VAC, AFAO and the Australian Drug Foundation launch TouchBase, a national resource on alcohol and drugs for LGBTI communities

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.”