Meridian ACT

29/05/2026

Did you know that Australia is on track to be the first country in the world to eliminate cervical cancer?

🧪 Regular cervical screening is an important step in reducing the risk of cervical cancer. It is recommended every 5 years for people aged 25 to 74 who have a cervix and have had any kind of s*xual contact.

The good news is that self-collection is now an option for cervical screening. You can choose to collect your own sample in a private and convenient place, instead of a practitioner doing it for you.

❗ Remember: every cervix needs screening.

If you feel unsure about getting a cervical screening test, we’ve got heaps of info specifically for LGBTIQA+ people with a cervix at www.meridianact.org.au/cervical_screening

🔗 Source: https://www.health.gov.au/ministers/the-hon-rebecca-white-mp/media/australia-on-track-to-eliminate-cervical-cancer-by-2035

28/05/2026

Join Switchboard Victoria, Meridian ACT and A Gender Agenda as we come together in-person on Ngunnawal Country for a Remembering Rainbow Memorial to honour and pay tribute to LGBTIQA+ loved ones we have lost to su***de.

🕘 Tuesday 09 June, 6:30PM - 8:30PM
📍 Ngunnawal Country / Canberra (address shared upon registration)
📨 RSVP via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/remembering-rainbow-lgbtiqa-su***de-loss-memorial-and-support-group-tickets-1990362957184?aff=oddtdtcreator

Who can attend: LGBTIQA+ community members bereaved by su***de and their supporters. You may bring along anyone you would like to have with you to be part of this evening.

Ceremony and ritual are deeply woven into the fabric of LGBTIQA+ communities. As community organisations, we know the power of coming together in the face of loss to generate hope through action.

Staffed by experienced peer support workers from Switchboard, A Gender Agenda and Meridian, the memorial will involve several optional activities, including:

🎗 Embroidering / sewing the names of LGBTIQA+ people who have died by su***de on to colourful ribbons for the Remembering Rainbow.
🪨 Painting the names or pictures of those we are remembering onto rocks
🗣 Hearing LGBTIQA+ lived experience speakers share their reflections on loss after a su***de.
🌈 Joining a memorial ceremony where we tie the ribbons on the Remembering Rainbow, pausing to read each name.

You may wish to attend simply to be in a LGBTIQA+ space, drink tea, have nibbles and connect with community. We welcome you to use this space as you need.

If you are unable to make it and would like to tie a ribbon, please write to us at [email protected] and we will tie one on for you and send you a photo.

28/05/2026

This new study by La Trobe University echoes what we're seeing in discussions with young people in Canberra, including low rates of condom use, lack of understanding of STI prevention & stigma impacting their ability to seek support.

Teens deserve comprehensive s*xual education. With the right information, the right advice & the right people to talk to, people can significantly reduce their risk of STIs or passing them on to a s*xual partner.

The continued stigma around s*xual health makes it harder to access this support & have conversations with s*xual partners. Eradicating s*xual health stigma is a core focus of our work.

That’s why we hold workshops & provide support services to empower Canberrans with the knowledge & resources they need to make informed decisions about their health & wellbeing, and keep their s*x life happy & healthy.

Find out more about our work on s*xual health: www.meridianact.org.au/s*xual_health

A long-running survey of Australian teens has identified falling condom use and unwanted s*x as major concerns for young people starting relationships.

28/05/2026

We're holding a special weekday vaccine clinic on Wednesday 3 June!

Drop by our offices (85 Northbourne Ave, Turner) between 10:30am to 2:30pm for free mpox, COVID and flu vaccines. No appointment needed.

✅ Yes, you can get all three vaccines at once! Some eligibility criteria apply.

Reminder: mpox requires 2 doses, given at least 28 days apart. We have more free clinics coming each month so you can easily get both doses.

Protect yourself and your community. See you there!

27/05/2026

Today is LGBTQ Domestic Violence Awareness Day and we are calling for victims & survivors to be .

The right to live a life free from violence & abuse is every person’s most basic human right. However, for many LGBTQ+ people, this is not a reality.

When the LGBTQ Domestic Violence Awareness Foundation started this awareness day in Australia on 28 May 2020, it was the 1st ever such initiative to spotlight domestic & family violence (DFV) in LGBTQ+ communities. It is now a global event, recognising the need to address the significantly higher rates of DFV experienced by LGBTQ+ people.

Sadly, due to extremely low levels of reporting, LGBTQ+ victims & survivors of DFV remain largely invisible & silent. There is also limited awareness & understanding that this abuse is so prevalent, leading to a lack of resources to help victims & survivors get support.

You can help by educating yourself about the signs of an abusive relationship and what you can do to help. You can also spread the message and shed light on the critical issue of LGBTQ+ people experiencing DFV, so together we can help create a safer & more inclusive world for everyone.

27/05/2026

At Meridian, we believe that everyone deserves to live full, healthy and (if we want it) s*xually fulfilling lives. As part of that, it’s important to take care of your s*xual health even if you aren’t currently having regular s*x.

Meridian is here to support your s*xual health, including through our STI testing services.

🧪 Our STRIP Clinic provides free and confidential STI testing for LGBTIQA+ communities every month, with no Medicare card required.

🟥☂️ Through the S*x Worker Outreach Program (SWOP) ACT, we also provide dedicated s*xual health testing for local s*x workers every month.

These are made possible with the support of professional nurses and doctors from Canberra S*xual Health Centre.

🔗 Find out more at meridianact.org.au/get-tested

26/05/2026

🖤💛❤️ Reconciliation will not happen without all of us. 🖤💛❤️

The theme for National Reconciliation Week 2026 is 'All In', a call for all Australians to commit wholeheartedly to reconciliation every single day.

Reconciliation is *not* a spectator sport, and it is not solely the responsibility of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who have carried the weight of championing, explaining & acting for far too long.

We must all step away from the sidelines and take action to make change.

26/05/2026

We want to know what type of peer-led groups you’d like to see Meridian host! Please complete our short survey and select what types of groups you’d love to join, or give us your idea!

This will help us ensure we continue to meet our communities' evolving needs.

Take the survey at https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/gsFr5fwFqN

26/05/2026

At Meridian on the first Tuesday of each month, you can get free help from 2 great clinics:

💰 The Care Inc Financial Counselling Service Mobile Debt Clinic from 2 to 5pm can help if you’re having financial issues, providing free & confidential help around loans, debts, bank disputes, insurance matters and more.

Drop ins welcome. Appointments also available. If you'd like to register, visit https://forms.office.com/r/DeBp8Gznw3 or email [email protected]

🧑‍⚖️ Then, from 4:30–6pm, Legal Aid ACT can help with one-off legal advice for our LGBTIQA+ community members. This service is by appointment only; call 02 6257 2855 to book.

📍 Both clinics are run from our offices at 85 Northbourne Avenue, Turner.

📅 The next clinics are on Tuesday of next week (2 June) & 7 July.

25/05/2026

We’re partnering with Consumers Health Forum of Australia on a national survey about stigma and discrimination in healthcare.

Share your experience here:
https://australiashealthpanel.limesurvey.net/861536?token=HSuSc

The survey is open until 31 May 2026. It is open to anyone who has used healthcare services in Australia in the past 12 months.

NAPWHA | Scarlet Alliance - Australian S*x Workers Association | Australian Injecting & Illicit Drug Users League - AIVL | Queensland Council for LGBTI Health - QC | ACON | Meridian ACT | TasCAHRD | Thorne Harbour Health | SAMESH | WAAC | NTAHC