developed public health process that engages with people to encourage the
adoption of safer sexual practices. This process is a highly effective alternative to the criminal law
that is accepted and supported by community organisations as the best way to respond to
allegations of risky behaviour. Living Positive Victoria and VAC are calling for an end to HIV
criminal prosecutions in all but the most extreme cases, and a renewed emphasis on the public
health process.

“We have the opportunity to bring an end to the HIV epidemic in Victoria within a few years, but
we must act to reduce HIV stigma and ensure that HIV is treated as an issue of public health, not
public safety. We are calling on all political parties to commit to repeal section 19A and review the
treatment of HIV within the criminal justice system,” said Kidd.
“Section 19A is a relic of the past, and today it is doing more harm than good. It’s time for it to
go.”
A PDF copy of Policy Brief: Repeal of Section 19A is attached, or can be downloaded from
livingpositivevictoria.org.au/repeal19A.

The Victorian AIDS Council (VAC) and Victorian Trades Hall Council are facilitating the Working
Together, Stronger Together - AIDS 2014 Mobilisation March on Tuesday 22 July 2014. The Mobilisation
March has been a traditional part of the International AIDS Conference, tracing its origins back to the
political marches at the 1987 International AIDS Conference. Since then, the March has been used as a
vehicle for airing both political and cultural issues faced by the global HIV/AIDS community. The March has
a history of focussing on a diverse range of issues impacting on the fight against HIV/AIDS. Issues likely to
be raised in this March include, but are not limited to:
• Access to Affordable Treatment
• Fighting HIV Stigma and Discrimination
• Freedom of Movement for People Living with HIV (PLHIV)
• Eliminating the Criminalisation of HIV
• Access to Effective Prevention Options
• GLBTI Rights
• Government Inaction on Preventing the Spread of HIV
At 3:30PM, the March will assemble at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) - the
location of the 20th International AIDS Conference.
Commencing at the front of the MCEC, the March will proceed down Flinders Street and arrive at Federation
Square. The March will be largely comprised of international activists and conference delegates joined by
local activists and community groups to raise awareness of issues faced by people living with HIV (PLHIV)
across the globe as well as at-risk communities.
The rally will open with speeches from local and international activists in addition to Victorian Trades Hall
Council’s Luke Hilakari and VAC CEO Simon Ruth. The March concludes at Federation Square, where it is
followed by the AIDS 2014 Candlelight Vigil from 6PM. All Mobilisation March attendees are encouraged
to stay and attend the Vigil.

The Victorian AIDS Council (VAC) has emphasised the importance of testing as new HIV
notification figures indicate that underlying HIV rates are being diagnosed through increased testing.
Last year, 303 Victorians were diagnosed with HIV. This represents a 16 percent increase in notifications
from 2012, when an 6 percent decrease was recorded. Whilst the rate of notifications in gay or MSM
has remained stable over time, the rate in men who report male-to-male sex AND injecting drug use has
increased.
The availability of free rapid HIV testing at both PRONTO!, our free community-based peer service, and in
privately run, high case load clinics has driven an increase in HIV testing – one of the major objectives in
the strategy to end HIV in Victoria. VAC, in partnership with Living Positive Victoria, has implemented the
EndingHIV media campaign to raise awareness that the key to ending HIV transmissions is to test more,
treat early and know the risks.
In the 2014 Melbourne Gay Periodic Survey, there was an increase in gay men reporting ever having been
tested for HIV with nearly nine out of ten men (87.6 percent) reporting they have been tested. The survey
also found that nearly one in ten men reported having their most recent HIV test at the PRONTO! site.
Removing barriers to testing is pivotal in the HIV prevention strategy and aims to decrease the number of
people who are unaware of their HIV status.
“Of course any increase in notifications is concerning, but if these results are indicative of a reduction
in underlying, undiagnosed HIV in the community, any result that indicates a decrease in that rate is
welcome,” said Greg Carter, VAC President.
The positive impacts of an increase in testing uptake had been predicted by Associate Professor David
Wilson from the Kirby Institute in a paper that examined the importance of promoting HIV testing for
preventing HIV transmissions in MSM. Associate Professor Wilson concluded, “Increases in HIV testing
rates could have substantial epidemiological consequences.”
VAC CEO, Simon Ruth commented, “It was inevitable that with increased testing we will see an increase
in HIV notifications. I think, as a community we ought to be prepared for further increases in the future
as the rates of undiagnosed HIV are reduced through continued uptake of testing. Importantly, and most
critically, now 303 Victorians living with HIV have been referred into appropriate treatment and care
pathways which will give them the best chance of living well with HIV in the future.”
“At this point in the epidemic, with more tools than we have ever had before to stem the tide of continued
infections, it is vital that we continue to promote testing, appropriate treatment and the importance of
consistent safe sex behaviour,” Mr Ruth added.

The Victorian AIDS Council (VAC) commends the state Government for addressing the
needs of LGBTI communities in its reform of alcohol and drug treatment services. Minister for Mental
Health Mary Wooldridge announced earlier this month that LGBTI communities, will benefit from an
enhanced focus and accountability on the part of all providers together with specialist services in line with
the government’s Reducing the alcohol and drug toll: Victoria’s plan 2013-2017. VAC has been funded to
provide counselling and care coordination for LGBTI people experiencing alcohol and other drug harms
in Melbourne’s Inner North and Inner South regions. These changes allow VAC to further expand on the
services offered to the local LGBTI community.
“The recent reforms introduced by the State government acknowledges the unique needs of our local
LGBTI community and allows for VAC to build on the success of its Altered States program,” said VAC CEO
Simon Ruth. “This decision means we can offer counselling and support services to an even broader and
more diverse audience than ever before.”
Altered States, a three year federally funded pilot project, is the first LGBTI-targeted alcohol and other drug
service offered in Victoria. The program offers counselling to members of the LGBTI community dealing
alcohol and drug use. The funding confirmed by the Victorian Government allows VAC to permanently
establish the counselling program and deliver the service from new sites in the inner north of Melbourne.
VAC Director of Service, Kent Burgess commented on the expansion of services. “With secure funding,
VAC can now start to properly address the range of drug issues faced by our communities including
methamphetamine and alcohol use. ”
For anyone seeking counselling support for their alcohol and other drug use please contact VAC
Counselling Services at (03) 9865 6700. VAC is offering the Drink Limits women’s alcohol support group, a
six week therapeutic group starting on July 7th. Individuals interested in participating should contact VAC
Counselling Services at (03) 9865 6700 to see if the group would be appropriate for their needs.

The Victorian AIDS Council (VAC) congratulates Emeritus Professor Anne Mitchell as one of
the recipients on The Queen’s Birthday 2014 Honours List for The Order of Australia for her distinguished
service to community health, particularly through sexual health research policy development and program
delivery.
As Professor Emeritus for the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (ARCSHS) at La
Trobe University, Mitchell was a founding staff member in the early 1990s. Today ARCSHS works with
various community-based organisations, government, professionals in relevant sectors and the broader
community to further positive change in policy, practice and the community’s quality of life through
research in sexuality, health and the social dimensions to human relationships.
Mitchell was further recognised for her involvement in establishing the Victorian Ministerial Advisory
Committee on Gay and Lesbian Health as well as being the Inaugural Director for Gay and Lesbian Health
Victoria (Department of Human Services) from 2003 until 2012.
Having served on several research teams, review panels and advisory committees, Mitchell was also a
member of the HIV Taskforce from 2009-2010.
VAC CEO, Simon Ruth, commended Mitchell on her achievement saying, “Anne has played a hugely
significant role in advancing LGBTI healthcare in Victoria. She is one of our community’s living legends and
is a truly deserving recipient of this honour.”
Mitchell received the honour of Officer (AO) in the General Division of the Order of Australia as approved by
the Governor-General, His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd), Chancellor
of the Order of Australia.

Since July 1983, the Victorian AIDS Council/Gay Men’s Health Centre has stayed at the
forefront of raising awareness of HIV/AIDS related issues as well as those of the broader LGBTI community.
Part of this success can be attributed to the organisation’s ability to adapt to developments in a number of
areas including: HIV research, biomedical prevention, advocacy, community needs and service provision.
Continuing to evolve in a perpetually changing community landscape, the Victorian AIDS Council / Gay
Men’s Health Centre identified the need for a formal evaluation of its brand. A series of consultations with
volunteers, organisation members, people living with HIV, employees, stakeholders and the community
were conducted. The insights and findings from these informed a brand strategy for the future.
As a result, the Victorian AIDS Council/Gay Men’s Health Centre is officially launching its rebrand as the
‘Victorian AIDS Council’ or ‘VAC’ for short and adopting a new logo in place of the previous brand. The
new iconography is largely inspired by the red ribbon featured in the previous logo and aims to be a
contemporary solution that is direct and distinctive.
For many, this evolution was already taking place organically as many in the community have already
referred to the organisation as ‘the V.A.C.’ or as one word – ‘VAC’. The simplification from VAC/GMHC
to VAC is, in some ways, merely an acknowledgement of the accepted nominal form our community
uses already. In recognition of VAC’s history, the new brand will be accompanied by the tagline ‘Working
Together’. From the beginning, everyone connected to VAC, and indeed the organisation itself, has been
enriched and strengthened by our relationship and collaboration with others.
VAC’s President Greg Carter has explained further, “The new organisational brand represents a unification
of all aspects of our work, our associations and our strategy. Integrating all these elements into a single
unified symbol will allow us a great degree of flexibility in terms of future usage and meaning.”
He goes on to say, “The new brand draws from our past, but looks to the future with an expansive, dynamic
identity that is evocative of stability, unity and strength.”
VAC CEO Simon Ruth went on to say, “VAC is the oldest AIDS organisation in the country with a proud
tradition of service, activism and advocacy. Our new organisational identity gives us a great opportunity
to tell our story anew.”
Converting all the occurrences of VAC’s previous logo and name in print, online and branded materials
will be no small task, but changes have already taken place at VAC’s website (VAC.org.au), on Facebook
(facebook.com/VAC.org.au) and on Twitter (@VACorg). With a large involvement in the coming
international AIDS 2014 conference next month, VAC looks forward to introducing the rest of the world to
their new brand identity.

VAC/GMHC applauds the government’s decision to remove the obligatory CD4 + <500 count criteria for prescribing HIV treatment. This reform means that all people living with HIV will have equal access to HIV treatments, irrespective of their CD4 count or the stage of their disease progression.
VAC/GMHC President, Greg Carter, welcomed the reform. Mr Carter said that “the change is consistent with the Melbourne Declaration, which VAC/GMHC is a signatory party. One of the key action areas in the Melbourne Declaration is the removal of the PBS indication limiting antiretroviral drug prescribing above CD4 counts of 500. This change will also support our organisation’s Ending HIV campaign which advocates for early initiation of HIV treatment. Removing this impediment to treatment will also provide people living with HIV, who have a high CD4 count, with an added incentive to commence a conversation around HIV treatment.”
Whilst there has been no clinical benefit demonstrated in commencing treatment with a CD4 count above 500, there is a significant psychological benefit conferred on people living with HIV to having an undetectable viral load. Now, with scientific evidence that it undetectable viral load reduces transmission risk to ‘zero’ the removal of any structural barriers to treatment uptake may also impact on future rates of HIV transmission.
There is also the added benefit of preventing onward transmission of HIV. Treatment can reduce a person’s HIV viral load to undetectable levels. This benefit provides people living with HIV in relationships, or about to enter into an intimate relationship, with the comfort of knowing that the likelihood of transmission can be greatly reduced by the use of treatment.
VAC/GMHC CEO Simon Ruth said the change in regulations is “great news for people living with HIV.” Mr Ruth stresses “the importance HIV treatment being commenced when the individual is willing and able to make this decision. Commencing HIV treatment is no small commitment, it requires lifelong adherence to daily regimen of medication. Any decision to commence treatment must balance the individual benefits of treatment against the benefits HIV treatment in reducing the viral load of the individual on treatment.”
Mr Ruth called on the State government to show the same commitment as the Commonwealth in making HIV treatment available to all people living with HIV. Mr Ruth said this could be achieved by “removing dispensing fees for HIV treatment and broadening HIV dispending arrangements beyond hospital based pharmacies.”
For more information contact heath_paynter@vicaids.asn.au

Ray Carr, a volunteer driver in VAC/GMHC’s Community Support Program, was awarded the ‘Outstanding Individual Achievement Award’ as part of the 2014 Minister for Health Volunteer Awards held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. This annual awards ceremony is held to honour volunteers who demonstrate exceptional contributions to the community and health services. With nearly 100 nominations from across the state, Ray was honoured to be one of those to receive the award from the Minister for Health, the Hon. David Davis MP.
At VAC/GMHC, Ray supports clients living with HIV/AIDS by transporting them to important medical appointments and social gatherings, which would otherwise be, in most cases, too difficult to attend.
Ray has suffered several of his own setbacks in his life, which makes his volunteering efforts all the more remarkable. Ray has been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and, in early 2000, suffered several successive heart attacks and strokes, which paralysed the entire left side of his body. Ray, never one to be kept down, made it his mission to ensure he recovered fully so he could continue doing what he loves – volunteering.

In response to the New York Times article “Advocating Pill, U.S. Signals Shift to Prevent
AIDS” (Published 14 May 2014), VAC/GMHC applauds the US government’s foresight in
approving Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). PrEP reduces the risk of acquiring HIV by up
to 99% when taken daily.
Guidelines on how to administer PrEP, recently released by the US Centre for Disease
Control (CDC), recommends PrEP for people in serodifferent relationships, and gay men
who have had condomless sex, or an STI, in the last six months. VAC CEO Simon Ruth
supports these recommendations as they are consistent with VAC’s position on PrEP. He
said, “VAC sees PrEP as an exciting initiative that provides gay men, and men who have sex
with men, who are unable to consistently use condoms - for whatever reason - to have the
same access to HIV risk reduction strategies as those men who consistently use condoms. If
PrEP is administered on this basis, there is an impetus for greater use of PrEP in Australia.”
Mr Ruth further states, “We have also known that there is a group of men who cannot always
use condoms. For the first time in the epidemic’s history, PrEP is a highly effective risk
reduction strategy that gives people at high risk of HIV the opportunity to avoid acquiring the
virus.”
PrEP should be seen as a strategy that provides people at high risk of HIV with an
opportunity to take control of their health and wellbeing in ways that were not previously
available. While the article correctly points out that condomless sex increases the risk of
being diagnosed with STIs, one of the conditions of being on PrEP is regular HIV and STI
testing. This condition means that people on PrEP will be, potentially, screened for HIV and
STIs more regularly than if they were not on PrEP.
The NY Times article refers to health officials saying that PrEP will lead to increased
condomless sex. Mr Ruth said, “This assertion is unsubstantiated, and in the three major
global studies on PrEP, there was no evidence that participants’ sexual behaviours changed
as a consequence of being on PrEP.” In relation to the impact of Truvada on an individual,
Mr Ruth said that, “The side effects of Truvada are limited to mild nausea and constipation,
and in very rare cases kidney damage can result from using the drug. However, as PrEP is
only a short term measure, any tangible side effects disappear very quickly. ” Mr Ruth
welcomed the Victorian Government’s support of a demonstration project investigating the
feasibility of administering PrEP. However, he is very disappointed that Gilead, who
manufactures Truvada, has not applied to the Therapeutic Goods Administration to obtain
approval for PrEP in Australia and that the Australian government is not more actively involved in ensuring that this highly effective HIV prevention strategy is made available to
people at high risk of HIV in Australia. Mr Ruth called on both Gilead and the
Commonwealth to get behind HIV prevention in Australia by immediately entering into
discussions to get PrEP onto the market in Australia as soon as possible and as cheaply as
possible.

The Victorian AIDS Council/Gay Men’s Health Centre (VAC/GMHC) has elected to boycott Mozilla after it was revealed that their newly appointed CEO, Brendan Eich, supported a campaign opposing the implementation of laws redressing inequality amongst LGBTI communities in California. Mr Eich donated $1,000 to a Mormon backed ballot to ban gay couples from marrying in 2008.
VAC/GMHC’s strategic plan 2012 – 2017 highlights ‘addressing a broad range of health issues that affect wellbeing in sexually and gender diverse communities’ as one of the organisation’s visions.
CEO, Simon Ruth, said the VAC/GMHC was “committed to redressing inequality in the community and ensuring that people from sexually and gender communities are treated equally. Organisations like Mozilla have a commitment to respect and treat people equally, regardless of sexual or gender orientation. Mozilla appointing a CEO who openly opposes measures to address equality is in opposition to our organisation’s mission and values. Consequently, VAC/GMHC has dis-endorsed the use of Mozilla across all our computer systems.”
VAC/GMHC President, Greg Carter, commented that “removing inequalities in the community is essential to addressing the negative impacts associated with systemic homophobia. Homophobia leads to social isolation and consequently negative health outcomes like depression, anxiety and alcohol and other drug use. People who support homophobia should not be elevated to positions of authority within the community, whether this is private or public sector”.

A report of a study investigating the effectiveness of HIV treatment to reduce HIV transmission indicates that people living with HIV who have an undetectable viral load, have an almost zero chance of transmitting the virus to a sexual partner. The interim results of the Partners Study were presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston this week, the final report of the study will be released in 2017. The participants in the study are a mix of heterosexual and gay couples, with the positive partner being on anti-retroviral treatment.
The study enrolled both heterosexual and homosexual couples to determine the risk of HIV transmission from individuals taking effective HIV treatment. 1,100 couples are in the study, 40 percent of whom are gay.
The report confirms the legitimacy of strategies like “treatment as prevention” as an additional tool in the suite of measures available to prevent HIV transmission. Treatment as prevention is the strategy of using antiretroviral drugs to prevent onward transmission of HIV. Researchers determined the likelihood of transmission being “extremely low and possibly zero” for the negative partner in a relationship with a HIV positive person. However, the study also found that some HIV negative men became HIV positive from a sexual partner outside the primary relationship which points to the continued importance of condom based safe sex outside a context of undetectable viral load.
The positive prevention effects of HIV treatment to reduce onward transmission could be thwarted by the fact that around a quarter of the people living with HIV in Australia do not know their status and possibly present a significant transmission risk. It is estimated that 8,000 people in Australia do not know that they are HIV positive.
VAC/GMHC CEO, Simon Ruth said the report highlights the importance of policy initiatives that support people to know their HIV status. “In order to commence HIV treatment, an individual has to know their HIV status. Initiatives such as rapid testing increase the number of avenues available to get tested.” Mr Ruth also said that “other testing options like home based or self testing should also be considered by the Commonwealth Government to further expand the options available to people to know their HIV status.”
VAC/GMHC President Greg Carter said that “while the results of this report are positive and further raise the prospect of treatment playing a major role in reducing HIV transmissions in the community, the decision to commence treatment should remain with PLWHIV and should balance the benefits of treatment to the individual with the preventive benefits of treatment to the community.”