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Sociologist Dr Ruby Grant and Women’s Health Tasmania CEO Jo Flanagan in front of the Women’s Health Tasmania work car (which also doubled as our recording studio during those innocent pre-COVID times last year).
This is the last in the side journey within the podcast series into issues around sexual health for LGBTIQ+ women. Previously we have covered what the research tells us about bisexual women’s access to health care, and advice about safe sex and cervical screening for women who have sex with women.
In this episode, Women’s Health Tasmania Health Worker Jen talks about bivisibilty and the importance of community connection as well as providing some helpful advice for health professionals wanting to be more inclusive in their practice.
Resources
LGBTIQ+ Support
- Working it Out
A Tasmanian organisation providing support and information across the state
http://www2.workingitout.org.au - Working it Out Together
A special COVID 19 initiative from Working it Out
https://www.workingitout.org.au - Qlife
Online and phone support service that runs from 3pm till midnight every day
https://qlife.org.au/ - Bi+ Australia
Provides support and counselling to bi+ people and people who are questioning their attraction/sexuality as well as to their partners, parents, family members and friends. Also provides education for service providers and information.
https://www.biplusaustralia.org/
Other Resources
- Signpost
Online directory of LGBTIQ+ inclusive services
https://signpost.org.au/ - Lesbian and Bisexual Women’s Health Policy by the Public Health Association of Australia https://www.phaa.net.au/documents/item/887
- Equality Tasmania
https://www.facebook.com/EqualityTas/ - just.equal
An Australian community campaign to advocate for justice and equality for LGBTIQ Australians their families, friends and communities.
https://www.equal.org.au/
Community Connection
- Tasmanian Bisexual Community facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/BiTasmania/ - Tripple Bi-Pass
https://joy.org.au/triplebipass/ - Bi+ weekly radio show from Melbourne’s JoyFM. Also available on most podcast platforms.
- Women Partners of Bisexual Men Service
Provides counselling, information and support groups for women whose male partners are attracted to men. https://www.womenpartners.org.au/ - The Melbourne Bisexual Network
https://www.melbournebisexualnetwork.com/ - A network of mental health and advocacy professionals working to improve and promote bisexual+ inclusivity in LGBTQIA+ programs and services.
- Bisexual Alliance Victoria Inc, An alliance of Bi Chats and Victorian Bi Activism.
http://www.bi-alliance.org/ - Bi Social Network facebook page
A project under Step Up For Mental Health to educate, fight causes and change minds in the fight on understanding mental health disorders and supporting families. Based in the USA.
https://www.facebook.com/bisocialnetwork/
Further reading and research
Research by Dr Ruby Grant and Dr Meredith Nash - Young bisexual women's sexual health care experiences in Australian rural general practice https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ajr.12505
Research by Julia Taylor, Jennifer Power, Elizabeth Smith, Mark Rathbone - Bisexual Mental health: Findings from the ‘Who Am I’ Study. 2019. doi: 10.31128/AJGP-06-18-4615
(A warning – this research will either fire you up, or make you feel sad).https://www1.racgp.org.au/ajgp/2019/march/bisexual-mental-health
Book by Shiri Eisner - Bi: Notes for a Bisexual Revolution.