SEX POSITIVITY SAVES LIVES: WHY PLEASURE MATTERS OIN LGBTQ+ HEALTH
Since its founding in 1985, ACON has always believed in something simple but radical: sex is not the problem, stigma is.
Sex positivity has been central to ACON’s work in HIV prevention and LGBTQ+ health for four decades. From grassroots workshops to bold public campaigns, ACON has consistently championed the idea that pleasure, safety and self-determination can coexist. The key to our community’s success in preventing HIV and other sexually transmitted infections empowering people to be in control of their own health and look after their partners. To do that, the types of sex our communities have must be portrayed honestly and placed at the heart of any effort to end HIV transmission.
In the early days of the HIV epidemic, fear-based public health campaigns were common. But ACON recognised early on that shame does not change behaviour. It drives it underground. Instead, ACON worked with community to create approaches grounded in honesty, respect and empowerment. That meant celebrating queer sex, acknowledging diverse bodies and desires, and offering practical tools for staying safe without judgement.
That approach continues today. ACON’s health promotion work embraces a wide range of LGBTQ+ sexualities, genders, and relationships. From PrEP awareness and harm reduction messaging to peer education and culturally specific outreach, the aim is not just to reduce risk, but to affirm the right to intimacy, connection and joy.
Why does sex positivity matter in HIV prevention? Because people are more likely to get tested, use prevention tools and communicate openly with partners when they feel seen, respected and safe. Shame causes harm. Knowledge, pleasure and community save lives.
Sex positivity is about more than sex. It is about dignity, autonomy and freedom. In a world that has so often punished LGBTQ+ people for who we are and who we love, celebrating queer sexuality is also a form of resistance.
Explore more of ACON’s work at acon.org.au or endinghiv.org.au.
