Despite termination of pregnancy decriminalisation in 2018 in Queensland, people accessing this service continue to face inequitable barriers such as interpersonal violence, sexual and reproductive education, stigma, and affordability. By examining the experiences of people seeking assistance from a counselling service, we highlight how these barriers intersect to undermine reproductive rights, even in a decriminalised context. All-options pregnancy counselling services play a vital role in supporting access, but inclusive multisectoral action is needed to eliminate barriers to comprehensive care.

Event-driven pre-exposure prophylaxis (ED-PrEP) is effective at preventing HIV among cis gay and bisexual men. We found in a survey of gay and bisexual men who had heard of PrEP, just over two-thirds (68%) had heard of ED-PrEP, and of those who had heard of it, less than half (44%) knew how to take ED-PrEP correctly as per clinical guidelines. We recommend further work to increase awareness and knowledge of ED-PrEP to promote effective use to prevent HIV infection.

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns in Ethiopia have had severe consequences for the sexual health of vulnerable urban youth. The paper finds that young people with HIV, disabilities, involved in commercial sex work and living on the streets face increased levels of sexual violence, limited access to sexual and reproductive health information and services, and loss of livelihoods. Strategies to protect urban young people’s sexual health and rights must include reopening health services promptly and improving social protection coverage.

Although increasing access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV has significantly reduced morbidity and mortality, treating persons living with HIV can be challenging and costly. This study estimates the lifetime cost of HIV management from the Australian healthcare perspective. The average discounted lifetime cost of HIV management was A$282 093, and the largest contributor to lifetime cost was ART (92%). This high lifetime cost highlights the urgent investment needed to prevent new infections of HIV.

Health services were profoundly impacted by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions, and difficult choices were made to sustain essential services for people with HIV and those at risk of HIV. We interviewed clinicians working in sexual and reproductive health services around Australia, who described the most important adaptations as being related to triage, teamwork, telehealth and trust. Insights gained from service adaptations caused by COVID-19 have the potential to drive long-term innovations in the sexual and reproductive healthcare sector.

We assessed physical function among gay and bisexual men in Australia aged ≥55 years using a self-administered survey. The survey was completed by 381 men: 186 without HIV and 195 with HIV. Compared with men without HIV, those with HIV had higher proportions of severe (13.3% vs 8.1%) and moderate-to-severe (26.7% vs 24.2%) physical function limitation. The mechanisms underlying this association require investigation, particularly given the rapidly increasing age of the HIV population.

About 0.5–3.1% of men who have sex with men (MSM) self inject drugs before or during sex (‘slamming’). Our survey among 175 Dutch MSM, who had practised slamsex, reported various adverse health effects associated with slamsex (skin problems, collapsed veins, infections, and psychological symptoms, like insomnia, sadness, depressed mood, anxiety, suicidal tendencies and loss of control). The current information of slamsex by MSM may contribute to the reinforcement of accessible, non-judgmental and well informed prevention and harm reduction activities.

The COVID-19 pandemic and its related infection control measures might alter individuals’ sexual health practices and dating app usage. There was a decline in sexual activities with non-regular sexual partners during the pandemic while dating apps were used more frequently. Interventions to promote sexual well-being during the pandemic should be considered.