Australasian Sexual Health Conference ASHM

Announcing 2020 Joint Australasian HIV&AIDS and Sexual Health Conferences: VIRTUAL

ASHM has been following the developments on COVID-19 closely, with a focus on ensuring the wellbeing of staff, stakeholders and the public. We also appreciate the additional strain being felt by the healthcare sector at all levels and, given the ongoing developments, ASHM has made the decision to run the Australasian HIV&AIDS and Sexual Health Conferences virtually towards the end of 2020.

ASHM is consulting with the National Program Committee to revise the format, delivery and content of the program. The program will be tailored from its traditional format to suit the demands of the current work environment.

ASHM’s priority is to provide a forum for the sector that facilitates discussion and engagement between participants and speakers via a high-quality virtual conference platform. The virtual conference will be designed to be as interactive as possible, offering plenty of opportunities for live questions, discussion, polling and networking.

We and the National Program Committee believe it is important to deliver a virtual conference to the sector to provide an opportunity for collaboration, information sharing and solidarity in a time of crisis.

Following extensive review and consultation we have decided that the next face to face conference will be held in Melbourne at the same venue – the MCEC, in 2021. An exact date will be announced shortly.

Our consultation was with experts in the field, local health authorities, people living with HIV and the National Program Committee. Our priority is the safety and well-being of delegates and our community.

Furthermore, many of those who were planning to attend, and were involved in the development of the joint conference program, are now working on the front lines in the response to COVID-19. We have a responsibility not to redirect their efforts at a critical time in the response to the pandemic.

Registered delegates will have the option to roll over their current registration to attend the virtual conference (a refund for the difference in cost will be provided) or to roll over the funds to the 2021 conferences. Registered delegates will be contacted directly in due course to discuss options.

Those who have submitted abstracts will also be contacted directly with advice on how to proceed.

In the meantime, our thoughts remain with patients, healthcare professionals and their families affected across the world as the health response to COVID-19 continues.

Thank you for your understanding and support during these difficult times, we hope that you will participate in the virtual conference later this year. We’re also grateful to our committee and those who have contributed to the conferences to date and welcome your input on those to come.   

More information about the Virtual 2020 Australasian HIV&AIDS and Sexual Health Conferences will be announced in due course.

Year	Location	Handbook	Abstracts	Program	Other Documents	Recordings	Delegate Numbers
2019	Perth	Handbook	Abstracts	Program	Key Findings Report	Recordings	724
2018	Auckland	Handbook	Abstracts	Program	Key Findings Report	Recordings	443
2017	Canberra	Handbook	Abstracts	Program	Report
2016	Adelaide	Handbook	Abstracts	Program	Report Media Coverage	Recordings	572
2015	Brisbane	Handbook	Abstracts	Program	Presentations		903
2014	Sydney	Handbook	Abstracts	Program	Presentations		401
2013	Darwin	Handbook	Abstracts	Program			475
2012	Melbourne	Handbook	Abstracts	Program			451
2011	Canberra	Handbook	Abstracts	Program			565
2010	Sydney	Handbook	Abstracts	Program			626
2009	Brisbane	Handbook	Abstracts	Program			514
2008	Perth	Handbook	Abstracts	Program			454
2007	Gold Coast	Handbook	Abstracts	Program			368

Note: In 2015 the conference was incorporated into the World STI & HIV Congress and in 2012 and 2018 into the IUSTI Congress

Conference Overview

The Australasian Sexual Health Alliance (ASHA) is a group of partner organisations established to improve national and local responses to sexual health issues, via a multidisciplinary support network for the sexual health workforce. It aims to strengthen bonds between specialists, GPs, nurses, researchers and other key contributors to the sexual health sector, through collaboration in sexual health education, training, policy-making and research.

ASHA was formed as a committee under s51 of the constitution of the Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM). ASHM provides much of ASHA’s infrastructure including the provision of secretariat, technical support, annual conference facilitation, and funding support. The committee of ASHA provides the guidance upon which ASHM acts in relation to policy, educational and resource based support for the sexual health workforce.

To find out more information about ASHA visit the website www.sexualhealthalliance.org.au

The Australasian Sexual Health Alliance auspiced its first Australasian Sexual Health Conference in 2013 in Darwin. Prior to this the conference had been run by the Australasian Chapter of Sexual Health Medicine (AChSHM) who are still a key collaborator of the conference.

The Australasian Sexual Health Alliance seeks to use the Australasian Sexual Health Conference to achieve its purpose of acknowledging and building on the specific expertise of sector partners in our common aims of improving national and local responses to sexual health in Australasia, in supporting and collaborating with close neighbouring countries to achieve these objectives.

For more details visit the website at www.hivshconferences2020.com.au. For conference inquiries, contact info@hivshconferences2020.com.au or call +61 2 8204 0770.