Help Save Sexual Health Services in Brisbane!

It has come to my attention that the Brisbane Sexual Health Clinic is being closed down.  I am horrified that sexual health services are being treated as something disposable.  Sexual health is important to many people (especially as many of us have sexual contact with others and know people who do).  Being healthy is important and, I believe, a human right.

What is the Brisbane Sexual Health Clinic?
The Sexual Health Clinic is located at  Roma St and provides free confidential services to anyone who needs them.  It is especially useful for sex workers, the LGBTIQ community, homeless people, poor people, and people with HIV (who may have more cause/reason to go somewhere confidential and free).  They provide services ranging from education, testing, prevention, counselling, condoms, and more. 

Why should you care?

They help over 13,000 people each year, 600 of which are people affected by HIV/AIDS.  Some people are warning that the closure of the clinic will cause a rise in STIs, something that affects everyone as healthcare costs and hospital bed space become a part of the equation.  I'm sure you all know people who have sex, which means that one day it's possible that they may need (or have already used) these services.  The issue of being able to transfer patients to people who are as able to help for the same price (free) has been raised.  Not many patients will enjoy giving up their anonymity either.

What can you do to help?

1. Sign the petition
2. Attend the rally
3. Tell people!

Image from Act Up Queensland

Vegan, gluten free, soy free lasagne.

Filling mix:  Two tins of brown lentils, two small tins of diced tomatoes, 2 shredded carrots, some mushrooms, 4 cloves garlic, one onion diced, two tbsp curry powder, salt, pepper, dill, chili powder.

Pasta: Cooked strips of zucchini.

Sauce:  Just under 1L of rice milk, 4-6 tbsp nooch, 4-6tbsp cornflour, 2-4 tbsp Nuttelex.

1. Put filling mix in pot and cook til mushrooms are tender.
2. Make sauce by melting Nuttelex, adding milk, then flour and nooch, stir on high heat til thick.
3. Cook zucchini strips til about to go tender.
4. Layer: filling, strips, sauce, filling, strips, sauce.
5. Bake in oven at 180C for 30-40 minutes, til you can poke through the zucchini with ease and the sauce is cooked on top.

Why opt to adopt?

In Australia, we love our pets.  Over 1 in 5 households have a pet cat and just over 1 in 3 have a dog.  Including fish, guinea pigs, rabbits, horses, birds, rats and mice, the Australian Companion Animal Council estimates that in 2009 there were 33 million pets in Australia.

With so many people wanting animal companions, there is a great demand for puppies, kittens and other baby animals being sold at markets, in pet stores and through online advertisements.  There is a dark side to the cute little packages of fur and teeth however.  That is the overpopulation of pets.

For every animal sold in a pet store, there is another animal in a pound or shelter waiting for a new home.  And if they don't get that new home, they will be killed.  In Australia, 250,000 healthy cats and dogs are killed each year because people are buying from pet stores and breeders instead.

Australians buy more than 600,000 cats and dogs each year, so there is room for these animals that are being killed.  It is completely possbile for Australia to become a No Kill Nation; killing no cats, dogs or other companion animals each year.  It simply requires education, regulation and community support.

What can you do about it?

• Adopt!  Instead of supporting the overpopulation and irresponsible breeding of pets, adopt a cat or dog or guinea pig (etc) and help them find a forever home.
• Talk!  Speak out about this issue.  Encourage other people to adopt, or to desex their animals.  Share pictures of animals needing homes.
• Donate!  Donate to the National Desexing Network or a local shelter.
• Foster!  Many no-kill shelters can only run thanks to people being able to temporarily care for a cat or dog that would otherwise have been put down.
• Volunteer!  Some shelters require volunteers to clean, others require volunteers to talk to the animals and help them stay friendly.