Welcome to SEXtember and World Sexual Health Day!

SEXtember is an annual month-long sex-positive festival of sexual health, education and inclusion. Universities and partners promote sexual health topics, consent and respectful relationships, celebrating identity and inclusive education.

This year’s World Sexual Health Day theme is Every Body, a declaration that sexual health, rights, justice and pleasure belong to every person, in every body, without exception.

Culture and Connection is this years theme for Sexual Health Week reminding us that sexual health is shaped by the people, communities and cultures around us.

Looking for ways to get involved throughout SEXtember? Find them in this e-newsletter!

• Get your free ticket for our On The Couch episode highlighting the intersection of sex work and disability with Saul Isbister and Katia Schwartz

• Read our blog post about safe and affirming healthcare co-written by Mai Nguyen

• Learn about HIV prevention and testing through MyTest

• Find free safe sex products and merch in our free resource shop

Keep scrolling to find a past blog post co-written with sexual assault clinicians about sexual strangulation. An important resource to support conversations you may be having with your colleagues and young people. 

Please share!

Peace, Love & Protection

What do you know about HIV self-testing? You can now test your health in private with a free HIV self-test kit with results in 15 minutes. All you need is a mobile number or email.

The MyTest website is translated in multiple languages to help find everything you need to know about HIV, how to do a self-test, how to read your results and where to get support. Check out the video before using the HIV self-test kit available with subtitles in multiple languages.

New MyTest HIV Self-Test Vending Machine at University of Wollongong

Photo left to right: Jaimee from UOW Pulse, Maddy S from HARP, Josef from ACON, Kaitlyn from HARP and Ivan from ACON.

The Get PEP website has had a refresh! Find frequently asked questions about HIV, getting PEP, taking PEP, Medicare and costs. Read on to refresh on your PEP basics.

What is PEP? Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is a course of medicine that reduces the risk of HIV transmission.

Should I take PEP? You should think about taking PEP if there was a chance you were exposed to HIV. Exposure to HIV can happen during some sex acts or when you share drug and needle equipment with another person.

How soon should I take PEP? PEP works best when it is taken as soon as possible and up to 72 hours after exposure to HIV.

Where can I get PEP? PEP is available from Emergency Departments, sexual health clinics and Medicare Urgent Care Clinics. GPs can also give a prescription to start PrEP as PEP. Find PEP near you!

Who can I talk to about PEP?

• NSW PEP hotline on 1800 737 669 (1800 PEP NOW). Monday to Friday 9am - 7pm. Closed on public holidays.

• Illawarra and Shoalhaven Sexual Health Service on 4223 8457 Monday to Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

• Your local sexual health clinic. Find your nearest clinic.

• Healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 any time.

• NSW Sexual Health Infolink on 1800 451 624 Monday to Friday 9am - 5:30pm.

Catch up On The Couch

Upcoming On The Couch

Hear sex worker’s lived experiences of overcoming discrimination and advocating for the dignity to say yes.  

Be part of the live online audience 2pm AEST Thursday 24th September

On The Blog

Free Resource Shop

For organisations and services in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven region

Free External Condoms

We Acknowledge the Rightful and Traditional Custodians of this land on which we meet, live and work. We recognise their powerful connection to the land, waterways and sea, and to community.

We pay our deepest respects to Elders past and present, and emerging, to families, communities and Survivors, and to those that never made it home. As we share in our knowledge, teachings and our learnings, may we also pay respect to the knowledge embedded forever within the Aboriginal Custodianship of Country.