Welcome to the Gay Townsville site, an online resource for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community of Townsville and surrounds, and their family and friends.

Girls Next Door's second event, So You Think You Can Drag? proved that the Townsville LGBT community knows how to have a party. A full report with photos will be coming soon. So successful was the night that the Girls Next Door have been asked to put on a night at the club every two weeks. Stay tuned for the starting date.

Check out the girs’ website at www.girlsnextdoor.com.au a

QAHC is holding a Gay Men’s Retreat on Magnetic Island in April. We’ve booked the whole of the Arcadia Beach Guesthouse to give us a private space to unwind, explore some of the health issues specific to gay men in a safe environment, enjoy good food and make friends with other gay men from  the area. The retreat will run from the late afternoon of Friday 16th April to the afternoon of Sunday 18th. Cost is $100 per person ($80 conc) and this covers all accommodation, food and activities. Participants will have to organise their own travel to and from the island. For further information or to express an interest in attending call Nick or Kevin at QAHC’s Nth Qld office (4041 5451) or email nconnor@qahc.org.au.

Relationships Australia (Queensland) start operating their Rainbow Counseling Service in February. The Rainbow Service caters specifically to the LGBT population and their friends and family and focuses on helping individuals, couples and families to maintain or regain healthy relationships. Rainbow Representatives have been trained at each of Relationships Australia’s offices around the state, including in Townsville. Telephone counseling can be arranged by calling 1300 364 277 and asking for the Rainbow Service .

Queensland Positive People have been running popular social gatherings for people living with HIV (PLHIV), their family and friends in the beer-garden of the Victoria Park Hotel in South Townsville. Planet Positive is run in conjunction with Queensland Positive People and Townsville Sexual Health. For more info on this meeting or other QPP events, call Jarran at QPP on 1800 636 241

This site is produced and maintained by the North Queensland branch of the Queensland Association for Healthy Communities (QAHC) as a community resource, for and on behalf of FNQ's LGBT population. The site went on-line in January 2009 and is, as it will remain, a work in-progress. The progress of the site will depend, to a great degree, on the input of community members, and QAHC invites contributions from you all. If you’ve got anything to contribute or any suggestions for what you’d like to see on the site, please drop us a line at
mail@gaytownsville.com.au

Hot Tip Spot

STIs and HIV

Did you know that having a sexually transmissible infection (STI) increases your chances of contracting or passing on HIV by up to ten times? It’s true!

This is the case for a number of reasons but there are two main ones; increased immune cells at the sites of infection, and sores. HIV replicates in CD4 cells in your blood. These cells are an important part of your immune system and are also the natural ‘home’ of HIV. When you have an STI the concentration of these cells at the site of infection increases as your body tries to fight the infection. Unfortunately this also provides many more targets for HIV to get a hold in your system should you be exposed to it, increasing your chance of becoming HIV positive. STIs also usually cause some damage to skin or mucus membranes in or around the genitals. This damage can provide a route for HIV to enter your bloodstream if you are exposed to it.

To reduce your risk of picking up or passing on HIV always use condoms and lube for anal sex, and get into the routine of having a thorough sexual health check-up at least every six months (or more often if you have a lot of sex partners). Look after yourself and your mates!

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