Local Sexual Health Services
Useful web links:
USA health and wellness site for the GLBT community
A site providing Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI's) information for gay men - negative and positive
Lesbian & Gay Anti-Violence Project
The AVP website provides a range of services to members of the GLBT communities and aims to eliminate hate related violence. Information, referral, support and advocacy for people experience gay hate crimes and options for reporting those crimes.
The AVP site includes an On-line Report Form for people who have experienced homophobic violence, verbal or physical.
.JPG)
Get the facts you need to stay healthy and strong. Includes Sexual Health, Anti-Violence, HIV/AIDS, Mental Health.
This website provides basic information on some of the most common Sexually Transmissible Infections (STIs) found among gay men as well as information about STI testing and treatment. It is written for both HIV positive and HIV negative men.
Domestic violence in gay and lesbian relationships - information site proving support, help and useful links.
ACON ILLAWARRA BRANCH
ACON is a health promotion organisation based in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities with a central focus on HIV/AIDS. They provide education, health promotion, care, support and advocacy services to members of those communities, including Indigenous people and injecting drug users, to sex workers, and to all people living with HIV/AIDS
Location & Contact details
47 Kenny Street (Cnr. Kenny and Ellen Streets)
WOLLONGONG NSW 2500
Phone: (02) 4226 1163
Fax: (02) 4226 9838
e-mail: illawarra@acon.org.au
Community Services
- Safe space and chill out lounge
- Educational resource material on HIV/AIDS and related issues
- Literature on GLBT health issues and HIV/AIDS
- Lending library (GLBT themed) including info on HIV/AIDS and sexual health
- Public access computers and free internet access
- Regional newsletter and gay and lesbian newspapers
- Distribution of safe sex packs
- Free and confidential Sexual Health Clinic
- Counselling for GLBT and PLWHA (People Living With HIV/AIDS)
- Safe sex information and resources
Provides support services, advocacy and referral for GLBT people and everyone living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Services include provision of workshops and training on HIV/AIDS related issues together with coordination of Sexual Health Clinics and Counselling services at the Branch. Client Services offers individual support and assistance including:
- Personal skills development
- Budgeting and financial issues
- Peer support groups
- Advocacy and referral to relevant services and organisations
- CSN support services for PLWHA
- Educational resource material on HIV/AIDS and related issues
- HIV Positive Gay Men's Health Retreats
- Housing information and referrals
- Individual case work
- Life skills, health and welfare support
- Low cost Vitamin Service for PLWHA
- SSDV (Same Sex Domestic Violence) support and referral
Lesbian Health
Provides information, referral, advocacy and support for women who identify as lesbian and bisexual. Services include information and education on lesbian and bisexual women's sexual health and general wellbeing. This project also provides education and outreach services.
- Advocacy and referral
- Access to financial assistance and budgeting
- Education, community development & health promotion services
- Educational resource material on sexuality
- Housing information and referrals
- Individual case work
- Life skills, health and welfare support
- Social and support groups for Lesbians
Youth Services
Services include:
- liaison with mainstream youth services,
- coordination of the local GLBT youth group Young and Proud (Wollongong) for those 14 to 18 years (youngandproud@hotmail.com)
- Outreach to Label Free Youth (Nowra) for those 14 to 24 years (shannon@nowrayouthservices.org.au) who identify as GLBT, or questioning their gender or sexual identity.
- These groups provide support and social opportunities as well as educational workshops on the health and wellbeing of GLBT youth.
YOUTH GROUP MEETING DATES
see 
YOUTH INFORMATION menu option on this website
The Youth Peer Education Officer is also available for:
- Advocacy and referral
- Access to financial assistance and budgeting
- Counselling for GLBT and sexaulity questioning youth
- Education, community development & health promotion services
- Housing information and referrals
- Individual case work
- Life skills, health and welfare support
- Literature on coming out
- Safe sex information and resources
- Social and support groups for GLBT youth
Education and Community Development
Provides education, information and support services to the local GLBT communities relating to STIs, (sexually transmitted infections) sexual health, general health and wellbeing awareness education, together with safe sex information.
ACON provides a range of educational services and opportunities to the GLBT and general communities, including workshops, seminars, sexual health and GLBT health information and events, Anti-violence and Safe Space projects, anti-homophobia, sexual diversity, anti-discrimination, and sexual health workshops to schools, TAFE and Universities, GLBT and PLWHA sensitivity training for mainstream services, and various outreach services in Southern NSW. Workshops are provided by trained staff and can be tailored to suit specific situations and groups. Contact the ACON office for more information or to book a workshop.
- Distribution of safe Sex packs
- Education, community development & health promotion services
- Educational resource material on HIV/AIDS and related issues
- Information and support for HIV community education
- Literature on GLBT health issues and HIV/AIDS
- Safe sex information and resources
Sex Industry Outreach
Offers support, referral and health information to sex industry workers throughout the Illawarra and Shoalhaven areas which includes outreach and distribution of safe sex products to parlours and private workers, as well as advocacy services. The Sex Industry Outreach Worker also co-ordinates a Nurse's Clinic once a month for sex industry workers in the region.
- Advocacy and referral
- Access to financial assistance and budgeting
- Counselling for sex workers
- Free and confidential Sexual Health Nurse Clinic
- Distribution of safe sex packs and safe sex information
- Education, community development and health promotion services
- Educational resource material on HIV/AIDS and related issues
Needle and Syringe Exchange Program
- Easy access to injecting equipment
- Disposal of used equipment facility
- Access to information including on HIV and hepatitis C, treatments, alternative therapies and prevention strategies.
- Support and crisis management
- Health promotion services
- Referral to external services
- Access to safe sex resources and information
- Educational resource material on HIV/AIDS and related issues
SEXUAL HEALTH CLINICS
-
Free and Confidential
-
STI testing and treatment
-
No Medicare card needed
-
Doctors, Nurses, Counselling services
-
Appointments needed (please ring)
Port Kembla Sexual Health
Port Kembla Hospital
Fairfax Road, Warrawong, NSW 2502
Ph: 4276 2399
ACON - Pt Kembla Sexual Health Clinic Outreach Service
47 Kenny Street
Wollongong NSW 2500
Ph: 4226 1163
Nowra Sexual Health Clinic
Shoalhaven District Hospital
Shoalhaven Street, Nowra, NSW 2541
Ph: 4423 9353
Click on the link below for a full list of Sexual Health Clinics
Syphilis
Description
Syphilis is a bacterial infection that infects the dick, throat or arse and then spreads to different parts of the body through the bloodstream. If left untreated syphilis can cause irreversible damage to the nerves, bones, skin, eyes, and brain.
Transmission
Syphilis is passed on by touching the sores and rashes of someone with the infection including foreplay, mutual masturbation, giving or receiving anal or oral sex, or arse play. Someone can pass on syphilis for up to two years after they become infected - even if they have no symptoms. When there are no symptoms, the infection can be passed on through contact with infected body fluids, like cum and blood.
Signs and Symptoms
Some people never develop symptoms and in others it's easy for the early symptoms to go unnoticed.
Syphilis has infectious and non-infectious stage.
Infectious Stage
Syphilis can produce a painless sore on the dick, in the arse or in the mouth 10-90 days after infection. The sore usually turns into a scab and heals after two to six weeks but the infection remains. Only areas physically covered by condoms, gloves or dams are protected from infection.
Seven to ten weeks after infection some people then develop a rash on the torso (body), hands or feet. Symptoms may also include fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, patchy hair loss, headaches, muscle aches and tiredness. The symptoms may last up to a few months and then disappear.
Non-infectious Syphilis
If left untreated, syphilis remains in the body. Syphilis stops being infectious to sexual partners after about 2 years. During the non-infectious stage syphilis may begin to damage the body's internal organs, which may include the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, liver, bones, joints and blood vessels. In some people this internal damage may not show up for years. Damage to internal organs can occur after 10 to 25 years and may be serious enough to cause death.
What is the test for syphilis?
The usual test for syphilis is a blood test. However, if a sore (called a chancre) is present a swab can be taken of it. Syphilis can take up to three months after exposure for the infection to show up in the blood test. Once someone has been infected with syphilis most future blood tests will show up as positive - even if they have been successfully treated. A particular test is used to identify a new infection - as well as to see if treatment has worked.
Treatment
Syphilis is treated with injections of antibiotics. The duration of treatment depends on the stage of infection and ranges from between 1 and 30 days. Treatment is often provided if you have had contact with someone who has had syphilis to prevent it developing in you.
If you're HIV positive
Syphilis is harder to detect and harder to treat in people with HIV. It is a serious infection that can be mistaken for other infections found in people with HIV. While the symptoms of syphilis infection are usually similar, some HIV positive men develop severe organ and nerve damage much more rapidly than HIV negative men. For some, syphilis can decrease the CD4 count (therefore causing damage to the immune system) as well as increasing the their viral load.
Having syphilis increases the risks of HIV transmission.
Prevention
Avoid contact with any sores or rashes. Safe sex, for HIV, is not completely safe for syphilis but provides the best protection. Using condoms reduces your risk of syphilis infection.
