Peer Based Harm Reduction WA

15/03/2026

Recent events across Australia have reminded us that social cohesion isn’t something we can take for granted. Harmony Week isn’t just about different cultures, it’s about standing up against the racism and prejudice that marginalises members of our community every day.

In harm reduction, we know that "everyone belongs" means nothing if people don't feel safe or respected when expressing themselves or seeking help.

Diversity is our strength, inclusion is our power, but equity is our work. 🌏❤️✌🏼

09/03/2026

Today is the National Day of Women Living with HIV - a time to centre the voices, lives, and experiences of women living with HIV.

Stigma continues to disproportionately affect women who are living with HIV, often creating barriers to the care and connection they deserve. A person’s health status should not and does not define their worth.

It’s time to replace judgment with education and fear with community. ✊❤️

Something we can all do is raise awareness of U=U (Undetectable = Untransmittable). U=U is a life-changing fact. It means that when a person takes their HIV medication as prescribed, the amount of virus in their blood stays at undetectable levels and they cannot pass HIV to their partners through s*x. It’s a powerful fact that can help take away fear and stigma, proving that people living with HIV can lead long, healthy lives - including love, the choice to have children, and healthy relationships.

07/03/2026

It’s International Women’s Day. In the harm reduction space, “Nothing About Us Without Us” must include the perspectives of women with lived and living experience. To “Balance the Scales,” we must recognise that the perspectives of women are not just valuable, they are essential.

Female-led insights in research help to identify specific barriers and unique health risks that are too often overlooked in mainstream studies, and these insights can lead to better policy and better services.

In advocacy, lived and living experience is the most powerful weapon we have to dismantle the intersectional stigma that prevents equitable access to justice and care for women who use drugs.

In the everyday world of health and harm reduction, peer-based support by and for women can help to build safety and trust.

For us, today is a day to recognise and celebrate the women who lead our outreach, guide our programs, and advocate for every perspective to be acknowledged.

05/03/2026

Observed every year on March 6th, Black Balloon Day is dedicated to honouring people we have lost to overdose. What began in the US in 2016 has grown into an international movement to prioritise harm reduction and spread awareness about life-saving tools like take-home-naloxone.

Being prepared to lend a hand means knowing how to spot the signs of an opioid overdose and acting fast.

Identify the Signs - Not all opioid overdoses look exactly the same, but stay alert for these red flags:

Loss of Consciousness: The person does not respond to sound or touch.

Breathing Issues: Shallow or gasping breaths, slow breathing (fewer than two breaths every ten seconds), or no breathing at all.

Sound: Gurgling noises, gasping, or heavy, deep snoring.

Physical Changes: Fingertips, lips, or toes may take on a blue or greyish tint.

Take Immediate Action:

1 - Call Triple Zero (000): If the person cannot open their eyes and respond to you, call for an ambulance immediately.

2 - Be Transparent: Tell the operator if you suspect drugs are involved and if you have naloxone on hand. This allows them to give you the most accurate, step-by-step first aid instructions while Paramedics are on their way.

3 - Carry Naloxone: Make sure you know where naloxone is kept and learn how to use it following the DR’S AB’N’CD action plan.

Pick up some free take-home-naloxone and learn how to reverse an opioid overdose at PBHR WA. We can even send you naloxone anonymously in the post! You can find out more about our Take-Home-Naloxone program here: https://harmreductionwa.org/naloxone/

05/03/2026

Today we honour the life and memory of Jude Byrne – a pioneer, a mentor, and a courageous force for good in the world. For more than three decades Jude's fierce advocacy helped shape research and policy and she contributed immeasurably to building the drug user movement, both in Australia and internationally. She never backed down from a fight if it meant protecting her community. She was an insightful teacher, and more than anything she taught us that lived and living experience are expertise, that dignity is non-negotiable, and that health equity and human rights are inextricably linked.

Jude's absence is still deeply felt, but she lives on in every life touched by harm reduction and every advocate who found their voice because of her. Her influence remains at the heart of the harm reduction movement. 💜🔥

01/03/2026

Trust is everything. When a product you’ve relied on for years suddenly looks different, it’s natural to have some concerns.

We want to give you a heads-up about a change coming to BD Ultra-Fine 1mL syringes - Western Australia’s long-time favourite.

What’s Changing?

Nothing really, except the brand name. You’ve known them as “BDs” for a long time, but they are transitioning to a new brand name: embecta. The boxes and cartons will look different, and so will the syringe wrappers. Even the logo on the side of the syringe will change.

What’s Staying the Same?

Everything else! We know how important it is to have equipment you trust. We’ve confirmed that:
✅ It is the exact same syringe.
✅ It is made in the same factory with the same high standards.
✅ The quality, feel, and performance haven't changed at all.

Why the change?

The company that makes these syringes (formerly a part of BD) has simply become its own independent company called embecta.

You’ll start seeing the new embecta packaging moving through our needle and syringe program services soon, but rest assured it’s exactly the same product that you know and trust. If you have any questions or concerns when you see the new branding, please have a chat with our team—we’re here to help!

24/02/2026

20/02/2026

By now, many people are aware that treatment for hep C has changed for the better. 1 - 3 pills per day for 8 - 12 weeks is all it takes to clear hep C and get on with your life - but that doesn’t mean that committing to a course of treatment is easy for everyone. Transport, prescription-filling, and a lack of support or unstable housing are real life challenges that many people may face.

That’s why hep C treatment at PBHR WA is about more than just handing out pills.

Our Nurses and our peer Hep C Case Management Workers can help with support check-ins, transport to and from appointments, hep C appointments at your home, prescription filling and medication delivery. This free service is as unique as the people who access it. Just have a yarn with a Peer Worker or a Nurse to figure out what “easy” treatment looks like for you.

Keep your eyes peeled for our Outreach Health Clinic that may be visiting a service near you soon or come and see us in Perth or Bunbury. You don’t need an appointment to visit our Health Clinics but remember to call us beforehand on the day to make sure a Peer Worker or a Nurse will be available.

Perth: 9325 8387
Bunbury: 9791 6699

16/02/2026

Join the INHSU Community of Practice for Hepatitis C Care in Regional and Remote Australia.

Across regional, rural and remote Australia, many people supporting people who use drugs are experiencing the same thing: hepatitis C care matters, but it’s competing with countless other demands. This Community of Practice brings together people doing similar work in similar environments to share ideas, build connections and strengthen the path to elimination in the places where it’s most needed.

It’s free to join, flexible, and open to anyone working with people who use drugs in regional, rural or remote Australia — whether hepatitis C is central to your role or just one part of the support you provide.

You don’t need to prepare anything.
You don’t need to attend every session.
You don’t need to be a hepatitis C specialist.
You just need to care about improving access and outcomes for people who use drugs.

Alongside Burnet Institute’s Eliminate C Australia (ECA II) team and a national steering committee including PBHR WA, every session is designed to offer something you can use immediately — a model, an idea, a resource, or simply a sense of not doing this work alone.

Strengthen the care you provide and improve outcomes in your community by joining the INHSU Community of Practice for Hepatitis C Care in Regional and Remote Australia here:

https://inhsu.org/what-we-do/global-knowledge-exchange/community-of-practice-australia/

13/02/2026

Looking after yourself doesn’t have to be a “ruff” experience. On National Condom Day, let’s celebrate the most flexible tool in your health kit!

When it comes to condoms, one size definitely does not fit all. Lucky for you, PBHR WA stocks condoms in a variety of sizes for just 20 cents each.

Our needle and syringe program services stock a range of s*xual health supplies including:

Femidoms - $3.50 each

Dams - 50 cents each

5mL l**e sachets - 20 cents each

Finger cots - 10 cents each

Beppy (wet) menstrual sponges - $5 each

You can pick up s*xual health supplies by walking into our fixed-site NSEPs in Perth or Bunbury, at our Mobile NSEP Van sites in the South West, by accessing our Outreach NSEP home-delivery services in the greater Perth Metro area or the South West Region, or via our Statewide Postal NSP service anywhere in Western Australia. You can find out more about these services and click on our price list here:

https://harmreductionwa.org/new-nsep/

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10/02/2026

The latest AIVL webinar is coming up on Friday the 20th of February.

Jailing people for using drugs isn’t justice, it’s a systemic failure that harms individuals and communities.

You can register by following the link in the original AIVL post below:

Jailing people who use drugs isn’t justice! Join our webinar on why criminalisation is a social justice failure.
🗓 Feb 20 | 12pm AEDT
Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pk3XrBYJRvuYtLVU1c2moQ #/registration

08/02/2026

Is it time for a poke around? It’s Sexual Health Week so, if it’s been a while since you checked in on your s*xual health status, consider dropping in to PBHR WA for a yarn with our nurse.

Sexual health testing is quick and simple - it can be as easy as a finger prick and a urine test. And if you need treatment, our nurse can help with that too.

You don’t need an appointment to access PBHR WA’s free Health Clinics but it’s a good idea to call us first on the day, to make sure a nurse is available.

If you’re in Perth, call us on 9325 8387. If you’re in the South West, call 9791 6699.
See you soon.

*xualhealth *xualhealthweek