THINK LOCAL. THINK CANBERRA.
LGBTIQ DIRECTORY PARTNER MERIDIAN Meridian is Canberra’s leading community-controlled organisation taking action to prevent HIV, to improve the health and wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ people and those impacted by HIV, and to create safe and inclusive communities. Meridian increases access to HIV and STI prevention, testing and treatment. We conduct targeted health promotion activities, runs community events, and provide peer-led support services and activities for people living with and impacted by HIV. We work to improve the health and wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ people across their lifespans through events and specialist programs. Meridian’s Wellbeing Services provide high-quality, person-centred wellbeing and healthcare support.
SEXUAL HEALTH SERVICES Meridian provides non-judgemental and stigma-free sexual health services. Our services include STRIP Clinic, a free STI testing and PrEP service for LGBTIQA+ communities. STRIP runs every month from the Meridian offices on a Monday evening. STRIP Clinic is a project of PACT, the Partnership Approach to Comprehensive Testing, running since 2002. Meridian also provides safe spaces for communities to come together to talk about sex, sexuality, relationships and sexual safety. Good health includes sexual health, and Meridian provides sex-positive spaces where everyone can access reliable and important information.
Additionally, Meridian provides education and training to increase understanding across the ACT about LGBTIQA+ communities and their health needs.
Other sexual health supports include the sale of safer sex products including condoms and HIV self-test kits, and sexual health education tools for community members and healthcare practitioners.
Meridian works with communities to celebrate and nurture their rich diversity, and to strengthen their collective resilience against the adverse effects of stigma, discrimination and minority stress.
WELLBEING SERVICES
HIV SERVICES Meridian offers a range of support and social services for people living with and impacted by HIV in the ACT and surrounding regions. Through our work, we provide individualised support for people living with HIV to improve health and wellbeing outcomes. We seek to reduce HIV transmissions and increase awareness of and access to HIV treatment options. We lead Canberra’s HIV/AIDS commemoration initiative and promote safe and accessible events for HIV-positive people. We are contributing to the creation of a safe community by eliminating stigma and discrimination based on sexuality and HIV status.
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Meridian provides safe, inclusive and compassionate wellbeing and healthcare services for people living with and impacted by HIV, and for LGBTIQA+ people, their families-of-choice, carers and allies. We offer a wide range of community-focused wellbeing services including trans and gender affirming care, and care for people of diverse sexual identities. Our wellbeing team are qualified and registered mental health professionals who use their lived experience to provide peer-informed and person-centred counselling and psychological services. Other wellbeing supports include a pop-up GP clinic focused on short-term or one-off GP support for LGBTIQA+ folk who experience barriers to seeing a safe and affirming GP, and an Employee Assistance Program and therapeutic support for clients with self-managed or plan-managed NDIS funding.
FUSE LGBTIQ BUSINESS & COMMUNITY DIRECTORY
LGBTIQ.DIRECTORY
