Gippsland Sexual and Reproductive Health Forum 2024

Register now for the 2024 Gippsland Sexual and Reproductive Health Forum! 

Forum Program

8:30 am: Arrival and registration

9:00 am: SRH Forum 2024 Begins

9:15 am: Emily Dang, 1800 My Options: What you need to know about Victoria's dedicated free, confidential and Pro-Choice service that connects Victorians to sexual and reproductive health services.

9:45 am: Chrissy Keenan, Sexual Health Victoria: Incorporating Pleasure into RSE

10:15 am: Morning Tea

10:30 am: Let's Talk LARC- Long Acting Reversible Contraception. Presentations and panel discussions to answer any questions you may have and hear insights into IUD insertions and patient perspectives

Presentations include:

• Jaqueline Coombe Melbourne University: LARC: Meeting the information needs of potential and current users.
• Claire Felix-Faure, Melbourne University: Women's Experiences of IUD Insertion
• Cathy Halmarick and Robyn Holmes Peninsula Health: Practice of insertion and discomfort/pain including use of the Penthrox inhaler (the green whistle) to improve comfort

12:30 pm: Lunch

1:10 pm: Jenny Ward and Asmait Ghebre, Women's Health Victoria: Victorian Women's Health Atlas Map

1:40 pm: Chrissy Keenan, Sexual Health Victoria: Sexual Content Online

2.30 pm: Event Finish

We are pleased to have Sexual Health Victoria joining us this year for two timely presentations: 

• Incorporating Pleasure into RSE – Comprehensive, best practice relationships and sexuality education (RSE) necessitates a pleasure-positive focus. Historical fear-based messaging around sex is both ineffective and unjust, denying young people the strengths-based approach to relationships and sexual decision making that they deserve. 

• Sexual Content Online – People of all ages can engage with sexual content online, either by accident or on purpose. Attempts to prevent young people from exposure are not comprehensive unless accompanied by clear discussions around the laws and ethics of sexual content online. 

The team at Women’s Health Victoria are joining us to provide current, Gippsland specific Local Government Area (LGA) data on SRH indicators including STIs/BBVs, medical abortion and adolescent birthrates. The Atlas, updated three times per year, is a reliable source of sex-disaggregated health data to support women’s health and gender equality awareness, understanding and action at statewide, regional and local area level. This presentation will inform you how your LGA is tracking trends and access gaps across the region.  

The forum will also feature an IUD (intrauterine devices) panel discussion -  everything you need to know about IUDs!

This discussion brings together practitioners and researchers from Gippsland and across the state to present the following: 

• What people REALLY want to know about Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARCs) vs what is available
• Research on experiences of insertion 
• Practice of insertion and discomfort/pain including use of the Penthrox inhaler (the green whistle) to improve comfort
• Where to go in Gippsland for an affordable IUD 
• Answer all your IUD and contraceptive questions

Transport and Parking 

Gippsland Performing Arts Centre is easily accessible from the Princes Highway (M1). Follow the signs towards Arts Centre from the highway.

There are 72 carparks, including two DDA spaces, on site at GPAC. Enter the carpark via Grey Street heading west (away from the Traralgon Central shopping centre from Breed Street)

Additional parking is available at Gippsland Regional Aquatic Centre on Cnr Breed Street & Kay Street.

Gippsland Performing Arts Centre is also accessible via public transport. GPAC is a 10 minute walk from Traralgon Station, or a 3 minute walk from the St Michael’s PS/ Church Street bus stop.  Routes 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 40, 41,42 and 43 stop here

Click here  for the transport and parking map

A friendly reminder that this is a free event. Kindly let us know if you can no longer make it so we can adjust the catering. 

We look forward to seeing you there!