The Positive Health Study (pH Study)

This was part of an Australian HIV vaccine development project and it was an opportunity to play a key role in a historic venture. As we all know, research helps our community respond to the issues raised by HIV and AIDS. In Australia we are internationally recognised for our success in linking research and the community response. Our SMASH project was an example of this.

Changes in HIV treatments over the past few years have raised new issues. The Positive Health Study (pH Study) addresses issues such as changes in treatments and general health management strategies among HIV-positive individuals. All information was treated in a confidential manner.

This study ended on the 30th June 2007.

Project Reports

• Jin F, Prestage GP, Zablotska I, Rawstorne P, Kippax SC, Donovan B, Cunningham PH, Templeton DJ, Kaldor JM, Grulich AE (In press). High rates of sexually transmissible infections in HIV positive homosexual men: data from two community-based cohorts. STI (Accepted May 29, 2007)
• Rawstorne P, Fogarty A, Crawford J, Prestage GP, Grierson J, Grulich AE, Kippax S, (in press). Differences between HIV-positive gay men who ‘frequently’, ‘sometimes’ or ‘never’ engage in unprotected anal intercourse with serononconcordant casual partners: Positive Health cohort, Australia. AIDS Care (accepted Jan 2007).
• Fogarty A, Rawstorne P, Prestage GP, Crawford J, Grierson J, Kippax S, (in press). Marijuana as therapy for people living with HIV/AIDS: Social and health aspects. AIDS Care. doi: 10.1080/09540120600841930.
• Fogarty AS, Zablotska I, Rawstorne P, Prestage GP, Kippax SC, (2007). Factors distinguishing employed from unemployed people in the Positive Health study. AIDS, 21, Suppl 1, S37-S42.
• Prestage GP, Fogarty AS, Rawstorne P, Grierson J, Zablotska I, Grulich AE and Kippax SC, (2007). Use of illicit drugs among gay men living with HIV in Sydney. AIDS, 21, Suppl 1, S49-S56.
• Prestage GP, Fogarty A, Mao L, Van de Ven P, Kippax S, Kaldor JM, Jin F, Rawstorne P, Grulich A, (2005). How has the sexual behaviour of gay men changed since the onset of AIDS: 1986-2003. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 29, 530-535.
• Van de Ven PG, Mao L, Fogarty A, Rawstorne P, Crawford J, Prestage GP, Grulich AE, Kaldor J, Kippax S, (2005). Undetectable viral load is associated with sexual risk taking in HIV serodiscordant gay couples in Sydney. AIDS, 19, 179-84.
• Rawstorne P, Prestage GP, Grierson J, Song A, Grulich A, Kippax SC, (2005). Trends and predictors of HIV-positive community attachment among PLWHA. AIDS Care, 17, 589-600.

• Jin F, Prestage GP, Zablotska I, Kippax SC, Pell CM, Donovan B, Cunningham PH, Templeton DJ, Kaldor JM, Grulich AE, (2006). Sexually transmissible infections in a cohort of HIV positive homosexual men in Sydney: The Positive Health (PH) study. 18th Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for HIV Medicine, Melbourne [poster presentation].
• Zablotska I, Rawstorne P, Fogarty A, Prestage GP, Kippax S, (2006). Harassment and sexual rejection due to HIV, and sexual behaviours of HIV-positive gay men. Stigma, Pleasure, Practice: 9th Social Research Conference on HIV, Hepatitis C and Related Diseases, Sydney.
• Gallagher S, Berry S, Prestage GP, (2006). Talking to people living with HIV about condoms and sexual health. 16th International AIDS Conference, Toronto, Canada.
• Prestage GP, (2006). Sexpigs and HIV risk. 18th Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for HIV Medicine, Melbourne.
• Grulich AE, van Leeuwin MT, Vajdic C, Prestage GP, Medley G, Hillman RJ, Stevens MP, Tabrizi S, (2006). Prevalence and types of anal HPV infection in homosexual men with and without HIV infection. 18th Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for HIV Medicine, Melbourne.
• Grulich AE, van Leeuwen MT, Vajdic C, Prestage GP, Medley G, Hillman RJ, Stevens MA, Tabrizi S, (2006). Prevalence and types of anal HPV infection in homosexual men with and without HIV infection. 23rd International Papilloma Virus conference and clinical workshop, Prague, Czech Republic.
• Rawstorne P, Race K, Prestage GP, Fogarty A, Grierson J, Kippax S, (2005). Assumptions about partner serostatus and difficulties with disclosure among a cohort of HIV positive men. 17th Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for HIV Medicine, Hobart.
• Fogarty A, Rawstorne P, Prestage GP, Grierson J, Kippax S, (2005). Factors distinguishing employed from unemployed in the positive health study. 17th Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for HIV Medicine, Hobart.
• Rawstorne P, Fogarty A, Prestage GP; Kippax S, (2005). Difficulties disclosing to casual partners and assumptions about partner serostatus: The Positive Health cohort. 10th National Conference of People Living with HIV/AIDS, Adelaide.
• Grulich AE, Jin FY, Prestage GP, Emery SE, Kippax S, Mao L, Kaldor JM, on behalf of the Australian-Thai HIV Vaccine Consortium, (2005). Defining high incidence groups of homosexual men for HIV prevention studies: Data from the Health in Men (HIM) cohort. 17th Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for HIV Medicine, Hobart.
• Prestage GP, Grulich AE, Kaldor JM, Van de Ven P, Mao L, Rawstorne P, Fogarty A, Kippax S, (2005). Alcohol and drugs amongst gay men. Health in Difference 5 Conference, Melbourne.
• Prestage GP, Rawstorne P, Fogarty A, Grierson J, Grulich AE, (2005). Alcohol and illicit drug use in the Positive Health (pH) cohort. 17th Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for HIV Medicine, Hobart.
• Prestage GP, Volk JE, Jin FY, Rawstorne P, Grulich AE, (2005). Sexually transmitted infections in a cohort of HIV positive gay men in Sydney. 10th National Conference of People Living with HIV/AIDS, Adelaide.
• Vajdic CM, Medley G, Hillman RJ, van Leeuwen MT, Prestage GP, Rawstorne P, Grulich AE, (2005). Prevalence of anal squamous intraepithelial lesions and related abnormalities in a community-based sample of HIV-positive and HIV-negative homosexual men. 17th Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for HIV Medicine, Hobart.
• Volk JE, Prestage GP, Jin FY, Rawstorne P, Grulich AE, (2005). Sexually transmitted infections in a cohort of HIV positive gay men in Sydney. 17th Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for HIV Medicine, Hobart.
• Fogarty A, Rawstorne P, Prestage GP, Grierson J, Kippax S, (2004). Factors associated with the therapeutic use of marijuana in a cohort of HIV positive participants. HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis and Related Diseases Social Research Conference, Sydney.
• Rawstorne P, Fogarty A, Crawford J, Prestage GP, Grierson J, Kippax S, (2004). Esoteric sex practice and less education distinguish HIV-positive men who ‘frequently’ compared with ‘occasionally’ engage in risky UAIC acts. XV International Conference on AIDS, Bangkok, Thailand.
• Rawstorne P, Hull P, Van de Ven P, Prestage GP, Crawford J, Kippax S, (2004). Taking HAART is associated with less sexual risk with casual partners. XV International Conference on AIDS, Bangkok, Thailand.
• Fogarty A, Rawstorne P, Prestage GP, Grierson J, Kippax S, (2004). Medicinal use of marijuana among PLWHA: The Positive Health study. 16th Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for HIV Medicine, Canberra.
• Prestage GP, Fogarty A, Mao L, Grulich AE, Van de Ven P, Kippax S, Rawstorne P, Jin FY, Kaldor JM, (2004). How has the sexual behaviour of gay men changed since the onset of AIDS: 1986-2003? ASSERT National Sexology Conference, Sydney.
• Van de Ven P, Mao L, Fogarty A, Rawstorne P, Prestage GP, Grulich AE, Crawford J, Kaldor JM, Kippax S, (2004). Undetectable viral load associated with more unprotected anal intercourse in serodiscordant gay couples in Sydney. XV International AIDS Conference, Bangkok, Thailand [poster presentation].
• Fogarty A, Crawford J, Rawstorne P, Prestage GP, Kippax S, (2003). Sexual risk management in a cohort of homosexually active, HIV-positive Sydney men. 15th Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for HIV Medicine, Cairns.
• Rawstorne P, Prestage GP, Grierson J, Fogarty A, Kippax S, (2002). Correlates of drug treatments modification: Quality of life or bodily/physical symptoms? 14th Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for HIV Medicine, Sydney.
• Rawstorne P, Prestage GP, Song A, Crawford J, Grulich AE, Kippax S, (2002). Use of antiretroviral therapy and better self-reported health predict risky sex among HIV positive gay men. XIV International AIDS Conference, Barcelona, Spain [poster presentation].
• Prestage GP, Grulich AE, Rawstorne P, Song A, Grierson J, (2002). What distinguishes Australian people living with HIV/AIDS not currently on combination antiviral treatment? XIV International AIDS Conference, Barcelona [poster presentation].
• Prestage GP, Rawstorne P, Grierson J, (2002). Differences in access to services and community support within the Positive Health cohort. HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis and Related Diseases Social Research Conference, Sydney.
• Prestage GP, Rawstorne P, Song A, Kippax S, Grulich AE, (2001). Use of health services among PLWHA. 13th Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for HIV Medicine, Melbourne.
• Prestage GP, Rawstorne P, Grierson J, Song A, Kippax S, Grulich AE, (2001). Treatments use and health monitoring in the pH cohort. 13th Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for HIV Medicine, Melbourne [poster presentation].

• Fogarty A, Mao L, Zablotska I, Salter M, Santana H, Prestage GP, Rule J, Canavan P, Murphy D, McGuigan D, Honnor G, (2006). The Health in Men and Positive Health cohorts. A comparison of trends in the health and sexual behaviour of HIV-negative and HIV-positive gay men, 2002-2005. Monograph, National Centre in HIV Social Research, Sydney.
• Fogarty A, Rawstorne P, Prestage GP, (2005). Northern exposure: HIV in the Northern Rivers region, Part 2. Monograph, National Centre in HIV Social Research, Sydney.
• Fogarty A, Rawstorne P, Prestage GP, Grierson J, Grulich AE, Kippax S, Worth H, Murphy D, (2003). Positive Health: Then and now ... Following HIV-positive people’s lives over time. Monograph, National Centre in HIV Social Research, Sydney.
• Prestage GP, Song A, Grierson J, Race, K, Grulich AE, Kippax SC, (2001). Positive Health: Method and sample, 1998-1999. Monograph, National Centre in HIV Social Research.
• Prestage GP, Song A, Grierson J, Race K, Rawstorne P, Grulich AE, Kippax SC, (2001). Positive Health: Treatments, services, health 1998-1999. Monograph, National Centre in HIV Social Research,.