Connect: HIV Self Test Vending goes National

Connect: HIV Self Test Vending goes National

Author: JOY 94.9 - LGBTI, LGBTIQA+, LGBT, LGBTQ, LGB, Gay, Lesbian, Trans, Intersex Podcasts for all our Rainbow Communities May 7, 2026 Duration: 42:01

We discuss how HIV self-test vending machines are breaking down barriers to testing for vulnerable populations across Australia with Zara Boulton, National Project Officer for Connect.

From navigating unfamiliar healthcare systems to fears of stigma and discrimination, we explore the complex obstacles that prevent overseas-born individuals from accessing traditional testing services.

Connect’s innovative approach of offering free, discreet, and convenient testing through strategically placed machines has proven remarkably successful, with pilot data showing strong community uptake and overwhelmingly positive user feedback.

The national rollout now spans multiple states and territories, with local project officers ensuring the program adapts to regional needs and community preferences.

Jack, Jordan, and Joel also reflect on Thorne Harbour Health’s internal knowledge sharing FRIDA conference.

Check out our other JOY Podcasts for more on LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing at joy.org.au/wellwellwell.

If there’s something you’d like us to explore on the show, send through ideas or questions at wellwellwell@joy.org.au

Find out more about LGBTIQ+ services and events in Victoria and South Australia at thorneharbour.org and samesh.org.au


Every week on Well, Well, Well, hosts Michael, Cal, Rachel, and Jacinta pull up a chair for a conversation that feels both essential and familiar. This isn't just another health show; it's a dedicated space focusing on the specific realities of LGBTIQA+ life, from mental wellbeing and sexual health to everyday fitness and community care. The discussions are grounded, tackling topics like HIV with nuance and exploring what holistic health truly means across our rainbow communities. You'll hear the latest information, but more importantly, you'll find relatable perspectives and honest talk that resonates. Produced as a service by JOY 94.9 in partnership with Thorne Harbour Health, the Well, Well, Well podcast extends that community spirit beyond the radio broadcast. It’s where practical advice meets personal understanding, creating a resource that feels like it’s genuinely for us, by us. Tune in for episodes that blend expertise with empathy, always aiming to support and strengthen the wellbeing of everyone under the rainbow.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Well, Well, Well
Podcast Episodes
2024 Year End Review with Emen8 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:55
Chris Williams from Emen8 joins us to discuss some of the biggest stories in LGBTIQA+ sexual health of 2024. He speaks with Jack and Cal about the return of Mpox, the PrEP supply disruption, injectable PrEP, Doxy-PEP, an…
2024 Reflections Extravaganza [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:05
With 2025 just around the corner, the team are in studio together for their 2024 reflections. Jack, Cal, Rachel, and Joel pick some choice moments from the year to discuss. Check out our other JOY Podcasts for more on LG…
Holiday Health with Thorne Harbour SA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:17
Sharna and Matt from Thorne Harbour Health SA join us to speak about how our diverse LGBTIQ+ communities can take care of themselves during the holiday break. They speak with Joel and Jack about how seeing biological fam…
Fairfield Reflections – Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:38
In light of World AIDS Day on December 1, we’re talking about Fairfield Hospital 40 years on from the first patient with HIV/AIDS being admitted there. The hospital closed in 1996 but it played a central role in the resp…
Melanated in Melbourne [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:11
Melanated in Melbourne chronicles the lives of co-hosts Nicole and Ri’chard, two Black Americans living in Australia, as they navigate what it means to be a person of colour in the great Down Unda. Melanated in Melbourne…
Health Podcasts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:14
Podcasts have fast become a part of our everyday media consumption. In fact, the average person spends more than five hours a week listening to them. But could listening to podcasts lead to healthier habits? In the first…
Reflecting on Fairfield Hospital [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:05
In light of World AIDS Day on December 1, we’re talking about Fairfield Hospital 40 years on from the first patient with HIV/AIDS being admitted there. The hospital closed in 1996 but it played a central role in the resp…
Indie Porn – Revolution, Regulation, and Resistance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:50
Jack and Rachel speak to Dr Zarha Stardust about her latest book, Indie Porn – Revolution, Regulation, and Resistance, which takes readers behind the scenes. Stardust finds politicians who watch porn in parliament, prote…
Style and Spirit Opening Night & Picnic in the Park [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:08
In early November, the Style and Spirit Exhibition was opened at the David Roche Gallery to explore the life and design ethos of an important but forgotten style icon while highlighting how HIV stigma contributed to his…
Flourish After 50 and World AIDS Day [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:16
Rachel and Joel chat with Sue West from Flourish After 50 about her upcoming workshops for LGBTIQ women and Cal Hawk and Chiron Hooson from Thorne Harbour Health join the panel to talk all things World AIDS Day and intro…