Aotearoa New Zealand HIV Seminar returns to Tāmaki Makaurau

The annual Aotearoa New Zealand HIV Women's Seminar, hosted by Positive Women Inc., will return on September 27th to Sorrento In the Park Royal Oak.

Since 1990, Positive Women Inc. was created to support and empower women and families living with or affected by HIV or AIDS. Since 1998, Positive Women has been hosting an annual women's retreat for women living with HIV. The retreat includes the annual HIV Women’s Seminar which explores the current landscape of HIV in New Zealand with a focus on women, which is open to the public.

Every year, the seminar features educational sessions and inspiring speakers from the healthcare community, researchers and people living with HIV. However, the focus of the seminar is education, especially for health professionals, health promoters, counsellors, psychologists, nurses, doctors, social workers and anyone else with an interest in the HIV sector, as well as people living with HIV.

The conversation surrounding HIV is still an important subject. According to the AIDS Epidemiology Group, over 100 people are diagnosed with HIV each year, with 14 people being diagnosed with AIDS and six people dying from complications of AIDS in 2023. Research has shown, most deaths caused as a result of AIDS, are due to late diagnosis, which mostly happens with heterosexual people.

This year's seminar focuses on important topics such as, Ageing with HIV, Testing for HIV, Breastfeeding, the continued conversation surrounding stigma, and Te Taenga Mai HIV resources for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Speakers will include Sue McAlister from AIDS Epidemiology Group, Regan Gilchrist from Otago University, Milly Stewart from Toitū te Ao, multiple speakers from Positive Women Inc. including Abby Leota, Ash Al-Aziz, Judith Mukakayange and the national coordinator Jane Bruning. More details will be released in the coming weeks.

Research released in 2019 in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health states, “Stigma has always been a big challenge for the people living with HIV community. Stigma and discrimination are among the greatest challenges that people living with HIV face, and both are known to negatively affect quality of life as well as treatment outcomes.” This has been one of the biggest problems Positive Women Inc. and other organisations like Toitū te Ao, the Burnett Foundation and Body Positive have been combating. This was further highlighted in the HIV Stigma Index research undertaken in Aotearoa New Zealand in 2020/21.

Positive Women Inc. has been increasing its HIV testing in 2024, exceeding its monthly targets and partnering with the Burnett Foundation to create more outreach community testing programs, especially in Auckland universities. Last month, Positive Women Inc. added chlamydia and Gonorrhea testing alongside their HIV and Syphilis testing services.

HIV Women's Seminar on the 27 September 2024 at Sorrento In the Park. The event is free, and lunch is provided. Everyone who is interested is welcome.