Sydney Sexual Health Centre

In this episode we take a steamy look at what it is like to offer sexual health testing in a sex on premises venue (SOPV). First we meet Ty, one of the managers of 357 Sydney City Steam. He takes us on a guided tour through what it is like to visit a sauna and shares some of his inspiration for making 357 a welcoming space for a diverse clientele. He also gives us a sneak peak at some of the plans for their new venue. Then we hear from Timmy, a former SSHC CNC, who conducted sexual health testing at 357. He tells us about the benefits and challenges of offering sexual health testing in a non-clinical setting. 357 has now closed down and is currently operating at a new venue called SaunaX at the former Bodyline Sauna site. Host: Thomas Munro (he/him) Guests: Ty Dovans (he/him), manager of 357 Timmy Lockwood (he/him), former clinical nurse consultant SSHC To stay up to date with the latest information in sexual health, follow us on social media: www.facebook.com/SydneySHC twitter.com/SydneySHC www.instagram

Trans and gender diverse healthcare is often seen as a niche specialty. Though there are things that we can all be doing to make sure we are affirming and welcoming. In this podcast we discuss the structural barriers trans and gender diverse people face when accessing health services, some of the services available, the new LGBTIQ+ NSW Health Strategy, and how we can all help create gender affirming services in healthcare or in the broader community. Resources: Information: https://www.transhub.org.au/ https://auspath.org.au/ https://www.wpath.org/ Services: https://gendercentre.org.au/ https://twenty10.org.au/ https://www.acon.org.au/ e-learning https://ashm.org.au/lms/ashm-acons-trans-and-gender-diverse-sexual-health-care-e-learning/ Host: Thomas Munro (he/him) Guests: Maggie Smith (they/them), T150 Clinic Albion Centre, SESLHD Merryn Kellie (they/she), SESLHD To stay up to date with the latest information in sexual health, follow us on social media: www.facebook.com

In this episode we meet Bronwyn Leece. Bronwyn has worked in sexual health promotion since the 1980s. She shares her experiences of working in sexual health education in schools, the impacts of HIV/AIDS on the work through the 80s and 90s, her time working in India, the evolution of sexual health promotion over this time, more recent resources for parents, and diversity and inclusion initiatives. Resources: Talk Soon Talk Often (WA) https://www.healthywa.wa.gov.au/articles/s_t/talk-soon-talk-often Talk Soon Talk Often (NSW) https://talksoontalkoften.wordpress.com/ Host: Thomas Munro (he/him) Guests: Bronwyn Leece To stay up to date with the latest information in sexual health, follow us on social media: www.facebook.com/SydneySHC twitter.com/SydneySHC www.instagram.com/sydneysexualhealth/ www.linkedin.com/company/sydney-s…al-health-centre We acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the land on which this podcast was produced. We pay our respects to

In this episode we meet Mel, a heterosexual woman living with HIV who was diagnosed in western Sydney. She is a mum, works fulltime, and is on the board of Positive Life NSW. She shares her experience of diagnosis in Australia, offers some advice for heterosexual people living with HIV, and shares how she found her community. Resources: https://www.positivelife.org.au/ To stay up to date with the latest information in sexual health, follow us on social media: https://www.facebook.com/SydneySHC https://twitter.com/SydneySHC https://www.instagram.com/sydneysexualhealth/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/sydney-sexual-health-centre We acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the land on which this podcast was produced. We pay our respects to the elders past, present, and emerging wherever you are listening from.

On this episode we meet Clinical Nurse Specialist Cherie Bennett. Cherie wears many hats, including being a sessional academic at the University of Wollongong, CHART Program Manager at the Kirby Institute, a medical educator at ASHM, and working here at Sydney Sexual Health Centre. Her diverse career has seen her work in Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu. She shares some of her insights and advice for anybody interested in a career in HIV and sexual health, or including sexual health into your clinical practice. Resources: https://pro.playsafe.health.nsw.gov.au/tools/youth-friendly-checklist https://www.kirby.unsw.edu.au/study/cooper-hivaids-research-training-chart-program https://ashm.org.au/ To stay up to date with the latest information in sexual health, follow us on social media: https://www.facebook.com/SydneySHC https://twitter.com/SydneySHC https://www.instagram.com/sydneysexualhealth/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/sydney-sexual-health-centre We acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation,

In this episode of the podcast we discuss how to make services more welcoming to young people. Wherever we work, we will have young people attend our services either as consumers or family members of those who are. We can all benefit from hearing some tips to improve how welcoming our services are. I'm joined by SESLHD youth health program manager Stanya Sharota, and peer youth educator Anna Danyushevsky to discuss their work and effective ways to engage young people. Young people experience higher rates of STIs and lower screening rates than the general population, so there are also tips on having these conversations. Below are linked some new resources from Play Safe Pro with a youth friendly checklist for general practice (that may be useful for many services) and resources for youth workers, and young people themselves. Host: Thomas Munro Guests: Stanya Sharota(Youth Health Manager, SESLHD) Anna Danyushevsky(Youth Peer Educator, SESLHD) New resources from Play Safe: GP Youth friendlin

Syphilis has been shrouded in myth and stigma over the centuries. Here in Australia we have been seeing increased cases of this disease that used to be known as 'the great pox' across Europe. Luckily today it is easily treated and cured with penicillin. To tell us more about Syphilis presentations we see here at SSHC we're joined by Dr Melissa Lam. Then to speak more about the history of syphilis, priorities for prevention and treatment in NSW, and some of the current research taking place we speak with Dr. Phillip Read. Host: Thomas Munro Guests: Dr. Melissa Lam(Registrar, SSHC) Dr. Phillip Read (Director Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Services, SESLHD) Resources: https://playsafe.health.nsw.gov.au/common-stis/syphilis/ https://www.stipu.nsw.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/17.-Syphilis.pdf To stay up to date with the latest information in sexual health, follow us on social media: https://www.facebook.com/SydneySHC https://twitter.com/SydneySHC https://www

In this episode of the podcast we discuss Monkeypox. First Dr. Katie Burkitt takes us through the symptoms, how to keep yourself and your partners safe, and how the Australian outbreak differs from cases overseas. Then we are joined by Anik Ray to discuss vaccine supply and the rapid deployment of the SESLHD monkeypox vaccination hub at The Albion Centre. We hear about how this was made possible through an agile and responsive team of clinicians, community partners, and IT working together to meet community needs. Host: Thomas Munro Guests: Dr. Katie Burkitt (Registrar, SSHC) Anik Ray (CNC, SSHC) Resources: To stay up to date with the latest information in sexual health, follow us on social media: https://www.facebook.com/SydneySHC https://twitter.com/SydneySHC https://www.linkedin.com/company/sydney-sexual-health-centre We acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the land on which this podcast was produced. We pay our respects to the

In this edition of the podcast I am joined by Lia and Jane, accredited practicing dietitians who work at the Albion Centre. We have started offering a nutrition clinic for SSHC consumers on Fridays. We discuss why nutrition is important to consider in relation to sexual health. We also have a discussion about the future of sustainable food in Australia and the growing interest of entomophagy: the eating of insects as part of a healthy diet. Resources to help support health eating: Apps: 8700 app Food switch app Websites https://www.healthyliving.nsw.gov.au/ https://www.healthyliving.nsw.gov.au/Pages/healthy-eating.aspx https://dietitiansaustralia.org.au/diet-and-nutrition-health-advice https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/ https://nomoneynotime.com.au/about https://foodwatch.com.au/ https://www.thinkingnutrition.com.au/ https://nutritionaustralia.org/about/ Healthy Food Guide - Delicious recipes and expert diet advice online and hard copy magazine – subscription costs money, each magazine is about

Although sexual health and consent is included in the national education curriculum and relevant state curriculums, the implementation can be variable with many students reporting that they have received inadequate information. Recently, public movements led by young people, such at Chanel Contos' Teach Us Consent campaign, have been calling for quality information to be taught in schools. I am joined by Eliza Basheer and Caecilia Roth to talk about the evidence behind Comprehensive Sexuality Education, the work that they do to assist teachers to feel comfortable to deliver this information, and how they work with parents and communities to ensure that it suits their needs. Host: Thomas Munro Guests: Eliza Basheer(Senior Policy Officer, Family Planning NSW) Caecilia Roth (Senior Education Officer, Family Planning NSW) Resources: Family Planning NSW courses for school teachers https://www.fpnsw.org.au/education-training/courses-school-teachers Family Planning NSW Framewo

This is World Hepatitis Day 2022. in this podcast we'll take a closer look at hepatitis B. Hep b impacts a large number of people in Australia, particularly people born overseas who haven't had access to vaccinations. To discuss the SSHC fibroscan clinic is Anik Ray. We then speak with Wa'el Sabri from the Multicultural HIV and Hepatitis Service about how they work with communities to improve health outcomes. Finally we're joined by Rachel Lian from Hepatitis NSW to discuss her lived experience. Host: Thomas Munro Guests: Anik Ray(SSHC) Wa'el Sabri (MHAHS) Rachel Lian (HepNSW) To stay up to date with the latest information in sexual health, follow us on social media: https://www.facebook.com/SydneySHC https://twitter.com/SydneySHC https://www.linkedin.com/company/sydney-sexual-health-centre Resources: Hepatitis NSW story writing competition: hep.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2022_HepBWritingComp_VH22poster.pdf Hepatitis NSW Hep B information: ht

We all know smoking is bad for us, but what about vaping? For World No Tobacco Day 2022 we are investigating vaping and the evidence for its use in helping people to quit smoking. To take us through some ways of reducing the harms of smoking amongst the populations we see here at SSHC is Dr. Aaron Coleman. As a peer who speaks with patients about smoking and what quit supports are available, David Massa shares his experiences of quitting smoking and what worked for him. Emily Jenkinson from Cancer Council NSW will then let us know about their research into the harms that vaping can cause for individuals and the community. Some further resources: Quitline https://www.icanquit.com.au/quitting-methods/professional-support-and-advice/quitline MyQuitBuddy app https://www.health.gov.au/resources/apps-and-tools/my-quitbuddy-app IcanQuit www.icanquit.com.au NSW Health Do You Know What You're Vaping campaign https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/tobacco/pages/vaping.aspx NSW Health advice on E-cigarettes https://www.h

In this episode we explore how sexual health services can work towards reducing inequities in health outcomes for the consumers that we see. Joining us is Evan Freeman, the South East Sydney Local Health District Equity Manager to speak about his work ensuring equity is a part of the planning processes within the district. We are then joined by Maggie Ma, who discusses the work she does here at SSHC to encourage service access to consumers who don't speak English as their primary language. Host: Thomas Munro Guests: Evan Freeman, Maggie Ma We acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the land on which this podcast was recorded. We pay our respects to the elders past, present, and emerging wherever you are listening from.

For Close the Gap Day 2022 we meet some people working to enhance Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sexual health. In this podcast I am joined by Kezia Blackledge from the Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network to speak about her work as well as winning the Levinia Crooks Emerging Leader Award at the 2021 ASHM Conference. I am then joined by Samantha Houben to discuss her exhibit Fe/Mail promoting Aboriginal art in a sexual health waiting room as part of The Waiting Room Project. Want to know more about the art? The current exhibit Fe/Mail can be found on their website. https://www.waitingroomproject.net/ Here is the Take Blaktion campaign as part of Play Safe by the STI Programs Unit (STIPU): https://takeblaktion.playsafe.health.nsw.gov.au/ Want to donate to help support Close the Gap initiatives? https://antar.org.au/donate-antar To stay up to date with the latest information in sexual health, follow us on social media: https://www.facebook.com/SydneySHC https://twitter.com/SydneySHC

Herpes. Is it really so bad? To help answer the question I am joined by Samantha Blake from the Sexual Health Info Link (SHIL) and Stephanie de Vries to discuss her lived experience. Want to know more? Check out these useful resources: https://www.herpes.org.nz/ https://playsafe.health.nsw.gov.au/common-stis/herpes/ https://www.instagram.com/my_boyfriend_has_herpes/ Still have questions? You can call the sexual health info link on 1800 451 624. https://www.shil.nsw.gov.au/ To stay up to date with the latest information in sexual health, follow us on social media: https://www.facebook.com/SydneySHC https://twitter.com/SydneySHC https://www.linkedin.com/company/sydney-sexual-health-centre Host: Thomas Munro Guests: Samantha Blake (SHIL), Stephanie de Vries

This is World AIDS Day 2021. Stigma reduction has become an increasingly important part of the NSW HIV strategy. Though what is it? What can we do about it? To discuss the detrimental effects of stigma and the research, I am joined by Dr Timothy Broady who is a senior research fellow from UNSW's Centre for Social Research in Health. To talk about his lived experience of HIV related stigma, I'm joined by a member of Positive Life NSW's Positive Speaker's Bureau, Freddy Cole. To stay up to date with the latest information in sexual health, you can follow us on social media: https://www.facebook.com/SydneySHC https://twitter.com/SydneySHC https://www.linkedin.com/company/sydney-sexual-health-centre Host: Thomas Munro Guests: Dr Timothy Broady, UNSW. Freddy Cole, Positive Speaker's Bureau.

In this podcast we hear about the new SSHC co-morbidity screening clinic for people living with HIV. It is designed to work collaboratively with general practice to improve health outcomes. Listen to find out more about the role of nurses in the clinic and how it operates. To stay up to date with the latest information in sexual health, you can follow us on social media: www.facebook.com/SydneySHC twitter.com/SydneySHC www.linkedin.com/company/sydney-s…al-health-centre Host: Thomas Munro Guests: Dr. Rick Varma, Clinical Services Manager, SSHC Rebecca Houghton, Nurse Unit Manager, SSHC

For Hepatitis Awareness Week 2021 we are exploring some of the great work being done to meet the goal of eliminating Hep C in NSW by 2028. Marian Bloomfield from the Justice and Forensic Mental Health Network discusses gives us an insight into what it is like working towards eliminating Hep C in prisons, including the nurse-led model they use and supporting patients moving back in the community. Julie Page from the Nepean Blue Mountain Local Health District Needle and Syringe Program then shares some of the challenges in finding the 'hard to reach' people who still require treatment, information GPs need to know, and the barriers to accessing care that still need to be overcome. To stay up to date with the latest information in sexual health, you can follow us on social media: www.facebook.com/SydneySHC twitter.com/SydneySHC www.linkedin.com/company/sydney-s…al-health-centre Host: Thomas Munro Guests: Marian Bloomfield, Julie Page

The International Student Health Hub is a resource that has been developed to share sexual and reproductive health information with international students. It is a 'one stop shop' for information and was developed as part of the Play Safe Programs run by NSW Health's STI Program Unit (STIPU). In this podcast I am joined by Maddy and Anju, 2 of the co-leaders who developed the project along with a number of partners (listed below). I am then joined by Sujith to speak about his experience as an international student involved in the co-design process. The website can be accessed here: https://internationalstudents.health.nsw.gov.au/ If you have any questions, or would like to help promote the international student health hub, you can contact Maddie or Anju on: Maddison.Stratten@health.nsw.gov.au Anju.Devkota@health.nsw.gov.au Project partners: Study New South Wales (NSW) provided grant funds and 18 organisations partnered on the grant submission through contributing monetary and/or in-kind support. Organisat

Join us for another professional profile. In this episode we meet Professor Basil Donovan. Basil has been a part of Sydney Sexual Health Centre since the late 70's, when it was called the Sydney STD clinic. He shares some stories about the history of sexual health, the early days of the clinic, and the HIV response in Sydney. To stay up to date with the latest information in sexual health, you can follow us on social media: https://www.facebook.com/SydneySHC https://twitter.com/SydneySHC https://www.linkedin.com/company/sydney-sexual-health-centre Host: Thomas Munro Guest: Professor Basil Donovan