Health Minister Roger Cook has launched WA Health's new 'Going somewhere?' campaign on World AIDS Day.
The campaign targets middle-aged men, in response to a growing number of travellers bringing HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) home from their holiday.
The number of HIV notifications in heterosexual men is on the rise in Western Australia, with a large proportion of these cases middle-aged men who contracted HIV in Southeast Asia.
In 12 months from October 2018 to September 2019, there were 26 new notifications of HIV in heterosexual men in Western Australia. This compares with a 23 per cent decrease over the last four years in total HIV notifications in Australia.
The 'Going somewhere?' campaign, launched at a World AIDS Day event hosted by the Governor in the Government House Grounds, also targets exposure to other STIs including drug-resistant gonorrhoea and syphilis.
The campaign is designed to:
- Raise awareness and knowledge of the risk;
- Encourage at-risk travellers to protect themselves by using condoms and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medications; and
- Encourage an STI test upon return home.
The 'Going somewhere?' campaign involves a targeted poster campaign as well as digital, print and social media advertising.
For more information, visit https://healthywa.wa.gov.au/travelhealth
As stated by Health Minister Roger Cook:
"World AIDS Day is a fitting day to launch this new campaign to raise awareness around preventing the transmission of HIV and other STIs.
"Going somewhere? is particularly aimed at men who travel to Southeast Asia and who may not be aware of the risk of acquiring and spreading HIV, and other STIs, while on holiday. It reminds men to take precautions, use condoms and visit a GP or sexual health clinic for a check-up when they get home."
