Bobby Goldsmith Foundation in Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia | Non-profit organisation

Bobby Goldsmith Foundation

Locality: Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia

Phone: +61 2 9283 8666

Address: 111-117 Devonshire St 2010 Surry Hills, NSW, Australia

Website: http://www.bgf.org.au

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24.01.2022 U.K. to Ease Rules on Blood Donations by Gay and Bisexual Men: "Britain announced on Monday that it would loosen restrictions on blood donation by gay and bisexual men beginning next year, a shift in policy called landmark by the government and hailed by activists who have long fought rules they described as discriminatory. This landmark change to blood donation is safe and it will allow many more people, who have previously been excluded by donor selection criteria, to ta...ke the opportunity to help save lives, Britain’s health secretary, Matt Hancock, said in a statement on Monday. Whilst this is a historic moment in rescinding discriminatory regulations it is important to note that men who sleep with men (MSM) are still bound to blood donor restrictions. The new laws stipulate that MSM must have the same partner for more than three consecutive months to be able to donate blood. The National Health Service also failed to mention amended policies that would address the disproportionate rate of transmissions impacting the lives of people from minority backgrounds. As mentioned in the linked article, Western Countries' transmission rates are consistently declining yet there is substantial advocacy, organising and work to be done to tackle HIV/AIDS in marginalised communities and developing countries (such as South Africa, India and Nigeria). As a body in the HIV sector it is paramount that we celebrate milestones in equality and also advocate that everyone has access to the education, resources and medical treatment to end HIV/AIDS for all. http://ow.ly/4AKK50CLnS6

23.01.2022 Most COVID-19 Vaccines Won’t Affect HIV Risk: Here’s What the Science Tells Us What Type of COVID-19 Vaccine Are Scientists Worried Might Increase HIV Risk? "There are four types of COVID-19 vaccines, with multiple candidates of each type in development. All of them attempt to coax the body into generating its own immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, but they do so differently:... Genetic vaccines deliver the coronavirus’s genes into human cells. Protein-based vaccines contain coronavirus proteins, but no genetic material. Inactivated or attenuated vaccines are created from weakened or killed coronaviruses. Viral vector vaccines are genetically re-engineered viruses that have been repurposed to fight disease instead of cause it. Some vectors are designed to enter cells and cause them to make viral proteins; other vectors replicate and carry coronavirus proteins on their surface. It’s that fourth type of vaccinethe viral vector vaccine that has been identified as a possible danger. Specifically: vaccines using a vector known as adenovirus type 5, or Ad5." http://ow.ly/Eqbx50CEgFY

23.01.2022 Our friends at Vodafone Australia have today launched BGF’s World AIDS Day Red Ribbon appeal in stores across greater Sydney. For the next two weeks, until 1st December, a selection of Vodafone stores will be selling the ribbons for $3. Monies raised from this appeal will go towards providing services and programs that help people with HIV to thrive. Our very own Susan Duffy, BGF’s Corporate Relationships Manager, popped into Vodafone’s Pitt Street Mall store today and has b...een raving about the enthusiasm of all the Vodafone staff she has met as she’s dropped off ribbon boxes over the last few days. You can purchase a red ribbon at the following Vodafone stores: Westfield Burwood, George St, Queen Victoria Building, Greenwood Plaza North Sydney, Broadway Shopping Centre, Westfield Bondi Junction, Westfield Chatswood, Westfield Parramatta and Pitt St Mall. #WorldAIDSDay

22.01.2022 Our friends at Positive Life NSW have created an easy to use online map and directory tool to assist people with HIV to locate HIV-friendly pharmacies in NSW. Check our their NSW based map by clinking the link: http://ow.ly/LT8r50Dh1mD

22.01.2022 Simon Dunn, our fabulous Community Ambassador, visited Woolworths head office in Norwest today to take part in filming that will be used to raise awareness of World AIDS Day among Woolworths staff. We’re looking forward to being able to share this film with our supporters next week! While at the Woolworths office, Simon took the opportunity to purchase his very own BGF World AIDS Day red ribbon. The ribbons are now on sale in select Woolworths Metro stores across inner Sydney until 1st December including: Central Park Mall, Central, George St, Haymarket, Pitt St Mall, Pyrmont, Surry Hills, Woolloomooloo, York St, Erskineville, Green Square, Kings Cross, Paddington, Potts Point, Redfern and Rosebery.

21.01.2022 Further discussion on the "gay blood ban" and its impact on people with HIV and marginalised communities: "Even as a new and devastating global pandemic proffers a political opportunity for certain gay and bisexual men to unlink from the HIV/AIDS crisis that has marked and haunted them and to restore the image of the viable gay male body, queer men must resist the temptation to repudiate the ghost of HIV/AIDS past and place stock in a narrow set of lifestyles, embodiments, an...d practices that will only ever shore up our conditional acceptance. Rather, we must invest in landscapes of health and a politics of sexuality that facilitates, prioritizes, and, crucially, shores up the well-being of a wider range of experiences beyond the white, monogamous, condom-carrying gay man. Only by flattening the contours of HIV transmission may we find a just and equitable end to the gay blood ban and beyond." http://ow.ly/EtLn50DgZBn

21.01.2022 Today is international Transgender Day of Remembrance. It is a day for the trans community and their allies to honour and commemorate the lives lost due to transphobic violence. We stand with our trans brothers and sisters against hate and intolerance, wherever it may be found.

21.01.2022 Thank you NSW Health for hosting an inspiring and invigorating World AIDS Day panel which featured our very own Board Member and HIV peer, Abby Landy. Abby spoke alongside such notable guests as: Graham, a Gadigal Elder and Respected Community Member, Zyna, a Somalian woman with HIV who is a valued member of the Positive Life NSW Positive Speakers Bureau (PSB) team and works as an interpreter and co-worker with a Sydney Multicultural service, as well as Natasha, a transgender... peer who also actively contributes to the PSB. Our CEO, Nick and Fundraising and Marketing Director, Siobhan both attended the panel on behalf of BGF and were touched by the event. To watch the incredible guests discuss their lived experiences with HIV and the state of HIV treatment and community and organizational support click the link below: http://ow.ly/lF5X50CEflC

20.01.2022 Watch 2020/40 HIV Stories As we approach the 40th anniversary of HIC next year, the National AIDS Memorial launched a digital storytelling platform called 2020/40 that collects multimedia stories from 40 years of the epidemic. Every week the National AIDS Memorial is launching a new story about the history of HIV, people living with HIV and stories of unbelievable compassion in human nature. ... Follow the link here to be in the loop: http://ow.ly/PgY950C9IBJ For more stories of people living with HIV, read here: http://ow.ly/p1mT50C9IBK

20.01.2022 On the 14th of November its World Diabetes Day! This is a globally recognized day that brings awareness and attention to everyone living with Diabetes! This year in particular the day’s theme celebrates the Nurses who work towards prevention and management of diabetes Nurses make the difference! People who are living with HIV are more likely to have type 2 diabetes than people living without HIV, this is not only due to the nature of HIV but also because of the type of med...ication some people take. Blood glucose levels are something everyone should have checked semi-regularly, but for people with HIV it is even more important to get checked and know your levels. Someone with higher-than-normal glucose levels may need to avoid taking certain HIV medications. Below is an article that goes over what Diabetes is and the difference in stages, it also looks at how people with HIV should talk to their doctors about being checked and how a person can prevent, delay, or manage type 2 diabetes! http://ow.ly/gIfA50CeXsh For health and wellbeing programs customized for people living with HIV visit us at: http://ow.ly/jfwK50CeXsg

20.01.2022 Pioneering AIDS researcher and clinician Joseph Sonnabend, 88, died January 24, 2021 at the Wellington Hospital in London, after suffering a heart attack on January 3, 2021. "In 1978, he volunteered at the Gay Men’s Health Project in Sheridan Square, Greenwich Village, and started a private clinic for treating sexually transmitted infections. When gay men in his practice began to get sick, he was among the first clinicians in the U.S. to recognize the emerging AIDS epidemic. ... Sonnabend was widely respected as an unusually compassionate clinician and researcher, willing to see any patient regardless of ability to pay, never giving up on a patient and always providing hope. In return, he earned an unusually devoted appreciation and admiration from his patients." https://www.poz.com/blog/rip-joseph-sonnabend-md

18.01.2022 "The Australian government on World Aids Day on December 1 announced that the two-drug, once-daily, single pill Dovato will now be available through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for all eligible persons living with HIV. Dovato was earlier available through PBS only to the around 1000 newly diagnosed PLHIV each year. The expanded list means that ViiV Healthcare’s two drug regimen (dolutegravir and lamivudine) is accessible to all PLHIV who are on antiretroviral the...rapy." (In Australia) we can be thankful for universal health care which ensures the best treatments are affordable and accessible to meet the needs of the diverse HIV community,, President of the National Association of People with HIV Australia (NAPWHA) told Star Observer. Antiretroviral medications for HIV are not a case of one size fits all, and just as the community of people living with HIV is diverse, diversity of the treatment options available to us is important. This listing ensures another option is available to a person with HIV and their doctor when deciding what treatment is best for them. Star Observer http://ow.ly/xdYj50CEg7l

18.01.2022 BAZ'S FINANCE TIPS #1 You get a call that says, "Act now! Draw all your money out! Send us money vouchers! We're going to arrest you!" Phone money scammers are a real threat. If you receive a similar call requesting money, personal or banking details we recommend responding with the following:... "May I write down what this is about and your contact details so I can check it with my Financial Counsellor?" If they hang up - it's a scam! If they give you their details - don't call them, call us. It's important to know that no Government or Police Department will ever call and demand money the same day without some form of prior notice - usually in writing. And if it's real, we can help you sort it out. Please don't hesitate to call us. To contact myself or Tina, you can reach us at: BGF Financial Counsellors - (02) 9287 1100 Baz - [email protected] Tina - [email protected]

17.01.2022 HIV/AIDS survivors remember the epidemic: "I thought my life was finished before it had started." Trevor Banthorpe started to worry when he heard the timbre of Ken’s cough. Ken was prescribed tablets by his doctor that were used to treat asthma, but the diagnosis didn’t seem right to Banthorpe. He had heard that cough before, and he knew he needed to do some research.... This is back in the day before Google, so I went to went to the library and said I was going to look up what these pills were for, Banthorpe told i. What I actually did was look through the medical dictionary and look up AIDS, and every box was ticked. http://ow.ly/Zk8N50Dlkff

15.01.2022 Today we stand in solidarity with First Nations people and acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all First Nations people. BGF is proud to be working alongside our peers in the sexual health sector (ACON, Positive Life NSW, Hepatitis NSW, HIV AIDS Legal Centre, NUAA NSW, SWOP, Australian Federation of AIDS Organis...ations (AFAO)) in the Closing the Gap 414 committee to address indigenous inequalities, policy deficiencies and events that centre the experiences of First Nations people. We plan to address the gap that exists in the health and wellbeing of First Nations people and the many struggles and challenges that we can never fully understand but will take steps towards understanding. Challenges that include a disproportionate rate in HIV transmission rates for First Nations people. To disrupt this systemic problem it is crucial that we include the experiences and data of First Nations people and ensure that Australia’s data disparity doesn’t continue. If the problem isn’t visible, how can it be addressed This is an opportunity for Australians to recognise that the 26th of January as a day of respectful reflection. Always was, always will be, Aboriginal land.

14.01.2022 Help our clients stay connected! Donations are now doubled! "I knew that if I was in need or needed support that Bobby Goldsmith Foundation would be there as they always have been for me." David, Long-Term Survivor... Donate today: http://ow.ly/fL9p50CrEVi

14.01.2022 I CAN give you so much; but I CAN’T GIVE U HIV! Our very own Ruan Uys joins the many HIV positive people who are taking part in the I can give you social media awareness campaign and we couldn’t be prouder! The I can give you awareness campaign was started by HIV+ undetectable Randy Davis. It quickly became an internet sensation! The campaign features portrait memes of people who are living healthfully with HIV. Each image includes three affirming words (chosen by th...e subject) starting with the letters H, I and V to name upbeat gifts that a person living with HIV can offer the loved ones in their lives and the community. That same person, because of successful treatment for HIV and an undetectable viral load, cannot transmit HIV sexually. Randy Davis For more stories of people living healthy and happy lives with HIV visit us and read some of our client and staff stories! http://ow.ly/mrgA50CeX7z

13.01.2022 U=U "Tackling stigma encourages people to test and supports those who are living with HIV to start medication, which will not only preserve lives but prevent new infections. It also serves as a rallying call, that all people, no matter where they are born or how much they earn, should have access to treatment." NAM - the HIV/AIDS information charity http://ow.ly/blph50CyUyG

12.01.2022 Donate to BGF’s first World AIDS Day Matched Giving Appeal from now until Tuesday 1st December to support people living with HIV to thrive. All donations will be matched by Vodafone and some incredibly generous supporters, up to BGF’s target of $70k. DOUBLE your impact.... Double your Give generously: https://bobby-goldsmith-foundation.giveeasy.org/bgf-world-a

09.01.2022 A new study examined what factors could be contributing to inflammation, and they identified the inability to control HIV RNA production from existing HIV DNA as a potential key driver of inflammation HIV is a lifelong diagnosis, and while current HIV medication is highly affective, data has shown that people living with HIV appear to experience accelerated aging and have shorter lifespans. This outcome has been associated with chronic inflammation. The following article c...overs the study that looks into how to target chronic inflammation in people living with HIV. For Health and Wellbeing programs that offer guidance and insight into living a happy healthy life with HIV, visit our website! http://ow.ly/u0gU50CeXlf http://ow.ly/6n8s50CeXlg

08.01.2022 We are so excited to announce that our very own Lauren Foy is facilitating the launch of ACON's Greater Western Sydney LGBTQ+ Scoping Study report on Advancing LGBTQ+ Safety and Inclusion in Greater Western Sydney! This event is takes place this Thursday 26th of November and you're able to attend it via Zoom - so it's accessible to everyone! This is for LGBQI+ individuals who want to have a say about their experience living in Western Sydney. The invitation is also extende...d to LGBTQI+ community members, health and community service providers, and Local Government teams from Greater Western Sydney. This event aims to engage discussions around advancing LGBTQ+ Safety and inclusion by understanding the lived experiences and health needs of sexuality and gender diverse people in Greater Western Sydney! Join the conversation and have your voice heard! You can register at: http://ow.ly/2dCw50CrFMY To access more information about the event click here: http://ow.ly/qiE750CrFMX For more community support and wellbeing programs visit us at Bobby Goldsmith Foundation here! http://ow.ly/J5jM50CrFXw

05.01.2022 Brooklyn Artist Louis Fratino Is Depicting Gay Male Sex and Intimacy in the More Chill Gen Z Era of PrEP: "In Morning, though, Fratino also introduced landscapes and still lifes of daily Brooklyn apartment living, especially during this past year of COVIDduring which he made much of the show’s workeverything from a sinkful of dirty dishes to a morning bathroom scene. From his studio in Bushwick, Brooklyn, Fratino talked to TheBody about painting during a pandemic, about just how gay (or not) he wants his work to be, and his relationship to an older generation of queer artists who made work during the AIDS epidemic." http://ow.ly/MkQC50CKjQB

05.01.2022 For Many with HIV, Sobriety and Dealing with Addiction During COVID Aren’t Easy Across the country, and even overseas, several people with HIV who are either in recovery of who struggle to moderate their drinking and/or drug use told TheBody that the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged or diminished (if not always toppled) their recovery This is a strange and challenging time we are all facing, the isolation and underlying sense of unease can lead to people falling back into... old coping mechanisms. For people living with HIV and dealing with addiction, you are not alone. This article highlights how natural it is to slip when the world is in this state, and how different HIV positive people are dealing with their tools for coping. Some advocate staying sober no matter what, others lean into the mindset of moderation, and others share their view of making the best of it You are not alone, read here to see how other people living with HIV and addiction are managing their lives for the better: http://ow.ly/VDjJ50CeXiV If you are missing a sense of community or want to reach out but don’t know where to go, visit us here! We are always happy to hear from you and we are here to help! http://ow.ly/J93p50CeXiU

05.01.2022 Our Programs Coordinator, Ruan and our Corporate Partnerships Manager, Susan proudly represented BGF at the recent Gilead Sciences World AIDS Day event. Reflecting this year's theme, "Now More Than Ever," the event focused heavily on the messaging: "HIV is just a part of me" and shared the lived experiences of people with HIV including HIV activist and writer Steve Spencer who called upon allies to fight HIV stigma. Good allies listen, learn and, once they’re confident enoug...h with that information, use it to educate and support others. People are very receptive to learn new information about HIV. Their faces light up when you tell them how incredible U=U is and they’re genuinely thankful to be taught about it. It’s heartening to see negative people show support and love for positive people. I believe now is the time for every HIV negative ally to out themselves as an unashamed supporter, lover, friend, genuine ally of people living with HIV." Steve

04.01.2022 A locally developed COVID-19 vaccine has been terminated following false positive HIV results with officials believing this would undermine the legitimacy of the vaccine. "According to a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) earlier today, CSL said participants in the phase 1 trial received false positive results to HIV tests. They were not infected with HIV, nor did the vaccine contain the entire HIV virus. Rather, the vaccine’s signature molecular clamp tech...nology was formulated with parts of an HIV protein. When injected, these prompted the production of antibodies that were picked up in a range of HIV tests. In other words, if the vaccine had been widely rolled out, this could lead many people to think they had HIV when they didn’t." http://ow.ly/JgpQ50CKjAS

04.01.2022 Quantum nanodiamonds may help to detect HIV earlier. New research is using nanodiamonds to improve the sensitivity and accuracy of paper-based tests for HIV. "The quantum sensing abilities of nanodiamonds can be used to improve the sensitivity of paper-based diagnostic tests, potentially allowing for earlier detection of diseases such as HIV, according to a new study. This greater sensitivity allows lower viral loads to be detected, meaning the test could pick up lower levels... of disease or detect the disease at an earlier stage, which is crucial for reducing transmission risk of infected individuals and for effective treatment of diseases such as HIV." Researchers are also discussing applying the new approach to testing for COVID-19. The team undertaking the test are also hopeful that the accuracy and usability of the paper-based tests will mean that results will be able to be diagnosed through an a smartphone or portable fluorescence reader making testing for HIV, COVID-19 and SARS more accessible and cost-effective. http://ow.ly/EEDp50CyFfB

03.01.2022 Our study shows that people with HIV/AIDS have a lower incidence of prostate cancer compared with the general population, the study authors concluded. However, significant heterogeneity exists among the included studies. Further prospective studies with better designs are needed to elucidate the association between HIV infection and prostate cancer. POZ Magazine http://ow.ly/tJ3950CEdqz To read about the study click here: http://ow.ly/65ah50CEdqA

02.01.2022 The ABC Australia has released through the National Library of Australia archived content during the recorded during the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis. In this audio file, academic and author, Dennis Altman, discusses the epidemic with Dr Shirleene Robinson, Senior curator of oral history at the National Library of Australia. http://ow.ly/jpel50CA42N

02.01.2022 Millions of people are on treatment for HIV: why are so many still dying? "One of the main challenges remains that diagnostics and drugs aren’t readily available for people suffering from advanced HIV. This group of people is very vulnerable to deadly opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis (TB), meningitis and severe bacterial infections. This all goes to show the world is very far from the end of AIDS.... In the last ten years the focus has been on diagnosing people with HIV and starting them on treatment. Efforts around the test-and-treat approach have been mobilised around the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets: 90% of people with HIV to know their status; 90% of those whose status is known to be on antiretroviral therapy; and 90% of those on antiretrovirals to have an undetectable viral load. This is necessary but it is not enough to address HIV-related mortality. Life-long treatment requires life-long support. Some people will interrupt treatment; some will struggle to take their tablets every day, risking developing drug resistance and treatment failure." http://ow.ly/kNEs50CyUpi

01.01.2022 Such an amazing series. I know many have binge-watched this over the last few days. For those that haven’t, it is well worth watching. However, there are a lot of triggers, especially for those of us that grew up and lived through that era. If you are an emotional person, please watch it with someone to support you. I don’t consider myself very emotional but I was a blubbering wreck many times throughout. La!

01.01.2022 Arone Meeks story with art and HIV My name is Arone Meeks, I am a Kuku Midiji man from Laura, Cape York, Far North Queensland. Here I’m going to talk about my creative pathway and journey through the visual arts, and how this work interconnects with health promotion, HIV, and working with communities. In the spirit of reconciliation the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and... community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today. This was, is and always will be Aboriginal Land. Read below the incredible life of Arone Meeks, an Aboriginal male identifying individual who learned to channel his emotions and life through his art. Diagnosed with HIV in 1984 where there was still a lack in common understanding of HIV, he managed to start the conversation about HIV health and wellbeing both in the HIV community and in his traditional community. Art by Arone Meeks ‘My work is about me having a voice, and having a right to speak, and not being affected by thosewho say you can’t do this and you can’t do that.’ http://ow.ly/EQjs50CeXTa

01.01.2022 Having More Options Makes PrEP More Viable: "Different Forms of PrEP Appeal to Different People. It might strike some as obvious, but when it comes to harm reduction and sex, people need a range of choices that fit into their lifestyles without causing inconveniences, if they are going to willingly use those options consistently and correctly. Women who use PrEP have greater autonomy over their sexual health than those who rely upon their sexual partners to agree with using s...afer sex options, such as condoms. But taking a pill does not appeal to everyone, which only reinforces the need for choices. Similarly, given the recent finding that the long-acting injectable, cabotegravir, is easier for women to use in order to maintain adherence, it is important to remember that not all people are comfortable with needles. Whether a drug offers the best protection against seroconverting or not, if it is not desirableor makes a patient feel uncomfortableit is not likely to be used." http://ow.ly/48FU50CKk14