Media Releases

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.”

The Therapeutic Goods Administration has approved the Determine Combination Antigen/Antibody test
for listing from Monday 17 December 2012 on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods. This approval
is the result of years of work by industry bodies, the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations, AIDS
Councils and community advocates from every state and territory in Australia.
Victorian AIDS Council / Gay Men’s Health Centre President Michael Williams welcomed the announcement,
saying, “Approving rapid HIV testing is exciting. Such testing is absolutely central to reducing HIV rates
in Australia as it allows people to learn their HIV status at the time they are most infectious, taking the
appropriate risk reduction strategies which prevent onward transmission. Australia has committed itself to
ambitious targets to halve HIV rates by 2015. This can only be achieved by increasing the number of people
on HIV treatments and ensuring easy access to community based rapid testing.”
The next step in the process to make the tests available will be for Alere, the manufacturer of the test to
negotiate a price with the Medical Services Advisory Committee for reimbursement through Medicare. VAC/
GMHC will be working with AFAO to ensure that this process is facilitated as quickly as possible.
Williams says, “Rapid testing reduces the long wait time in Victoria from a week to less than an hour. We
hope this will encourage more gay men to seek an HIV test more often.
VAC/GMHC will work with our government, clinical and research partners to establish rapid HIV testing in
the State as soon as possible.”
“Modelling suggests that approximately 31% of new HIV infections are estimated to be transmitted from gay
men with undiagnosed HIV” says Sam Venning, President of Living Positive Victoria “Living Positive Victoria
is keen to see new testing technologies that enable people living with HIV to be diagnosed sooner thus
leading to better health outcomes – both for themselves and for good public health. With late diagnoses on
the rise in Australia, we hope that rapid testing will stop this trend.”

The Victorian AIDS Council/Gay Men’s Health Centre (VAC/GMHC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Rachel Berger as World AIDS Day Ambassador for 2011.
Having been involved with the VAC/GMHC for the past twenty years and a Life Member of the organisation, Rachel Berger is the perfect choice for this role.
One of Australia’s most highly regarded, and adaptive comedic talents, Rachel Berger works variously as a comedian, actor, broadcaster, novelist, columnist, agitator and television entertainer. Political, passionate and armed only with her material, Rachel has been prowling the stand-up circuit like a tigress for 25 years. Her dynamic presence and engagingly sharp observations have made her an extremely popular performer both live and on television, across Australia and internationally.
Rachel has been involved with VAC/GMHC since the early nineties, using her comic lens to prevent alienation and discrimination against HIV affected individuals and to raise funds and awareness through comedy events like Short and Girly and a variety of other special projects.
Thursday 1 December 2011 marks the 23rd annual ‘World AIDS Day’. This global event was established by the World Health Organization (WHO) in an effort to raise public awareness about HIV issues, including the need for support and understanding for people living with HIV.
Currently, more than 160 countries participate in World AIDS Day, uniting to provide a global response to HIV, an issue impacting upon the lives of millions of men, women and children, across all demographics, races and religions throughout the world.
As VAC/GMHC’s World AIDS Day Ambassador, Rachel Berger will be actively involved in promoting and supporting a range of events on and around Thursday 1 December - World AIDS Day. Rachel will appear at Federation Square on World AIDS Day as part of the special live concert and JOY 94.9 FM Outside Broadcast live from the Main Stage. Rachel will also be the Special Guest Speaker at the World AIDS Day Memorial Ceremony 6:00pm on Thursday 1 December at the Positive Living Centre (PLC), 51 Commercial Road, South Yarra.
It is vital to remember that HIV is not only relevant to developing countries. It is relevant to every Australian, as an important issue affecting our society. Currently there are around 17,500 people living with HIV in Australia, with approximately 5722 of those in Victoria. Every three days, two Victorians are diagnosed with the virus, meaning there are more people living with HIV here than ever before.
Inform yourself, educate others and show your support this coming World AIDS Day – Thursday 1 December 2011. More info on World AIDS Day 2011 go to www.vicaids.asn.au

The SAM Project is a joint effort between Victorian AIDS Council/GMHC, People living with HIV Victoria and the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society. It is supposed to be driven, guided and delivered by sexually adventurous men (SAM) for sexually adventurous men.
The concept of sexually adventurous men changes depending on who you are talking to. For us, in the project, sexually adventurous men are guys with a high understanding of HIV and sexual health in general, multiple sexual partners, involved in esoteric sex, including but not limited to watersports, bondage and discipline, sadomasochism, fisting, arse play, scat, etc. Many sexually adventurous men have a history of recreational drug use and sometimes engage in unprotected sex.
Thursday, October 20 will mark the launch of Down an’ Dirty, an initiative of the SAM Project, that brings together the SAM community. There will be a few Down an’ Dirty surprises and you will be able to talk to the guys who developed the site.
This launch comes at the end of a lengthy process of community consultation and engagement with all partners. The site will allow visitors to:
- Find information about sexual practices, recreational drug use and safety.
- View questions asked by others and ask sex experts and medical practitioners the questions you’ve always wanted to about sex and sexual health.
- Have your say on how we can make it an even better resource.
It will all start at 9pm on Thursday October 20 at The Laird where we’ll be demonstrating how downandirty.org works; then you can head into “Spit and Polish” where strict dress code applies. On Friday October 21 at 9pm, we will be joining the Sircuit family for the amazing “Jack in the box” and finally on Saturday October 22, you will find us at the computer lounge at Club 80 from 10pm. Come along to one or all of these nights, check it out and let us know what you think.
For information about “Spit and Polish” please visit http://www.lairdhotel.com for info about “Jack in the box” visit http://sircuit.com.au and for more info about Club 80 including cover charge, please visit http://www.club80.net
For all other enquiries email sams@vicaids.asn.au or phone 03 9865 6700 and ask for Carlos or 03 9863 8733 and ask for Wolf.
For more information on the Down an’ Dirty website go to www.downandirty.org

Victorian AIDS Council / Gay Men’s Health Centre (VAC/GMHC) and Ausgender will be hosting a Transgender Film Night on 21 September 2011, screening the groundbreaking documentary Prodigal Sons.
Prodigal Sons tells the story of transgendered woman Kimberly Reed, a successful magazine editor and film maker, as she returns to her home town to attend a high school reunion.
Kimberly is joined by her girlfriend as she meets old friends and faces her own and others’ memories of her previous life as the star quarterback on the school football team.
Kimberly’s quest for reconciliation with her long-estranged adopted brother and his own surprising discovery about his past is interwoven within the story of the reunion.
Prodigal Sons is a powerful story of gender identity, finding your own path and the bonds of family.
VAC/GMHC and transgender support group Ausgender invite you to attend this free screening on 21 September at 7.30pm (doors open at 7.00pm). The screening will be held at the Positive Living Centre, 51 Commercial Road South Yarra.
For more information on this event, call VAC/GMHC Community Support Program: 9863 0426. You can also visit our website for information on more upcoming events and a complete list of VAC/GMHC services. www.vicaids.asn.au

The Victorian AIDS Council/ Gay Men’s Health Centre (VAC/GMHC) has just launched its inaugural World AIDS Day Poster Design Competition.
The aim of the competition is to increase awareness in the general community about HIV in Victoria.
Students and recent graduates of art and design courses across the state are invited to submit entries to the competition, with the winning poster becoming the visual identity of VAC/GMHC’s World AIDS Day campaign for 2011. The posters will promote the theme of VAC/GMHC’s World AIDS Day Campaign, ‘Inform yourself, educate others’.
As part of the organisation’s promotional activities during AIDS Awareness Week (November 24 – December 1, 2011) the winning poster will appear in Yarra Trams, in print advertising and online. 20 short-listed entries will also be exhibited in the Atrium area of Federation Square from the 29th November – 3rd December 2011.
Participating in the competition is a great way to learn about HIV and how it affects Victorians – the competition pack includes an HIV fact sheet and all materials relating the competition are available for download at www.vicaids.asn.au, where there is also a wealth of information about HIV and STIs.
The competition judging panel, made up of creative professionals will be looking for creative and original works that respond to the theme with particular attention paid to thought process and execution.
With $5, 500.00 worth of prizes to win and great exposure for short-listed and winning entries, this competition offers a fantastic opportunity to tackle a complex visual communication task. How will Victoria’s graphic design students and recent graduates take on this challenging and exciting project aimed at ‘Putting HIV back in the frame’?
Entries will be accepted from the 11th of July and close at 5pm on the 2nd of September 2011. All information about the competition, including technical specifications is available at www.vicaids.asn.au

The Victorian Department of Health has released 2010 figures for HIV and syphilis in
the Victorian Infectious Diseases Bulletin (“VIDB”)(Vol 14, Issue 1, March 2011)
mailed to subscribers this week and available online at
www.health.vic.gov.au/ideas/surveillance/vidb.
HIV
The Department reported that there were 228 new diagnoses of HIV in 2010
compared to 262 in 2009. The 2010 total was the lowest number of new HIV
diagnoses in a calendar year since 2004 and 13% less than the 2009 total. 91% of
the new diagnoses were in males in 2010 compared to 92% in 2009. 84% (n=174) of
total new diagnoses were in gay men and other men who have sex with men
compared to 80% (n=193) in 2009.
In 2010 the median age of males diagnosed with HIV was 38 years compared to
36.4 years in 2009, and the median age of women was 34.4 years compared to 32.2
years in 2009. Among gay men and other men who have sex with men, the median
age was 36.1 years, similar to the median age reported in 2009 (35.9 years).
Syphilis
The total number of infectious syphilis cases for 2010 was 267 which was a 32%
decrease on the number of notified cases in 2009 (n=391). The VIDB provides
further demographic breakdowns only for the fourth quarter of 2010 however a
significant proportion of the notifications were in gay men and other men who have
sex with men.
Mike Kennedy, the Executive Director at the Victorian AIDS Council/Gay Men’s
Health Centre, said today that the figures were welcome news and a sign that new
HIV diagnoses may be declining after relatively stable figures since 2006. “These
figures are a tribute to the thousands of HIV-positive and HIV-negative gay men who,
30 years into this epidemic, are caring for themselves and their sexual partners, by
reducing their HIV risks and testing regularly for STIs”, Mr Kennedy said.

“The added investment in HIV prevention by the previous government, which had
been continued by the current government, and improved relationships between the
Department of Health and the HIV sector had also contributed to an enabling
environment to increase HIV testing and STI testing and treatment to drive down the
number of new diagnoses”, he said.

Queer as Fxxk, the Melbourne based gay soap opera aired on Facebook and YouTube is set to kick off its fourth series. The new series promise even more drama and comedy with guest appearances from (the Fabulous) Adam Richard, Denise Scott, Andrea Powell, Cal Wilson, Judith Lucy, and Catherine McClements.
The series follows the lives of four gay housemates, and the dramas they encounter as they meet go out, meet guys, hook up, and negotiate relationships.
Colin Batrouney, Manager of Health Promotion at the VAC/GMHC adds, “The growing popularity of series three of Queer as Fxxk has seen us reach the milestone of almost 3000 fans and over 2000 regular monthly users. Series four has allowed us to further explore the lives of Brendan, Peter, Aaron and Davo in situations that are sometimes tricky, sometimes tragic but at all times (we hope) entertaining. Will Davo and Glen have a baby? Will Peter cope with having HIV? Will Brendo stay with Jack? Will Aaron ever stop being a wanker? And will Brenda ever shut up? We have a number of fantastic guest stars this season and more than one musical interlude, we’ve got dream sequences, dinner party spats, departures, arrivals, blind dates, psychic phenomena and psychiatric assessments – in short, something for everyone!”
The project has also been pushing to become even more accessible. Jason Asselin, Health Educator at the VAC/GMHC working on the project says, “We’ve had several requests from viewers asking for our videos to be closed captioned for the hearing impaired. We’ve been doing exactly that – going through our back library and ensuring all episodes are closed captioned or subtitled. That’s the great thing about the project, we’re able to take the feedback of our viewers and act on it fairly quickly.”
Series four will begin June 15th, on Facebook and YouTube, and fans can follow the series through the new episodes posted weekly. Become a fan of the show on www.facebook.com/QAFxxk.

Michael Williams, the President of the Board of the Victorian AIDS Council/Gay Men’s Health
Centre, today announced the appointment of Matt Dixon as its new Executive Director.
“We are delighted to have Matt leading the team at VAC/GMHC. His many years involvement with
HIV service provision and prevention and his strong understanding of the needs of people living with
HIV as well as our GLBT community, make him an ideal person for this role.”
Currently Senior Policy Officer in the Victorian Department of Health, Matt has previously worked in
many different areas of sexual health both in Australia and the UK. With a background in the health
sector at the Infectious Diseases Ward at the Alfred Hospital and the former Fairfield Infectious
Diseases Hospital, Matt has also worked in the UK with the London HIV Consortium as a Senior
Commissioning Manager (HIV) for South West London.
“Matt has had a relationship with VAC/GMHC in his current role in the Sexual Health and Viral
Hepatitis Team at the Department of Health, so his knowledge of the Victorian HIV sector is already
comprehensive,” Michael said. “Matt promises to bring a new vision and energy to VAC/GMHC at a
time when the Board is re-examining our strategic directions, including looking at a broader
involvement with the GLBT community.”
There was extensive competition for the role, with several highly qualified international applicants for
what is seen as an important community sector position in Australia, given VAC/GMHC’s
international reputation for innovative health promotion and contributions to HIV policy.
“I am very excited to be joining VAC/GMHC to help lead it into the next chapter of its rich history”
says Matt. “With a highly skilled and dedicated staff and an energetic and engaged Board we will
continue to provide outstanding services to people living with HIV. We will also work to stay at the
forefront of HIV prevention in an ever-changing epidemic. I am keen that VAC/GMHC continues to
work with our community partners to build on successes and create new opportunities together. I
congratulate Mike Kennedy for his significant contribution to VAC/GMHC and its important work.”
A farewell for Mike Kennedy, current Executive Director of VAC/GMHC will be held in late July.
MEDIA ENQUIRIES: David Menadue Acting President 0412753338

Talented local fashion designer behind ARON, Aron Katona and jewellery designer Victoria St. John are set to combat Melbourne’s fastionista’s to assist in the fight against HIV, through the new ARON range of military inspired clothing and Victoria’s “key to fashion” jewellery collection.
Aron, 26 from St. Kilda, will be showing his latest collection at the ‘Fashion Lounge’ in Flinders Lane on Saturday 16th April, with $5 from each ticket sold being donated to the Victorian AIDS Council/Gay Men’s Health Centre (VAC/GMHC). There will also be a raffle on the night, with a number of pieces from the collection up for grabs including garments produced by ARON and stunning jewellery pieces by Victoria St. John with proceeds going to VAC/GMHC.
Aron and Victoria said: “We are so excited about our collections and the show, as much of our inspiration has arisen from the desire to combat AIDS, which still claims so many lives globally”.
The fashion show promises to be fantastic, with gorgeous models and some creative visual surprises to ensure a “wow” factor.”
Sian Syddall, Fundraising & Communications Coordinator for VAC/GMHC said: “We are extremely grateful for Aron and Victoria’s generous support of our work. VAC/GMHC is leading our community in the ongoing fight against HIV in Victoria. We provide practical and emotional support for Victorians affected by HIV and undertake important preventative work to reduce the transmission of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) in our community.
Funds raised through community events greatly assist us in our work, enabling us to fund projects and services that we couldn’t otherwise afford.”
Tickets to the show are priced at $25.00 and will be available for purchase at the venue on the night of April 16th at Fashion Lounge 121 Flinders Lane, Melbourne CBD.
For more information about HIV and the work of VAC/GMHC visit www.vicaids.asn.au or call (03) 9865 6700.

Michael Williams, the President of the Victorian AIDS Council/Gay Men’s Health Centre, announced today that VAC/GMHC Executive Director Mike Kennedy had informed the Board that he would not be seeking an extension of his contract when it expires in July 2011.
Mr. Williams said: “In all of its 27 years, VAC/GMHC has never been in a stronger position. This owes to the exceptional work undertaken by Mike Kennedy in his role as Executive Director over a long period of time. Mike has been a highly competent administrator who began his position at VAC/GMHC during one of its most fraught periods. In his 11 years, Mike has placed the organisation on a firm financial footing; won the respect and loyalty of his staff; created excellent relations with the community and stakeholders; and proved himself to be a state and national leader in HIV-related advocacy and policy.” “In recent years, Mike has guided VAC/GMHC through a difficult time in the history of the HIV epidemic. He secured greater funding to undertake our health promotion work at a time when HIV infections were rising and ensured that the issue of HIV and ageing is given the prominence it deserves in policy discussions and the future priorities of the organisation.” “It is a testament to Mike that he is one of the longest serving Executive Directors in the history of all of the Australian AIDS Councils. He leaves VAC/GMHC on a confident and capable footing to face new challenges. I speak for the entire Board in saying that we, and the organisation, will miss his wisdom and leadership immensely and wish him well in his next role”, Mr Williams said.
Mr. Kennedy said: “Over the past 11 years that I have been in this position, VAC/GMHC has been involved in a constant process of review and renewal to ensure that we kept pace with the changes in the epidemic and it is now time for that renewal to encompass my position.”
“I have enjoyed enormously the challenges the job has presented and have been fortunate to have had remarkable support from Board members, staff, volunteers and a broad range of partner organisations over that time in forming a cohesive team to meet those challenges. I am very proud of VAC/GMHC and of what we have achieved”, he said.

The VAC/GMHC Board is putting in place a recruitment strategy and will be initiating
the search phase from March 2011. “We aim to have the new Executive Director in
place just prior to Mike departing so a smooth transition can take place”, Mr Williams
said.