The conference will be organised around four main themes.
In preparing your abstract, please refer to the specific selection criteria of the four conference themes as outlined below.

THEME 1. SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS PREVENTION, TESTING AND TREATMENT IN THE RURAL CONTEXT

This stream will use the standard conference presentation style of 15 minute oral presentation with an additional 5 minutes for questions.

THEME 2. GENDER AND EQUITY AS SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF SEXUAL HEALTH AND RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS

This stream is focusing on the intersections between rural life in Australia, equity, gender and sexual health and well-being. We are inviting the submission of abstracts that address one or more of the following elements:

·         The connection between a rural life and cultures, beliefs and behaviours that impact on gender relations, gender based violence, sexual health, and freedom of sexual expression.

·         Innovation that addresses barriers for rural women and girls to good sexual health and respectful relationships

·         The role and/or capacity of the professional health and education workforce and/or local communities to identity inequities, mobilise effort and resources, and bring about change to improve sexual health outcomes.

·         Rural organisations, partnerships and networks working across the spectrum of sexual health prevention, early intervention, treatment, and support to improve access, inclusion and service integration.

·         The intersections between political, economic, cultural and social determinants of rural health and gender relations: what are the implications for sexual and reproductive health?

·         The use of equity and human rights principles to guide and inform theory, research and practice aimed at improving sexual health and wellbeing for people living in rural areas.

The first session will include a standard conference presentation style of 15 minute oral presentation with an additional 5 minutes for questions. The second session will be a facilitated thematic panel or workshop format, dependent upon abstracts received. Please complete the abstract template provided.

THEME 3. ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER SEXUAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sexual health and well-being theme aims to reflect a holistic view of sexual health incorporating the following areas: sexual health, respectful relationships, sexual and gender diversity, blood borne viruses, and reproductive health. This theme incorporates both presentations about the content of the research and/or projects, and about the processes and key principles that guide this work, including partnerships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities and the general community.

Papers describing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research and/or programs must be presented or co-presented by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers or representative community members. Presenters of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research and/or projects focusing on particular communities are to provide with their abstract an additional paragraph outlining whether the relevant community/ies have provided permission to publicise the research and/or project findings.

This stream will be divided into two presentation styles.

The first session will include a standard conference presentation style of 15 minute oral presentation with an additional 5 minutes for questions.

The second session will be a facilitated yarning circle focusing on the processes and key principles that guide your work; and that foster community ownership and effective partnerships at the community level. Accepted papers for this concurrent session will be invited to more informally present their work and respond to questions within the yarning circle. Please complete the abstract template provided for all abstract submissions.

THEME 4. SEXUAL HEALTH AND DIVERSITY IN THE RURAL CONTEXT

This stream will include research, promising practice and/or projects that address the role of cultural and sexual diversity in influencing the sexual health of rural communities.

Currently, the majority of rural services and systems serve to address health in particular ways that generally meet the needs of a white, middle-class, heterosexual, more likely urban and male, population.

Increasingly, rural regions in Victoria are diversifying, resulting in a health system that does not adequately meet the needs of disadvantaged, low income, culturally and linguistically diverse, those with disability, commercial sex workers, those with substance dependence and gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex (GLBTI) people.

This stream will be divided into two presentation styles, each lasting 1.5 hours.

The first session will include a standard conference presentation style of 15 minute oral presentation with an additional 5 minutes for questions. Please complete the abstract template provided.

The second session will be a workshop/discussion group focused on showcasing promising rural practice in the field of sexual health and diversity. Abstracts for this workshop will showcase projects, programs or research that address one of the five key questions below:

1.     What are the challenges and barriers to optimal sexual health for diverse rural communities?

2.     What are the enablers for optimal sexual health for diverse rural communities?

3.     How does diversity within organisations influence the work and/or the workers?

4.     How do we match the diversity of practice/services in rural communities with the diversity of the communities they serve?

5.     How do we measure the success of sexual health programs in diverse rural communities?