October 15, 2024

lgbt health

LGBTQIA65+ Equality At Every Age

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Julie McCrossin AM moderates a diverse panel of members from the Rainbow community as they explore the particular characteristics and vulnerabilities of older LGBTQIA+ people and talk about real life examples of elder abuse.
Sponsored by Elder Abuse Action Australia (EAAA) and LGBTIQ+ Health Australia, this webinar aims to highlight sources of information, resources and service providers that are accessible and friendly to the LGBTQIA+ community.

Join the discussion and ask our panel members to share the steps they are taking personally to protect themselves from abuse as they age and to offer hope, while raising awareness about the importance of self-protection as individuals and as a community.

The stellar panel includes:

  • Paul van Reyk – Special Projects Officer for the Tenants Union NSW and an expert in the delivery of human services for more than 40 years
  • Jude Munro AO – Chair of the Victorian Planning Authority, Uniting Vic Was, Victorian Pride Centre and Newcastle Airport and Director of Jude Munro and Associates
  • Joe Ball – CEO of Switchboard Victoria, a support service for the gender diverse, sex diverse and same sex attracted communities, and community leader working in the LGBTQIA+ sector
  • Aunty Vanessa – A Noongar Sistergirl of the Kaneang people in Western Australia’s south west, Aunty Vanessa has been a LGBTIQ+ activist for more than 20 years
  • Moderated by Julie McCrossin AM – Broadcaster with ABC Radio, ABC TV and Network 10

Date: Thursday 25 February
Time: 12:30pm AEDT
Location: Zoom
Cost: FREE!

Register here

Marriage Equality leads to halving of suicide rate: study

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A multi-national study has found that the legalisation of same-sex marriage has reduced deaths by suicide of those in same sex relationships by almost half.

The joint study conducted by the Danish Research Institute for Suicide Prevention and Stockholm University used data from Denmark and Sweden. The two countries legalised marriage equality in 2009 and 2012 respectively.

It compared suicide rates in the period between 1989 and 2016, and found a reduction of deaths by suicide of 46% among those in same-sex partnerships.

The researchers believe that the drop was due to reduced stigma towards same-sex relationship as a result of the legislative changes, coupled with increased improved mental health education and services.

Annette Erlangsen from the Danish Research Institute for Suicide Prevention told Reuters that “legalising same-sex marriage and other supportive legislative measures… might actually reduce stigma around sexual minorities.”

However, the study also found that people in same-sex relationships were still more than twice as likely to take their own lives, as compared with their counterparts in opposite-sex relationships.

The report indicated that “this points to the critical need for better understanding of suicide risk and protective factors” within the LGBTI community.

LGBT elders more likely to suffer from loneliness, dementia: study

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A new report has found that older LGBT people are at heightened risk of dementia and social isolation, as compared to their heterosexual counterparts.

The new study, released by the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference studied over 44,000 people aged over 45.

The researchers found that LGBT identified-elders were 29% more likely to report subjective cognitive decline, taking into account factors such as income, age and race.

Researcher Dr Jason Flatt of the Institute for Health and Ageing at UCSF said that “given that 1 in 7 adults who identified as a sexual or gender minority reported cognitive decline, it is critical that more opportunities exist for people in these communities to receive regular evaluation for cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease”.

“There is a need for great education on Alzheimer’s risk, signs and symptoms, and training for health care providers to ensure include and welcome care for LGBTQ+ populations”.

Dr Flatt indicated that more research would be needed to understand why subjective cognitive decline and dementia is more prevalent with LGBT elders than the general population.

For more information about LGBT elders you can also check out this resource or go to the 10 Questions website.10 Questions is a series of leaflets written by nurses, doctors and experts with experience in aged care.

Gay and bisexual men using PrEP have lower anxiety: study

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A new study conducted by UNSW’s Kirby Institute has found that gay and bisexual men taking the HIV prevention medication PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) have lower levels of HIV-related anxiety.

The study provides the strongest evidence yet that PrEP may be enhancing the mental health and wellbeing of gay and bisexual men, along with decreasing HIV infection rates in the community.

PrEP was made available in Australia through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in April 2018, and prevents a HIV-negative person from acquiring HIV when taken as directed.

The lead co-author of the paper, Phillip Keen, said that this research has important implications for the understanding of the benefits of PrEP.

“This new evidence suggests that another benefit of taking PrEP is improved mental health, through reduced anxiety about HIV”.

The Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO) noted that the research presented a “turning point” in our understanding of how the fear of HIV has influenced sexual relationships in gay and bisexual men.

“It has helped many gay men enjoy sex without being fearful of HIV [by being a] highly effective strategy to prevent HIV transmission”, said AFAO CEO, Adjunct Associate Profession Darryl O’Donnell.

ACON welcomes NSW Labor pledge for NSW Pride Health and Community Centre

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ACON has welcomed the announcement today from NSW Labor pledging $4.2 million for the establishment of a health and community centre for LGBTIQ people in NSW.

The ‘NSW Pride Health and Community Centre’ will be developed in partnership between ACON and the Inner West Council, and will be established in the Inner West Local Government Area.

The centre will provide much-needed health care, support and referral services for LGBTIQ people and their families across the state. It will also serve as a community, meeting and social hub for local LGBTIQ communities.

In welcoming the announcement, ACON CEO Nicolas Parkhill said: “ACON welcomes this commitment from NSW Labor, which will see the establishment of a much-needed centre that will help in improving the health and wellbeing of our communities.

“LGBTIQ people experience significant disparities in many areas of health compared to the general population. And we know that for many LGBTI people, accessing critical health services can be a challenging and difficult process with barriers such as discrimination, stigma, fear of ‘coming out’ or refusal of service.  

“With this health and community centre, we aim to provide a facility where LGBTIQ people can feel safe, understood and included as they seek health care,” Mr Parkhill said. “The establishment of a multi-disciplinary, community-driven health service will help address significant gaps in health service delivery for LGBTIQ people and their families.

“We also know that when LGBTIQ people access health care in NSW, our data is not collected in the health system,” Mr Parkhill added. “Comprehensive data about the health and wellbeing of people in our communities is critical to developing evidence for the most effective health treatments and programs.

“Through the centre, we will seek to partner with research bodies to strengthen evidence around effective health service provisions and interventions that assist LGBTIQ people to take control of their health, and improve their overall health and wellbeing.

The proposed location for the centre is in the Inner West Local Government Area, an area with a very large LGBTIQ population.

“It is a part of Sydney that is very diverse and as such, LGBTIQ people can feel safe to access services in the area,” Mr Parkhill said. “This is reinforced by the fact that the area is among the highest in the state that returned a ‘yes’ vote during last year’s postal survey on equal marriage reform. 

“The Inner West is also an important transport hub which will help facilitate people from outside of this area of Sydney to access this service.

But while the centre will be situated in metropolitan Sydney, Mr Parkhill said it would also be a statewide integrated health service, providing clinical support to clients and other health care providers across NSW via telehealth.

“Our vision is for an accessible and inclusive health and community centre that understands and responds to the needs of LGBTIQ people and their families across NSW,” Mr Parkhill said.

“To strengthen the health and wellbeing of our communities, it is vital we are able to access a statewide health service that provides appropriate and tailored care, and records important data that will inform the development of future health programs and services.  

“We sincerely thank NSW Labor for their support for the centre, and look forward to working with Inner West Council and a wide range of partners to see this vision realised.”

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