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Our projects
- GBQ+ Community Periodic Surveys
- National MSM Study
- Reimagining Menopause
- Trans Community Consultation and Recommendations on a Menopause Toolkit
- Aboriginal patterns of cancer care
- Access and equity project
- Ageing and people living with HIV/viral hepatitis in the ACT
- Annual Report of Trends in Behaviour
- Asian gay men's community survey
- Barriers to HIV prevention and care among gay men in Tasmania
- Community-based study of undiagnosed HIV and testing (COUNT study)
- Community Reference Panel
- Comparing the role of takeaways in methadone maintenance treatment in New South Wales and Victoria
- Couples Who Inject Drugs (CUPID Project)
- COVID-19 vaccine acceptability in priority populations
- Crystal, Pleasures and Sex between Men
- Deadly Liver Mob
- Diverse experiences and understandings of immunity in the pandemic age
- e-male study: the role of the internet in building social capital for homosexually active men
- Evaluation of ACON’s Substance Support Service
- Evaluation of NSP service models in Sydney West
- Evaluation of the Stimulant Check-up Clinic
- Evaluation of the Ted Noffs Foundation Street University program
- Experiences of addiction, treatment and recovery: an online resource for members of the public, health professionals and policymakers
- Getting down to it: understanding barriers to STI testing among young people
- Health in Men (HIM) cohort study of HIV-negative gay men
- Health Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for the Decriminalisation of Sex Work
- Identifying factors that improve the health of people newly released from prison who inject drugs
- Improving antiretroviral treatment (ART) initiation for people living with HIV in Australia: a realistic and feasible approach?
- Investigating the capacity of the general practitioner workforce to meet ongoing HIV primary care needs in Australia
- It’s Your Love Life periodic survey
- My health, our family
- NSW Sexual health promotion monitoring and evaluation framework
- PrEP in practice: clinician perspectives on prescribing PrEP in Australia
- Project 1626: condom use and hepatitis C knowledge among young people
- Queer generations
- Rapid qualitative assessments of COVID-19 health needs in three Aboriginal communities in NSW
- Responding to monkeypox virus among gay and bisexual men in Australia (RE:MPXV)
- Social Research Conference on HIV, Viral Hepatitis & Related Diseases
- SpeakEasy in Practice
- SpeakEasy podcast
- Stigma Research Stream
- STIPU Music Festivals Project
- STIPU Play Safe Digital Marketing Program
- StraightMSM study: heterosexually-identified men who have sex with men
- The Goanna Project
- The Observe Study
- The PrEPARE project
- Trust in Digital Health
- What we do well: stories of love, sex and relationships
- YouMe&HIV
- Study
- Research
- Contact
- Tackling Stigma

Annie Madden and Professor Carla Treloar, opens in a new window have dedicated much of their lives to working in taboo fields of research: blood borne viruses and drug users. These two brilliant minds bring a wealth of expertise, knowledge and insight to real world subjects in SpeakEasy, holding engaging conversations with very special guests each episode.
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S5 SpeakEasy Ep 9: Family Matters in the Context of BBVs, opens in a new window
To coincide with the release of their ground-breaking new report, in this our second to last episode of SpeakEasy for 2020, Carla and Annie speak with the totally amazing Assoc. Profs Christy Newman and Myra Hamilton about their work on the 'my health, our family' project – an ambitious and important multi-year research project documenting stories of family life in the context of HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C. It’s a ‘must hear’ show as we roll ever closer to the holiday season and encounters of the family kind…
Related links
- my health, our family project page
- Literature review on families affected by blood borne viruses
- How families matter in the context of a stigmatised viral infection
- Viewpoint article on queer families
S5 SpeakEasy Ep 8: Making legitimacy and other PhD stories…, opens in a new window
In this episode of SpeakEasy, Annie & Carla take a deep dive into the ‘PhD journey’ with Carla interviewing Annie about her recently published paper, the first from her PhD research, focusing on issues of drug user representation and political legitimacy in UN drug policy settings over the past three decades.
S5 SpeakEasy Ep 7: When is a hallway not a hallway?, opens in a new window
In celebration of International Drug Users Day on 1 November, in this episode, Annie & Carla have a chat with Jake Agliata from the International Network of People Who Use Drugs (INPUD) all the way from Philadelphia in the US about being young and political in the States, about the true racist history behind global drug policy and about how a group of young people turned a UN hallway into ‘a corridor of power’. Oh… and we also do a special shout-out to Jake’s mum for being so excited about him being on SpeakEasy!
Related links
For INPUD International Drug Users Day campaign, go to www.inpud.net, opens in a new window and www.facebook.com/INPUD, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S5 Ep6: Of Pride, Othering and Other Things…, opens in a new window
In this episode, Annie & Carla speak with legendary drug user activist and all-round amazing woman Jude Byrne about the early days of drug user organisations in Australia, the importance of peer involvement in research and why she is so damned proud of her community.
Related links
INPUD documentary: Taking Back What's Ours! A documented history of the movement of people who use drugs:
- Report, opens in a new window
- Oral history site, opens in a new window
- Australia and NZ film, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S5 Ep5: Doom scrolling, murder mysteries and silver linings, opens in a new window
Annie and Carla are back in the salubrious surrounds of the SpeakEasy after an enforced hiatus due to a big deal with a little name called “COVID”. In this return episode, Annie and Carla catch up on what they’ve been doing during “the Rona”, hot topics that are exercising their minds and the value of a good murder mystery in #iso.
Related links
- NUAA/NADA resource - Language Matters, opens in a new window
- INPUD resource - Words Matter, opens in a new window
- INPUD COVID-19 Survey Research reports on the Health & Human Rights Of People Who Drugs in a COVID-19 Environment, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S5 Ep4: What’s Religion Got to Do with It?, opens in a new window
Religious freedom or smokescreen for bigotry? In this episode, Annie and Carla dive into the ‘hot mess’ that is the draft Federal Religious Discrimination Bill and speak with Jonathon Hunyor (PIAC) and Daniel Comensoli (LGBTI Health Alliance) about their organisations’ work and views on this super important topic for the Australian community.
Related links
- PIAC, opens in a new window
- National LGBTI Health Alliance, opens in a new window
- Research: The Impact of Institutional Discrimination on Psychiatric Disorders in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Populations: A Prospective Study, opens in a new window
Submissions and resources to get involved
- Equality Australia - freedom from discrimination, opens in a new window
- National LGBTI Health Alliance - submission: religious discrimination bill second exposure draft, opens in a new window
- PIAC - religious freedom, opens in a new window
- Australian Human Rights Commission - religious freedom bills, opens in a new window
Find your electorate and MP
- Australian Electoral Commission, opens in a new window
- Members of the House of Representatives, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S5 Ep3: The Sex (& Drugs) Lecture 2020, opens in a new window
In this episode, Carla and Annie speak with Dr Kerryn Drysdale from the UNSW Centre for Social Research in Health about the recently presented 4th annual Sex Lecture drawing on insights from the Crystal Pleasures and Sex between Men research project on gay, bisexual and queer men who use crystal methamphetamine for sex. The lecture was co-presented by Dr Max Hopwood with an introduction from Emeritus Professor Gary W. Dowsett and included an expert panel of discussants.
Related links
Crystal, pleasures and sex between men project page (which includes links to papers from the study)
- Sex (and Drugs) Lecture
SpeakEasy S5 Ep2: Poverty, it's not that complex – with Cassandra Goldie, opens in a new window
Staying hot on the trail of the ‘big issues’, this episode Annie & Carla get some quality time with the amazing Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO of the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) and tireless advocate for tackling poverty and inequality to reflect on a recent Report into Poverty in Australia by ACOSS & UNSW and to ‘crack the code’ on some of our biggest social issues including “Raising the Rate” of Newstart and how to make housing more affordable. We also talk about why the topic of Superannuation is REALLY interesting… really ☺
Related links
Poverty in Australia report 2020, Part 1, opens in a new window
Poverty and Inequality Partnership – ACOSS and UNSW, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S5 Ep1: The standard of human dignity with Louise Chappell and Rosemary Kayess, opens in a new window
Carla and Annie are kicking off season 5 with a ‘deep dive’ into human rights – What are they? Where do they come from? Who gets them? And how can they help us to think about issues of health and rights more broadly? With two stellar guests (Louise Chappell and Rosemary Kayess) who are genuine legends and experts in the field, we are in good hands to have a cracker first show that is guaranteed to make ya think!
Related links
- Learn more about Louise’s work at the UNSW Human Rights Institute, opens in a new window
- Learn more about Rosemary’s work with the UNSW Disability Innovation Institute, opens in a new window
- Learn more about the human rights charters of the ACT, opens in a new window, Victoria, opens in a new window and Queensland, opens in a new window
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SpeakEasy S4 Ep16: It's a Wrap for 2019 and an Exciting Announcement!, opens in a new window
In what’s become an annual tradition, Annie and Carla wrap up the year that’s been, reflect on the amazing guests that have joined them in the “SpeakEasy Lounge” in 2019 and announce an exciting new SpeakEasy venture commencing in early 2020.
Enjoy the episode and thanks for listening in 2019!
Related links
- Published paper linked to interview with Joanne Byrant on her presentation to the 2019 Australasian Viral Hepatitis Elimination Conference (AVHEC): Making sense of ‘side effects’: Counterpublic health in the era of direct-acting antivirals (2019), International Journal of Drug Policy, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S4 Ep15: Stuart Loveday: Thank you and farewell, opens in a new window
After 25 years at the helm of Hepatitis NSW, Stuart Loveday takes his final bow as CEO. Annie and Carla chat with Stuart about what’s happened during his time leading the organisation and what’s left to do in this valedictory episode.
Related links
SpeakEasy S4 Ep14: The welfare drug testing debate with Alison Ritter, opens in a new window
Carla and Annie sit down with Professor Alison Ritter, Director of the Drug Policy Modelling Program at the Social Policy Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, to discuss the recurrent threat in Australian politics to drug test welfare recipients and why this makes for bad drug policy.
Related links
- How philosophy 101 could help break the deadlock over drug testing job seekers, opens in a new window
- ASPC 2019 Keynote by Professor Alison Ritter, opens in a new window
- The Drug Policy Modelling Program, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S4 Ep13: AVHEC19 with Felicity Sheaves and Louise Maher, opens in a new window
It’s our final AVHEC19 episode! This week Felicity Sheaves, Blood Borne Viruses Coordinator, and Louise Maher, Hepatitis C and Senior Health Promotion Officer, both of the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, sit down with Carla and Annie to chat about the good ol’ days of the SIC Project and the beauty of not knowing how to navigate the health system (and doing it anyway).
Related links
- Sheaves, F., et al. (2001). 'That's SIC: mobilising youth for hepatitis C prevention'. Health Promotion Journal of Australia 12(3): 217-222
- Evaluation of the Deadly Liver Mob program: insights for roll-out and scale-up of a pilot program to engage Aboriginal Australians in hepatitis C and sexual health education, screening, and care (2018), Harm Reduction Journal , opens in a new window
- Deadly Liver Mob project page
SpeakEasy S4 Ep12: AVHEC 2019 with James Ward and Chris Cunningham, opens in a new window
Associate Professor James Ward, a Pitjantjatjara/Narungga man and a national leader in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research on STIs, health and wellbeing, and Professor Chris Cunningham, of the Ngati Toa and Ngati Raukawa tribes of New Zealand and Professor of Maori Health, join Annie and Carla in our second AVHEC19 special episode. The awesome foursome join heads to discuss how viral hepatitis elimination is going in Australian and New Zealand Indigenous communities and where there's room for improvement.
Related links
- Young Deadly Free STI campaign, opens in a new window
- Hepatitis Foundation NZ, opens in a new window
- NZ Butterfly Campaign, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S4 Ep11: AVHEC19 with Joanne Bryant and the Cairns Hepatitis Action Team, opens in a new window
It's Australasian Viral Hepatitis Elimination Conference time, and once again, Carla and Annie are ‘in the mix’ chatting to an assortment of keynote speakers and other amazing people at the forefront of hepatitis elimination across Australia & NZ. First up, Annie & Carla talk ‘counter-publics’, ‘lay experts’ and power dynamics in health promotion with A/Prof Joanne Bryant. Next up, a change of pace with the Cairns Hepatitis Action Team talking about their “surprise” at winning the 2018 HCV Health Promotion Resource Competition and what they did with the loot!
Related links
- Making sense of ‘side effects’: Counterpublic health in the era of direct-acting antivirals (2019), International Journal of Drug Policy, opens in a new window
- Evidence-making interventions in health: A conceptual framing (2019), Social Science & Medicine, opens in a new window
- “Doing the devil’s work”: Emotional labour and stigma in expanding Needle and Syringe Programs (2015), Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, opens in a new window
- UNSW Newsroom article 'Hepatitis C prevention still essential despite advances in treatment', opens in a new window
- Technical review of hepatitis C health promotion resources, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S4 Ep 10: World Hepatitis Day 2019 With Margaret Hellard and Tanya Applegate, opens in a new window
For this very special 2019 World Hepatitis Day episode, Annie and Carla talk with Australian researchers Dr Tanya Applegate from The Kirby Institute and Professor Margaret Hellard AM from The Burnet Institute about the ‘awesomely massive’ “Accelerating the elimination of viral hepatitis: a Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology Commission” and discuss the power of collaboration in the global fight against viral hepatitis.
Related links
SpeakEasy S4 Ep9: Jules Kim, opens in a new window
Carla Treloar and Annie Madden welcome Jules Kim, Scarlet Alliance CEO, to the SpeakEasy lounge to do some sex work myth busting and discuss the importance of Scarlet Alliance, the national peak body for sex workers organisations that pursues equity and justice in the sex work industry.
Related links
Harm Reduction International 2019 Special EpisodesAnnie and Carla attended the Harm Reduction International Conference 2019 in late April, mingling with bright minds and courageous members of the harm reduction scene. They tapped their favourites, found some quiet(ish) corners and got down to the nitty-gritty of what's really happening in harm reduction around the world.
SpeakEasy S4 Ep8: Graham Brown and Andrew Scheibe, opens in a new window
It’s our final HR19 episode. First up, Carla steps outside (literally) with Graham Brown to discuss the ‘spaghetti and meatballs’ project on peer-led programs, also known as What, Works and Why or W3. Our final guest of the special HR19 episodes is Andrew Scheibe from Cape Town, South Africa. Andrew is a harm reduction implementer with a focus on implementation science that is valid in local contexts.
Related links
- W3 (What Works and Why), opens in a new window
- Graham Brown profile, opens in a new window
- TB HIV Care website, opens in a new window
- Andrew Scheibe profile, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S4 Ep7: Zoe Dodd: Fighting to win, opens in a new window
As part of a series of interviews from HRI19, in this episode, Annie and Carla speak with legendary activist Zoe Dodd about setting up a ‘pop-up’ SIF (safe injecting facility), her Master's research and life and politics on the frontlines of the Canadian OD crisis.
Related links
- Zoe Dodd on Twitter , opens in a new window
- Toronto Overdose Prevention Society on Twitter, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S4 Ep6: Carol Strike and Gillian Kolla: where research and frontline service delivery meet, opens in a new window
In this second episode from the Harm Reduction International Conference 2019, Carla and Annie catch up with Carol Strike and Gillian Kolla -legends from the frontlines of the overdose crisis in Toronto, Canada- about police and their attitudes to safe injecting facilities, setting up an unsanctioned safe injecting site in a public park in Toronto and issues in doing research with highly criminalised communities.
Related links
- Creating and sustaining cooperative relationships between supervised injection services and police: A qualitative interview study of international stakeholders (2018), International Journal of Drug Policy, opens in a new window
- A scoping review of harm reduction training for police officers (2019), Drug and Alcohol Review, opens in a new window
- Canada's overdose crisis: authorities are not acting fast enough (2019), The Lancet Public Health, opens in a new window
- Toronto Overdose Prevention Society on Twitter, opens in a new window
- Gillian Kolla on Twitter
SpeakEasy S4 Ep5: Garth Mullins: from the frontline of Harm Reduction International 2019, opens in a new window
Garth Mullins, host of the Crackdown podcast (and Carla and Annie's podcast crush), landed in the SpeakEasy lounge at the Harm Reduction International Conference to discuss the frontline of the war on drugs, bringing activism and science together and punching up (not down) with his podcast about drugs, drug policy and the drug war.
The health, wellbeing and lives of people who use drugs are in crisis around the world. These issues were highlighted at the Harm Reduction Conference in Porto, where this episode was recorded. We acknowledge those who grieve for the loss of family and friends, and we call on governments across the world to respond to this crisis as a matter of urgency and move to ensure a safe drug supply, provision of low threshold emergency services, wide distribution of naloxone and decriminalisation of drug use.
Related links
- Crackdown podcast, opens in a new window
- Garth Mullins on Twitter, opens in a new window
- Harm Reduction International Conference, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S4 Ep4: Emma Rafferty: Talking treatment, talking journeys, opens in a new window
Annie and Carla chat to Emma Rafferty, who is a Systemic Advocacy Lead at the Association of Participating Service Users (APSU) in Victoria. Emma gives SpeakEasy a ‘backstage pass’ to APSU’s new podcast series “Straight to the Source” and takes us through how the show is working to empower treatment consumers, increase the impact of people's own voices and create sustainable change at the system level.
Related links
- SHARC website, opens in a new window
- Straight From the Source podcast, opens in a new window
- VMIAC - Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S3 Ep3: Mary Harrod and Jessica Murray from NUAA and Dancewize, opens in a new window
The issue of pill testing at music festivals has literally filled the media this summer and is shaping up as a key issue in the upcoming NSW election campaign. To get the lowdown on this issue from the peer perspective, SpeakEasy sat down with Mary Harrod, NUAA CEO and Jessica Murray, one of the coordinators of NUAA’s Dancewize peer education and harm reduction program.
Related links
SpeakEasy S4 Ep2: “Not My Family, never My Child” – an interview with Tony Trimingham, opens in a new window
Annie and Carla speak with the awesome Tony Trimingham OAM, CEO of Family Drug Support, founder of the Damien Trimingham Foundation and co-founder of Harm Reduction Australia, about supporting families affected by alcohol and other drug issues, International FDS Day and how he became a leading advocate for drug law reform.
Related links
- Family Drug Support website , opens in a new window
- International Family Drug Support Day 2019 (Sunday 24 Feb), opens in a new window
- Sydney – International Family Drug Support Day 2019 (Tuesday 26 Feb), opens in a new window
- Harm Reduction Australia website, opens in a new window
- Tony Trimingham's book Not my child, never my family, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S4 Ep1: “Go hell for leather and publish and be damned” – a chat with Jenny Valentish, opens in a new window
And we’re back with Season 4 of SpeakEasy! In our first episode for 2019, Carla and Annie speak with writer, author and ‘woman of substance’ Jenny Valentish about her 2017 book, about what it’s like to ‘go public’ about your own drug use, about publishing realities and the response to her book from the media, her family and from other “women of substances”.
Related links
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SpeakEasy S3 Ep17: 2018 it's a wrap, opens in a new window
Annie and Carla wrap up the year that has gone by and reminisce and reflect on all of the guests that have joined them in the SpeakEasy lounge.
SpeakEasy S3 Ep16: Fiona Patten, opens in a new window
Annie and Carla interview Fiona Patten, the leader of the Reason Party and a long-standing champion of sexual rights, sex worker rights and health issues such as HIV and AIDS. Not one to do things by halves, Fiona is also a small business owner of her own fashion label.
Related links
SpeakEasy S3 Ep15: World AIDS Day Bumper Episode: Asha Persson And Christy Newman, opens in a new window
Annie and Carla interview Asha Persson and Christy Newman covering a whole range of issues and cutting edge research.
Related links
- “So Much Is at Stake”: Professional Views on Engaging Heterosexually Identified Men who Have Sex with Men with Sexual Health Care in Australia, opens in a new window
- Challenging Perceptions of “Straight”
Heterosexual Men Who Have Sex with Men and the Cultural Politics of Sexual Identity Categories, opens in a new window
- StraightMSM study: heterosexually-identified men who have sex with men project, opens in a new window
- Stigma Indicators Monitoring Project, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S3 Ep14: World AIDS Day Bumper Episode: Martin Holt, opens in a new window
Annie and Carla interview Martin Holt covering a whole range of issues and cutting edge research.
Related links
- Lancet HIV paper on uptake/impact of PrEP, opens in a new window
- Stigma Indicators Monitoring Project, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S3 Ep13: World AIDS Day Bumper Episode: Limin Mao, opens in a new window
Annie and Carla interview Limin Mao covering a whole range of issues and cutting edge research.
Related links
- Sydney Gay Asian Men Survey, opens in a new window
- Stigma Indicators Monitoring Project, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S3 Ep12: INHSU special: John Dillon, opens in a new window
Live from INHSU - Strap yourself in – the revolution has arrived – John Dillon puts orthodoxy in the bin at INHSU.
SpeakEasy S3 Ep11: INHSU special: Judy Chang, opens in a new window
Carla and Annie continue to grow their INHSU collection of interviews (and friends), this time sitting down with Judy Chang, Executive Director of International Network of People Who Use Drugs (INPUD).
Related links
- INHSU Twitter, opens in a new window
- International Network of People Who Use Drugs (INPUD), opens in a new window
- “Is Decriminalisation Enough? Drug User Community Voices from Portugal”, opens in a new window
- Vancouver Declaration 2006, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S3 Ep10: INHSU special: Michael Ninburg, opens in a new window
Carla and Annie continue to grow their INHSU collection of interviews (and friends), this time sitting down with World Hepatitis Alliance President Michael Ninburg.
Related links
- World Hepatitis Alliance, opens in a new window
- White paper, World Hepatitis Aliiance – Find the Missing Millions, opens in a new window
- Hepatitis Education Project, Seattle, Washington, opens in a new window
- Stigma Indicators Monitoring Project, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S3 Ep9: INHSU special: Jonas Demant Hansen and Anne Øvrehus, opens in a new window
We hear from Jonas Demant Hansen from a Danish NGO for people who use drugs called Brugernes Akademi (The Users Academy) and Anne Øvrehus an infectious diseases physician in Denmark. They are using working by Annie, Carla, Jo Neale and Max Hopwood on Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMS) to translate this for people who inject in Denmark.
Related links
- INHSU 2018
- Beyond cure: patient reported outcomes of hepatitis C treatment among people who inject drugs in Australia, opens in a new window
- Acceptability of Patient-Reported Outcome and Experience Measures for Hepatitis C Treatment Among People Who Use Drugs, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S3 Ep8: INHSU special: Dr Mark Tyndall, opens in a new window
Annie and Carla took the microphones and headed north – to the great INHSU conference in Portugal. This is the first in a series of interviews with passionate, inspiring and subversive people that we found lounging around the conference pool. Our guest today is Dr Mark Tyndall, Executive Director of the Centre for Disease Control in British Columbia, Canada.
Related links
SpeakEasy S3 Ep7: Dr Nico Clark, opens in a new window
Dr Nico Clark, the medical director for the recently opened medically supervised injecting facility in North Richmond, Melbourne, joins Carla Treloar and Annie Madden in the SpeakEasy lounge to discuss the progress of the service since opening and its impact on local people who inject drugs.
Related links
- Accidental Intimacy: Transformative Emotion and the Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre, opens in a new window
- International Overdose Awareness Day, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S3 Ep6: World Hepatitis Day 2018 with kylie valentine, opens in a new window
Associate Professor kylie valentine, opens in a new window, from the Social Policy Research Centre at UNSW Sydney, joins Carla Treloar and Annie Madden in the SpeakEasy lounge to give the low down on social policy and the intersection of viral hepatitis this World Hepatitis Day, ahead of kylie's keynote at VH18.
Related links
- Born equal? The distribution of government Medicare spending for children, opens in a new window
- World Hepatitis Day 2018, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S3 Ep5: Support Don't Punish Day, opens in a new window
Annie and Carla have not one but two special guests for Support Don't Punish Day on Tuesday, 26 June. Sione Crawford is the CEO of Harm Reduction Victoria, with previous roles at Hepatitis Victoria and NUAA. Dr Kate Seear is at Monash University, where she is an ARC DECRA Fellow, a practising solicitor, an Associate Professor in Law and an Academic Director of the Springvale Monash Legal Service.
Related links
- Support Don't Punish Day - 26 June, opens in a new window
- North Richmond Community Health - Medically supervised injecting room, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S3 Ep4: Emeritus Professor Sue Kippax, opens in a new window
Carla and Annie welcome long-time friend Emeritus Professor Sue Kippax to the SpeakEasy lounge. Sue is a pioneer in partnerships between research and community. With an extraordinary academic track record, Sue is internationally recognised for her contribution to the HIV response.
Related links
- Kippax, S., & Kinder, P. (2002). Reflexive practice: the relationship between social research and health promotion in HIV prevention. Sex Education, 2, 91-104. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14681810220144855, opens in a new window
- Socializing the biomedical turn in HIV prevention, opens in a new window
- Emeritus Professor Sue Kippax, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S3 Ep3: Dr Marianne Jauncey, opens in a new window
Carla and Annie sit down with the legendary Dr Marianne Jauncey, opens in a new window, Director of the Medically-Supervised Injecting Centre (MSIC) in Sydney's Kings Cross. The trio discuss the latest in harm reduction, the upcoming MSIC in Richmond, Victoria, Uniting's push for drug law reform and the transformative power of treating people with dignity and respect.
Related links
- Meet the women behind the injecting clinic that changed Kings Cross, opens in a new window
- Uniting calls for a re-think on drugs, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S3 Ep2: Dr Ingrid van Beek AM, opens in a new window
Carla and Annie are speaking with the legendary Dr Ingrid van Beek AM, a true harm-reduction pioneer in Australia, about her longstanding passion for rights and social justice, her ground-breaking work with the Kirketon Rd Centre (KRC) and the Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (MSIC) and why reforming the drug laws remains as a key priority for her.
Related links
- Dr Ingrid van Beek AM, opens in a new window
- NSW Drug Summit 1999: Issues and outcomes, opens in a new window (PDF)
- Kirketon Road Centre, opens in a new window
- New medically supervised injecting centre in North Richmond, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S3 Ep1: The Hon. Michael Kirby, opens in a new window
To kick off season three of SpeakEasy, the Hon. Michael Kirby dropped by the lounge to discuss the landmark report “HIV and the Law: Risks, Rights and Health” and what is happening five years on.
Editor's note: The quote referred to in this episode ("Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come") was made by French author Victor Hugo and not Voltaire as initially thought.
Related links
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SpeakEasy S2 Ep10: It's a wrap with Annie and Carla, opens in a new window
Annie and Carla take a trip down memory lane, reviewing their guests from 2017 (and even 2016), including Dr Kari Lancaster, opens in a new window, Professor Alison Ritter, opens in a new window, Matt Noffs, opens in a new window and Professor Mark Tyndall, opens in a new window to create some insight into the changing landscape of drug policy and harm reduction in Australia and around the world.
SpeakEasy S2 Ep9: Peter Higg, opens in a new windows
Annie and Carla chat to Dr Peter Higgs, opens in a new window, Senior Lecturer at La Trobe University and Senior Research Fellow at the Burnett Institute, both in Melbourne. Peter is a well-regarded qualitative researcher, working for over 20 years researching risk and people who inject drugs, particularly in the inner Melbourne suburb of Footscray.
Don't forget to come and find us on our very own Twitter handle - @SpeakEasy_UNSW, opens in a new window.
Related links
- Dr Peter Higgs, opens in a new window
- Engagement, reciprocity and advocacy: ethical harm reduction practice in research with injecting drug users, opens in a new window
- Twitter: follow Peter, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S2 Ep8: Alison Ritter, opens in a new window
Professor Carla Treloar and Annie Madden chat with Professor Alison Ritter, opens in a new window, internationally recognised drug policy scholar and Director of the Drug Policy Modelling Program at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at UNSW. The trio discuss Alison's amazing body of work and her thoughts on carving out new frontiers in drug policy.
Related links
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, opens in a new window
- Drug Policy Modelling Program, opens in a new window
- Professor Alison Ritter profile, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S2 Ep7: Gino Vumbaca: If you stop, [the penny] will never drop, opens in a new window
Gino Vumbaca, President and Co-Founder of Harm Reduction Australia, sits down in the lounge with Carla and Annie to discuss justice reinvestment, starting Harm Reduction Australia and pushing to get pill-testing on the Australian music festival road map.
Related links
- Harm Reduction Australia, opens in a new window
- Justice Reinvest NSW, opens in a new window
- Drug testing the dole queue won't help make it shorter, opens in a new window
- Decriminalisation is the only way to arrest Australia's drug policy, opens in a new window
- It's time to face the music on Australia's flawed drug policy, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S2 Ep6: Jason Grebely for World Hepatitis Day 2017, opens in a new window
For World Hepatitis Day 2017, opens in a new window, we have a very special guest, the indefatigable Jason Grebely, opens in a new window. Associate Professor with The Kirby Institute, opens in a new window and president of the International Network on Hepatitis in Substance Users, Jason swings by the SpeakEasy studio to discuss the current state of treatment for hepatitis C.
Related links
- International Network on Hepatitis in Substance Users, opens in a new window
- Journal: INHSU and the International Journal of Drug Policy, opens in a new window special edition – coming Sept 2018 – keep an eye out!
SpeakEasy S2 Ep5: 'Phenethylamines I’ve Known and Loved' and other fantastic journeys…, opens in a new window
Annie and Carla talk with Dr Stephen Bright, opens in a new window about the origins of ethnopharmacology, experimental psychonauts and the quality of reporting on alcohol and other drugs (AOD) issues in the media. We find out about the recently launched "AOD Media Watch, opens in a new window" and the amazing work that Stephen and colleagues are doing to end inaccurate and misleading reporting in the media, one article at a time.
LISTEN to SpeakEasy on iTunes, opens in a new window
Related links
SpeakEasy S2 Ep4: Kate Pinnock: Jailbreak Radio: Making a 'Kinection', opens in a new window
Kate Pinnock, host of the weekly radio program Jailbreak, opens in a new window, joins Carla and Annie in the studio to chat about making a radio program that appeals to inmates, as well the launch of 'Caught Up' - a musical collaboration between Aboriginal youth in prison and the award-winning Aboriginal hip-hop group The Last Kinection, opens in a new window.
EDITOR'S NOTE: In other exciting news, SpeakEasy is now available to stream and download from iTunes. Click here to stream or download SpeakEasy episodes from Seasons 1 and 2, opens in a new window.
Related links
- Jailbreak Radio website, opens in a new window
- Facebook: Jailbreak, opens in a new window
- The Last Kinection website, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S2 Ep3: Annie Madden: When too much psyche-trance is never enough, opens in a new window
Earlier this year, Annie attended and volunteered at the Rainbow Serpent Festival – a major 5-day music festival in Western Victoria. Listen as Annie and Carla chat all things Rainbow Serpent, including the power of community and the importance of harm reduction and pill testing at music festivals.
Related links
- Rainbow Serpent Festival, opens in a new window
- Harm Reduction Victoria, opens in a new window
- DanceWize, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S2 Ep2: Kari Lancaster: The hard is what makes it great, opens in a new window
This week the newly crowned Dr Kari Lancaster talks about completing her PhD thesis: both the process and the content. Kari’s work examines the nature of “evidence” in drug policy and how she completed her thesis “by publication”. Looking to the future, what does life have in store post-PhD.
Related links
- Lancaster, K. (2016). Problematizing the 'evidence-based' drug policy paradigm, opens in a new window
- Lancaster, K., Treloar, C., & Ritter, A. (2017)‘Naloxone works’: The politics of knowledge in ‘evidence-based’ drug policy. Health: An Interdisciplinary Journal for the Social Study of Health, Illness and Medicine., opens in a new window
- Lancaster, K., Seer, K., & Treloar, C. (2015). Laws prohibiting peer distribution of injecting equipment in Australia: A critical analysis of their effects. International Journal of Drug Policy, 26(12), 1198 - 1206. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2015.05.014
- Lancaster, K. (2016). Rethinking recovery. Addiction., opens in a new window
- Lancaster, K., Santana, L., Madden, A., & Ritter, A. (2015). Stigma and subjectivities: Examining the textured relationship between lived experience and opinions about drug policy among people who inject drugs. Drugs: Education, prevention and policy, 22(3), 224-231., opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S2 Ep1: Tim Rhodes: Promise and evidence-making interventions, opens in a new window
In the first episode of season two, we talk with the awesome Tim Rhodes from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine about his work in Kenya, where he is using qualitative methods to explore the development of harm reduction initiatives, including the recent introduction of methadone assisted therapy. His work seeks to develop a critical approach to using qualitative methods as part of implementation science. We discuss some of the emergent findings from work looking at the multiple meanings of methadone. This work is being conducted with Andy Guise and Rose Closson (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine), James Ndimbii (Kenyan Consortium of AIDS Non-Government Organizations), Emmy Kageha (University of Nairobi), Frederick Owiti (physician) and Stefanie Strathdee (University of California at San Diego).
Related links
- Rhodes T, Closson E F, Paparini S, Guise A, Strathdee S (2016). Towards “evidence-making intervention” approaches in the social science of implementation science: The making of methadone in East Africa, The International Journal of Drug Policy, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2016.01.002, opens in a new window
- Rhodes T, Guise A, Ndimbii J et al. (2015) Is the promise of methadone Kenya’s solution to managing HIV and addiction? BMJ Open, DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2014-007198, opens in a new window
- Rhodes T, Ndimbii J, Guise, A et al. (2015) Navigating the poverty of heroin addiction treatment and recovery opportunity in Kenya: Access work, self-care and rationed expectations, Global Public Health, 10: 867-880, DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2015.1046385, opens in a new window
- Crawford S. (2013) Shouting through bullet-proof glass: Some reflections on pharmacology provision in one Australian clinic, International Journal of Drug Policy, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2013.07.004, opens in a new window
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SpeakEasy S1 Ep12: Annie and Carla Part II – 2016 It’s a Wrap, opens in a new window
After a whirlwind year of podcasting, Annie and Carla take a moment to review the highlights of their first season of podcasting with some very special guests.
Editor’s Note: Annie and Carla recorded this session in early November, taking advantage of a small window of time in which both of them were in the same place together. Since then, the top-secret embargo referenced throughout the episode has been lifted, and we can announce the success of not one, not two, but three NHMRC grants for projects either led by or involving the CSRH.
SpeakEasy S1 Ep11: The power and the passion: Helen Tyrrell speaks about community organisations in viral hepatitis, opens in a new window
Six months after “equal treatment access” was launched for new generation hepatitis C treatments, Helen Tyrrell speaks to Annie and Carla about how it all happened (and much more). Helen is CEO of Hepatitis Australia.
Related links
SpeakEasy S1 Ep10: Show Me the Evidence! A conversation with Prof. Margaret Hellard about life as a public health physician, opens in a new window
Professor Margaret Hellard is the Head of the Centre for Population Health at the Burnett Institute. Margaret has been at the forefront of developing cutting-edge public health responses to addressing the hepatitis C epidemic among people who inject drugs in Australia, including leading a new ambitious study aimed at eliminating hepatitis C as a public health concern in Australia by 2030. Margaret joins Carla & Annie in this latest episode of the SpeakEasy to talk about TAP (her latest research study - not dancing) and why she loves working in public health.
Related links
SpeakEasy S1 Ep9: An 'Open Mic' with Jenny Kelsall: The 'Straight Dope' on the Value of Peer-2-Peer, opens in a new window
Annie and Carla speak with the amazing Jenny Kelsall, longstanding CEO of Harm Reduction Victoria, the peer-based drug user organisation. They talk about lots of good stuff, including the past and future of peer-based drug user orgs and harm reduction, the cutting-edge work and programs of HRVic, including 'Dancewise' and its growing base of peer educators at music festivals & events across Melbourne & Victoria.
Related links
- Website: Harm Reduction Victoria, opens in a new window
- Website: Dancewize, opens in a new window
- Paper: Snow, K., Scott, N., Clothier, H., MacLachlan, J., B, C., 2016. Limited provision of diagnostic services to Victorians living with hepatitis C antibodies, 2001-2012: a multi-level modelling analysis. Aust N Z J Public Health DOI: 10.1111/1753-6405.12560, opens in a new window
- Article: Get tested, get treated, Hep C researchers urge, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S1 Ep8: Matt Noffs: Breaking Through: Changing the nature of the drug debate in Australia, opens in a new window
Carla and Annie have the privilege of speaking with the ultra-impressive Matt Noffs - Executive Director of the Noffs Foundation, opens in a new window about what it is like to be a member of the Noffs Family Dynasty, his personal journey, what drives him forward and his hopes for the future of drug policy in Australia.
Related links
- Book: Breaking the ice: How we will get through Australia's methamphetamine crisis, opens in a new window
- Website: Street University, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S1 Ep7: Suzanne Fraser: No assumption left unconfronted!, opens in a new window
Annie and Carla speak to Professor Suzanne Fraser about projects past and current. Suzanne talks about her seminal work on the methadone queue, her book on hepatitis C and her latest project on “addiction”, including the website “Lives of Substance, opens in a new window”, which will open up an array of personal stories of drug use.
Related links
- Article: The chronotope of the queue: Methadone maintenance treatment and the production of time, space and subjects, opens in a new window
- Book: Substance and Substitution: Methadone Subjects in Liberal Societies, opens in a new window
- Book: Making Disease, Making Citizens: The Politics of Hepatitis C, opens in a new window
- Website: Lives of Substance, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S1 Ep6: Kate Seear: Is justice really blind?, opens in a new window
What do 'addiction', the law, podcasting and AFL have in common? Find out by joining Annie and Carla in conversation with the multi-talented Dr Kate Seear (academic, lawyer, podcaster) to talk about research with lawyers, whether drugs & discrimination can ever 'mix' and what new media can achieve. Oh, and football - when in Melbourne...
Related links
- Podcast: The Outer Sanctum, opens in a new window
- Article: Eddie McGuire, Caroline Wilson and when 'playful banter' goes very, very wrong, opens in a new window
- Kate Seear's Discovery Early Career Research Award (DECRA) project: Addiction in the Australian legal system: A sociological analysis, opens in a new window
- Research Article: Beyond criminal law: The multiple constitution of addiction in Australian legislation, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S1 Ep5: Jo Neale: The PROM Queen, opens in a new window
Dr Jo Neale, opens in a new window from King's College London is our guest in the SpeakEasy this week. Annie and Carla speak with Jo about "patient reported outcome measures" and why it is important to build measures from the ground up, rather than only relying on what researchers and clinicians think is important. Jo also talks about her work with the Service Users Research Group, opens in a new window that actively contributes to the research undertaken at the Addictions Department of Kings College. And, we talk about the work all of us are doing to build a patient reported outcomes measure for new hepatitis C treatments.
Related links
- King's College London - SURE: Substance Use Recovery Evaluator, opens in a new window
- SURG - Service Users Research Group, opens in a new window
- Paper: Neale, J., Vitoratou, S., Finch, E., Lennon, P., Mitcheson, L., Panebianco, D., Rose, D., Strang, J., Wykes, T., Marsden, J., (online) 'Development and validation of 'SURE': A patient reported outcome measure (PROM) for recovery from drug and alcohol dependence', Drug and Alcohol Dependence. http://authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S0376871616301521, opens in a new window
- Website: PLuS Alliance, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S1 Ep4: Carla Treloar In conversation with Eileen Baldry: Prisons, health and justice, opens in a new window
Carla has the opportunity to speak with Eileen Baldry, opens in a new window about her expertise in research within the criminal justice sector and her ideas about what’s needed for reform in this complex area. This is a special presentation of a seminar supported by the Centre for Social Research in Health, opens in a new window and the Practical Justice Initiative, UNSW, opens in a new window.
SpeakEasy S1 Ep3: Max Hopwood: Men who have sex with men and hep C, opens in a new window
Max Hopwood, opens in a new window (Research Fellow, Centre for Social Research in Health) discusses his research with men who have sex with men and the different types of responses we need to address hepatitis C when sex and drugs come together.
Related links
- Paper: Drug, sex and sociality: Factors associated with the recent sharing of injecting equipment among gay and bisexual men in Australia, opens in a new window
- Paper: Multiple strategies are required to address the information and support needs of gay and bisexual men with hepatitis C in Australia, opens in a new window
- Paper: Hepatitis C knowledge among gay and other homosexually active men in Australia, opens in a new window
- Article: Network nannies, folk pharmacology and lay experts, opens in a new window
- Project: The 3D project, opens in a new window
SpeakEasy S1 Ep2: World Hepatitis Day: Greg Dore: What’s happening in hep C treatment?, opens in a new window
This episode focuses on the ground-breaking new treatments for hepatitis C, which currently affects over 230,000 Australians. Professor Greg Dore, opens in a new window is Head of the Viral Hepatitis Clinical Research Program at the Kirby Institute, UNSW. Greg joins Annie and Carla for a special World Hepatitis Day episode of the SpeakEasy.
Editor's note: While recording this episode, we encountered some technical glitches that have shown up in our recording. While we tried our best to fix them, we couldn't get them out, so they're immortalised in this episode. We've already taken steps to reduce the risk of this happening again. Thanks for bearing with us during our early days!Related links:
SpeakEasy S1 Ep1: We don't know what we don't know (PART I), opens in a new window
Get to know this new UNSW podcasting duo in a one-on-one interview episode with Annie & Carla, including ‘who the hell are they?’, what makes them tick, their hopes and dreams for the future and their plans for world domination with the SpeakEasy with Annie & Carla podcast series. NB We realised during recording that we have so much to talk about, so we plan on continuing this conversation a little later in the season. Stay tuned for more...
Listen on iTunes, opens in a new window
Related links:
- Website: Centre for Social Research in Health, Arts & Social Sciences, UNSW, opens in a new window
- Website: Australian Injecting & Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL), opens in a new window
SpeakEasy with Annie and Carla is produced by Joanna Holcombe at the Centre for Social Research in Health.
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Welcome to ExtraEasy, our short, sharp sister show to SpeakEasy. ExtraEasy features hot topics of the moment and issues that have caught Annie Madden & Carla Treloar’s attention each month.
Extra Easy Episode 15: COVID-19 & Harm Reduction Special, opens in a new window
In times like these, we all need good information to guide us and sometimes what we need goes beyond the general advice to something a little more specialised... In this episode, we talk with NUAA Deputy CEO Charles Henderson about the most recent harm reduction info and advice for people who are using drugs in a COVID-19 environment.
Related links
- How to contact drug user organisations around Australia
- Factsheet for people with hepatitis B and C (Hepatitis Australia)
- COVID-19 Factsheet for LGBTIQ & HIV Communities (AFAO
Full disclosure: Our guest for this episode - Charles Henderson is in an ongoing relationship with Annie Madden.
ExtraEasy Episode 14: Lise Lafferty, opens in a new window
Dr Lise Lafferty (CSRH and The Kirby Institute) joins Annie Madden and Professor Carla Treloar to celebrate her participation in the NSW Inspirational Women Showcase and discusses her unconventional path to a career in research.
Related links
- 2019 NSW Inspirational Women Online Showcase
- Lise's video for the Inspirational Women Online Showcase
ExtraEasy Episode 13: INHSU 2018 recap, opens in a new window
Carla and Annie recap on Portugal, the INHSU conference and discuss the issue of drug decriminalisation.
ExtraEasy Episode 12: Look who's supporting drug law reform now, opens in a new window
Carla and Annie discuss the latest (and biggest) names globally to get on board with drug law reform, the World Drug Perception Problem report (shoutout to Jason Reed at UKLeap podcast Stop and Search) and Canada's launch of a needle-sharing program in prison.
Related links
- Article: Royal College of Physicians backs RSPH calls on drug reform
- Report: The world drug perception problem: Countering prejudices about people who use drugs
- Podcast: LEAP UK - Stop and Search
- Article: Canada to test first needle exchange program in a North American prison
ExtraEasy Episode 11: The times, they are a-changing, opens in a new window
Step into the ExtraEasy lounge as Annie and Carla discuss The Greens' statement on legalising cannabis in Australia, as well as the new Changing attitudes, Changing lives report and recommendations on stigma and discrimination for people experiencing problematic alcohol and other drug use led by the Drug Policy Modelling Program at NDARC and published by the Queensland Mental Health Commission.
Related links
- Stigma Indicators Monitoring Project
- Legal highs: arguments for and against legalising cannabis in Australia
- Evaluation of an online injecting drug use stigma intervention targeted at health providers in New South Wales, Australia
- Reducing stigma and discrimination for people experiencing problematic alcohol and other drug use
Changing attitudes, changing lives: Options to reduce stigma and discrimination for people experiencing problematic alcohol and other drug use (PDF) - NADA and NUAA Language Matters guide (PDF)
ExtraEasy Episode 10: Victorian drug law reform report - what happens next?, opens in a new window
Carla and Annie discuss the tabling of the Victorian drug law reform report and recommendations, as well as biding a sombre farewell to their mentor and friend, Professor David Cooper AO.
Related links
- Report: Inquiry into drug law reform (PDF) (by the Parliament of Victoria Law Reform, Road and Community Safety Committee)
- Article: Victorian drug law reform recommendations are welcome – but must include prisoners (from The Conversation)
- Article: Vale David Cooper: Australia's pioneer in HIV research
ExtraEasy Episode 9: Methadone, NSPs and the power of the pool, opens in a new window
Listen Up! Carla Treloar and Annie Madden are back with the short, sharp and always on point ExtraEasy! In this first episode for 2018, Carla and Annie talk about the very topical issue of methadone and driving, and needle sharing programs in prisons and the positive power of the pool AKA: how to mend a broken heart.
Related links
- Article: AOD Media Watch - Search for an angle distorts discussion of drug issues (again)
- Video: Harm reduction in prison settings in Luxembourg
ExtraEasy Episode 8: Drug law reform, ARTB and Twitter, oh my, opens in a new window
Annie and Carla discuss the good stuff this episode: the greenlighting of a medically supervised injecting centre in Melbourne, the annual state of play in the Hep C space, Annie's exciting scholarship news and the launch of our very own Twitter (@SpeakEasy_UNSW, opens in a new window - come and find us)!
Related links
- Article: Melbourne safe injecting room trial set to get the go-ahead, opens in a new window
- Report: Annual Report of Trends in Behaviour
- Twitter: @SpeakEasy_UNSW, opens in a new window
ExtraEasy Episode 7: INHSU17 wrap, opens in a new window
In this special length Extra ExtraEasy episode, Carla and Annie share their favourite moments and vox pops from the INHSU17 Conference held in New York (or really, across the river in New Jersey) at the beginning of September.
In order of appearance in the episode:
- Dr Mark Tyndall, University of British Columbia, opens in a new window
- Prof Tim Rhodes and Margaret 'Mags' O'Sullivan, Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals, opens in a new window
- Collette, Montefiore Medical Centre, New York, opens in a new window
Related links
- Website: INHSU17, opens in a new window
- Contact: Dr Mark Tyndall, opens in a new window
ExtraEasy Episode 6: To eradicate or to eliminate hepatitis C - that is the question, opens in a new window
Carla and Annie use vox pops from the recent Australasian Viral Hepatitis Elimination Conference held on 10 - 11 August 2017 in Cairns to highlight some of the key issues discussed at the conference in particular, what is ‘hepatitis C elimination’ and what it will take to achieve it?
Related links
- Twitter: #AVHEC2017 on Twitter, opens in a new window
- Link: Cairns Hepatitis Action Team, opens in a new window Facebook page
ExtraEasy Episode 5: The Cochrane Review review and WHO and the UN back decriminalisation, opens in a new window
The Cochrane Collaboration assessment of hepatitis C drug trials comes under review from our resident hep C expert Carla Treloar, while Annie Madden digs deeper into the drug decriminalisation debate as the World Health Organisation and the United Nations wade into the debate.
Related links
- Report: Cochrane Review, opens in a new window
- Article: Media reporting of the Cochrane review, opens in a new window
- Statement: UN and WHO joint statement on decriminalisation, opens in a new window
- Report: Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission Illicit Drug Data Report, opens in a new window
- Article: Decriminalisation is the only way to arrest Australia's drug problem, opens in a new window
ExtraEasy Episode 4: Things are not what they seem, opens in a new window
Annie looks at the latest info to come out of the recent International Harm Reduction Conference in Montreal, while Carla has some interesting observations about the need for training doctors for real-world approaches to hepatitis C. Oh, and that time some students made out in the front row of her lecture!
Related links
- Article: Fentanyl test boosts dose-reduction rate, could lead to fewer overdoses, opens in a new window
- Watch: Highlights from the 25th Harm Reduction International Conference in Montreal, opens in a new window
ExtraEasy Episode 3: What do jetlag, rough sleepers and drug checking have in common?, opens in a new window
Fresh off the plane from a quick trip to London, Carla has some interesting observations about rough sleepers, pollution and the dissemination of research findings to those it impacts. Meanwhile, Annie keeps things local this week, bringing to the discussion the possibility of the first legal pill-testing trial in the ACT later this year.
Related links
- Website: PLuS Alliance, opens in a new window
- Info: Community Reference Panel, opens in a new window
- Article: Greens, health professionals hit back at festival pill testing rejection, opens in a new window
- Article: Allowing pill testing at the Spilt Milk festival would be a big win for public health, opens in a new window
ExtraEasy Episode 2: Making waves in advocacy and research, opens in a new window
Annie and Carla cover the recent Australia 21 report and ways in which the world of drug laws could shift and the “rock star” reception for a seminar on analysis of qualitative research given by CSRH visitor, Jo Neale.
Related links
- Paper: Neale, J. (2016). Iterative categorization (IC): A systematic technique for analysing qualitative data. Addiction, 111: 1096–1106. DOI: 10.1111/add.13314, opens in a new window
ExtraEasy Episode 1: A Mood for Change?, opens in a new window
In this very first episode of ExtraEasy, Annie & Carla discuss drug law reform in the mainstream media, why harm reduction issues are ‘hot’ in Victoria right now and highlights from a recent visit to CSRH by Prof. Tim Rhodes, London School of Tropical Medicine, thinking about the future of NSPs.
Related links
- Article: Law changes are key to cutting drug harm, opens in a new window
- Paper: Islam, Nazrul et al. (2016) Incidence, risk factors, and prevention of hepatitis C reinfection: a population-based cohort study. The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Volume 2, Issue 3, 200 - 210 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2468-1253(16)30182-0, opens in a new window