News + Updates
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Board Elections: An Invitation to Join
Posted on 16th of September 2020
A message from Georgina Whitchurch, Chair of PWV’s Board, and an invitation to nominate for the 2020-21 Board. We are approaching our Annual General Meeting, which will be held in November 2020. It’s likely this will need to be held online. At each AGM we elect our new Board. The current Board would love to…
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Decriminalising Sex Work: It’s time!
Posted on 10th of September 2020
It was great news to learn late last year that Victoria is embarking on a review process to consider the decriminalisation of sex work. This is a very important review, and it’s a real concern that the current legal structures governing sex work in Victoria contribute to the ongoing stigmatisation and marginalisation of sex workers,…
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HIV and HPV-related cancers: DARE to talk about it
Posted on 28th of August 2020
It’s not always easy to talk about intimate health care, but sometimes, even though things are a bit awkward, it can protect you and may even save your life. Positive Women Victoria is part of a group led by Positive Life NSW to promote awareness among people living with HIV of the increased risk positive…
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Missing Voices: add yours to our Women, HIV and clinical trials research project
Posted on 20th of August 2020
Have you ever been a participant in a HIV clinical research trial? Would you consider doing so in future? If you have been a part of a HIV treatment or health care trial, what were your experiences of the process? Would you be willing to share your views or thoughts about clinical research as part…
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Working As Your Advocate: Breastfeeding Choices
Posted on 14th of August 2020
Everyone has been pretty busy adjusting to new arrangements and needs stemming from COVID-19, but Positive Women Victoria (PWV) continues to keep HIV in the forefront of our work, and has been continuing to contribute actively to some important advocacy work and initiatives. For so many women living with HIV, the joy of motherhood may…
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Support if you live in Melbourne and restricted areas
Posted on 8th of July 2020
It’s been an up-and-down journey for Victoria as we learn to coexist with the present reality of coronavirus. In particular, we want to send a message to all our members who live in the areas affected by the reintroduction of restrictions. We’re as disappointed as you are. If you’re feeling affected by this, and just…
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Blood Borne Virus Program at ARCSHS chats to PWV
Posted on 28th of June 2020
Our EO, Kirsty Machon, chatted to Jen Johnson from La Trobe University’s Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society on how PWV’s been working through the last three months. Have a read below! Jen Johnson: How is it all going? What have the last three months been like? Kirsty Machon: We were at a…
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The next few weeks: where are we at?
Posted on 2nd of June 2020
For some people, it’s been a tough couple of months, while others have found solace in peaceful time with family, but in Victoria, the time has come where some restrictions are being slowly lifted. We’re not quite back to things as usual yet, but it’s good to know that visits with your friends and loved…
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Your story told in words, by podcast and video
Posted on 14th of May 2020
These Are Our Stories is just one part of the Women and HIV: Tell The Story project, Heather Ellis, peer-project leader, explains how you can write, use your voice and be filmed to tell your story. Over the next months, there will be three exciting opportunities to tell your story as part of These Are…
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Melbourne 2020 International AIDS Candlelight Memorial
Posted on 5th of May 2020
The Melbourne 2020 International AIDS Candlelight Memorial will be live streamed to the safety and comfort of your homes — Sunday 17 May, 5-6pm. The last two months have given Australians time to pause, rest and reflect on family, community, care, home and love. For many people in the family and community of people living…
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Services, Support & Info: COVID-19
Posted on 24th of April 2020
We’ve a second fact sheet for women living with HIV on different services, support and other information for COVID-19. You can also download the Fact Sheet here. And remember, PWV’s peer support team are still working during this time, although remotely, so make sure you get in touch if you need anything.
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Empowering Women to Tell their Story
Posted on 14th of April 2020
PWV’s peer project leader, Heather Ellis, delves into our new campaign. Not all of us want to tell our stories. For some, we would never dream of discussing our HIV status in a magazine interview, on radio or on national television. And for others, we are at various stages of disclosing to our partners, mothers,…
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Resources Project Officer role with NAPWHA
Posted on 6th of April 2020
NAPWHA is looking for a Resources Project Officer to join their dynamic team to deliver two exciting education projects in 2020. Applications close this Thursday — so take a look! The ideal applicant would: Have experience developing online learning resources — ideally in the community health sector and for people living with HIV Have experience…
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PWV’s workflow and operations during COVID-19
Posted on 3rd of April 2020
A message from Kirsty Machon, PWV’s EO, to community partners. Dear Sector Partners, All of our staff are now working remotely and we have suspended our regular face-to-face events — such as our group lunches and Women’s Health Days — and we will re-schedule our social calendar as soon as we are able. This of…
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A quick guide to COVID-19 for women living with HIV
Posted on 2nd of April 2020
We’ve created an easy to understand fact sheet for women living with HIV on what to do during COVID-19. You can also download the Quick Guide here. And remember, PWV’s peer support team are still working during this time, although remotely, so make sure you get in touch if you need anything.
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A message from PWV and LPV on COVID-19
Posted on 29th of March 2020
COVID-19 is changing the way we interact with you. Positive Women Victoria has teamed up with Living Positive Victoria to release a message to our PLHIV communities during this challenging time. Latest news and updates about COVID-19 The COVID-19 situation is changing rapidly, and you can find the latest updated advice on as issued by…
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COVID-19 update for People Living with HIV
Posted on 17th of March 2020
Thorne Harbour Health, Living Positive Victoria, and Positive Women Victoria are encouraging people living with HIV (PLHIV) to take additional precautions in the face of the changing landscape around 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). All three organisations want to ensure the ongoing health and wellbeing of all PLHIV. This means minimising the risk of exposure to…
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Positive Women Victoria welcomes new Chair, Georgina Whitchurch
Posted on 25th of February 2020
Positive Women Victoria is delighted to introduce the organisation’s new Board Chair, Georgina Whitchurch. Georgina was elected following a decision by Heather Ellis to step down from the Board after more than three years of service, and almost two in the role of Chair. “After much deliberation, I decided to step down to pursue opportunity…
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U and Me Can Stop HIV
Posted on 25th of February 2020
We had a surprise visit from Sexual Health & BBV Coordinator, Anne Roseman, who works at Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation Inc. Anne put us onto some fresh new sexual health videos made by Young Deadly Free. Make yourself a cuppa and take a look at their short animated vid! ????????❤️
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Living HIV positive
Posted on 18th of February 2020
Living with HIV for 25 years, Heather Ellis knows all too well about the stigma and shame that accompanies the diagnosis, particularly for a woman. It’s something that as the chair of Positive Women Victoria, she’s fighting to stamp out. She’s this week’s Changemaker. When Ellis was diagnosed with HIV in 1995 it was a…
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The Cheeseburger
Posted on 23rd of January 2020
A story on motherhood, written by PWV member, Brittney*. It’s the late 1990s. I’m ten years old, in the car with Mum. But this isn’t an ordinary trip. She’s driving fast—faster than usual. She’s uttering four-letter words under her breath at each red light and I listen, fascinated by this sudden novelty, the staccato rhythm…
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What is U=U?
Posted on 6th of January 2020
The evidence is now very clear that if you are taking effective antiviral treatment, and have achieved an undetectable viral load for six months or longer, you cannot transmit HIV to your sexual partners. In the simplest terms, an “undetectable viral load” means HIV treatments have effectively reduced HIV to such low levels that it…
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Farewell Anne Phelan OAM
Posted on 9th of December 2019
Vale Annie Phelan, the highly awarded actor and passionate activist for social justice (1948 – 2019). Annie became our Patron in 2000, marking a key era for Positive Women Victoria (PWV). With our CEO at the time, Stephanie Moore, PWV was committed to using our faces and voices to educate the community, and to fight…
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Fitted for Work
Posted on 12th of August 2019
We caught up with Jackie Roberts — one of the Referral Officers at Fitted for Work’s offices in Melbourne. They are the first organisation of its kind in Australia with a mission to help women experiencing disadvantage get work, keep work and navigate their world of work. Jackie explains how economic independence can empower women….
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Timeless on the Silk Road
Posted on 19th of July 2019
Kirsty Machon, PWV EO, reviews one woman’s odyssey from London to Hanoi. There is a striking photograph in Heather Ellis’ book, Timeless on the Silk Road, that poetically captures all the themes that run through this powerful story. The scene is of mountain grasses and flowers, rocks, breathtaking chasms and storm clouds in a grey-blue…
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U=U: Is it a key to ending stigma?
Posted on 19th of June 2019
Peer Support worker, Melissa Iddles, talks about the wonderfully positive message in U=U that women living with HIV can have intimate relationships without any fear of passing on the virus, provided their viral load is stable and undetectable. As a Peer Support Worker with Positive Women Victoria, I find that stigma continues to be a…
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The power of positive women is unstoppable
Posted on 21st of April 2019
Heather Ellis, PWV Chair, talks about the Rose Fund’s most recent recipient’s successes. Positive Women member and former Chair, Cath Smith, has been working tirelessly calling for such a national campaign and with the support of the Rose Fund was able to spend a week at Parliament House in Canberra. Cath’s Change.org petition has also…
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Raised by My Aunties
Posted on 12th of November 2018
Written by a PWV volunteer, Tracy. My name is Tracy. I am a Ugandan by origin and my mother is an HIV doctor in Uganda. I suppose my story is mainly about my family. I was raised by my aunties and this was because my parents were separated and re married, 3/6 of my aunties…
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#AIDS2018 — A Reflective Opinion Piece
Posted on 7th of August 2018
Written by activist and PWV member, Susan Paxton. Last month at the International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam, the first Prudence Mabele Award was announced.The recipient Dudu Dhlamini, who started an organisation in South Africa to support sex workers and their children, epitomises the legacy of my dear friend and little sister Prudence who died a…
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HIV Long-term Survivors Awareness Day
Posted on 5th of June 2018
Written by PWV member and activist Susan Paxton. Today is HIV long-term survivors awareness day, and on this bright sunny winter’s morning in Melbourne, I reflect on what that means to me.I am one of those lucky ones, having lived with HIV for nearly 30 years now. When I was diagnosed I was told I…
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A letter from LPV’s Anth McCarthy
Posted on 10th of August 2017
Written by Anth McCarthy, Living Positive Victoria’s Peer Navigator. Dear positive women, I’ve been a great admirer of you for a long time, and your example has helped change my life for the better. I’d like to offer some words in thanks and in celebration of all women who live and love courageously in defiance…
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Remembering Prudence 1971–2017
Posted on 31st of July 2017
Honouring Prudence Nobantu Mabele 1971–2017, the South African activist who fiercely advocated for the rights of women and children living with HIV. Dr Susan Paxton remembers her dear friend of over 20 years and shares with us the unrepeatable miracle of woman that is Prudence. Prudence Mabele’s death is the loss of one of our…
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A letter from Femfatales Chair, Kath Leane
Posted on 29th of June 2017
A letter from Katherine Leane — a pillar of the national community of people living with HIV. She has been a strong and brave advocate for women living with HIV for 30 years. She is the current President of Positive Life SA and the current Chair of Femfatales, the National body for women living with…
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Straight Up, I am Hooked
Posted on 11th of December 2015
Written by Heather Ellis, PWV member and recipient of a Rose Fund scholarship. I came across the Mont Blanc Writing Workshop held in Chamonix, in the French Alps, by chance while surfing the web. And I just had to go. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn the craft of memoir from Cheryl Strayed author…
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