UQ collaborates with HERO to tackle STI’s in Indigenous communities

Australia’s socially responsible condom company, HERO and The University of Queensland – Poche Centre for Indigenous Health announce a new partnership to address rising demand for adequate and regular supply of free issue condoms amongst remote Indigenous Australian & Torres Strait Islander Communities.

The two organisations have partnered with the shared vision of ensuring sexual and reproductive healthcare is safe and accessible for everyone – with the aim to increase the uptake of condom use in rural and regional Australian communities.
HERO Condoms has been a strong activist on equitable distribution of contraception. To date, HERO has donated over 2.2 million condoms to the people of Botswana, and over 150,000 condoms to various communities and health organisations in Australia and New Zealand.

The University of QLD and their well-established Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, are already active in Central and Far North QLD/Brisbane communities, delivering much needed sexual reproductive health education, resources and support.
One such recognisable program ‘Young Deadly & Free’ comprised a set of interrelated activities aiming to substantially increase sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and blood borne viruses (BBV) testing and treatment rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, living in remote communities across Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia.

“Building on our previous programs, we have partnered with HERO to increase the availability of condoms in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Through this partnership we aim to promote condom use to prevent STIs, HIV and unplanned pregnancies and BBVs and improve health equity in First Nations’ communities where the UQ Poche Centre is already working” said Professor James Ward, Director, UQ Poche Centre for Indigenous Health.

“We know that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ health will only improve when our mob leads the way. It’s about ensuring communities drive the research agenda, making sure that we’re supporting our peoples to become the future leaders in health research, done by us, for us, with us. It’s also making sure that our research has direct impact, creating real change and transforming health inequities that have been here too long,” James added.

HERO CEO David Wommelsdorff said “The collaboration with UQ aligns with a mutual goal of promoting safe and accessible sexual and reproductive healthcare, with a specific aim to encourage condom use in rural and regional Australian communities”.

“This partnership is really exciting for HERO because we believe in the transformational potential of our one-for-one donation initiative, to create a more fair and equal society, through sexual and reproductive healthcare,” Mr Wommelsdorff added.

HERO will kick the partnership off with a donation of 11,600 condoms, with the goal to donate 30,000 condoms this year alone.