Page 1671 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 15 May 2019
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encouraging people to seek advice and get tested, just as they would for any other health concern.
The motion also calls for a collaborative approach to expand community outreach, including the idea of a sexual health week to give dedicated focus to this issue. Of course, any decision on this proposal must be informed by and made in conjunction with the sector to make best use of their expertise and resources.
We are pleased to support this motion today as we recognise the value of sexual health promotion, prevention, testing and treatment to the overall health of the ACTÂ community.
MS FITZHARRIS (Yerrabi—Minister for Health and Wellbeing, Minister for Higher Education, Minister for Medical and Health Research, Minister for Transport and Minister for Vocational Education and Skills) (10.32): I am also pleased to rise today in support of this motion. I thank Ms Cheyne for bringing it to the Assembly and particularly note her longstanding interest in this. It is a real reflection of the great work that members of the Assembly can do over time. Ms Cheyne has raised these issues in the last estimates hearings and also, I believe, in annual reports, and has been working very closely with a number of our community partners on these matters over a long period. So it is great to be able to have the opportunity to speak to this today.
As others have noted, sexual health is an important area of health. It is a matter that has not previously been talked about in this place. I noted the delight of the previous Chief Health Officer in having the opportunity to talk about it during estimates, because it is something we need to bring into the light. We need to highlight and showcase the great work that is already happening and also, as the motion notes, find new ways of improving and addressing these issues, because there are some signs of increases in certain diseases that should cause us all some concern.
For a long time the ACT government has prided itself on its approach to preventive health. This is about helping people to maintain a good quality of life and to prevent avoidable illness. As we often say, prevention is better than cure. When it comes to sexually transmissible infections and bloodborne viruses, preventing a transmission can be challenging. People in any community can be exposed to a sexually transmissible infection or bloodborne virus. It can be a difficult conversation to have with our community, because talking about sex, sexuality, sexual health and sexual behaviours can be sensitive. This is partly due to some of the stigma that still exists around STIs and BBVs and the challenges, as a result, of encouraging people to seek out testing services and appropriate treatments. But we have been, for a number of decades now, on a good trajectory.
Again I thank Ms Cheyne for her advocacy in this area, particularly around starting these public conversations about the issues of testing and treatment. There are other challenges in this area, including raising awareness about STI and BBV screening in priority population groups and identifying those who are unknowingly living with the disease. Of course government has a role to play here. We have a long and positive history of working in partnership with community stakeholders to address STIs and BBVs in our community. We know that we need to continue together to deliver a
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