At Meridian’s core is the mission to end HIV transmission and serve people living with HIV until there is a cure for everyone. We promote HIV awareness, relevant research programs and the HIV/AIDS commemoration initiative.
The experience of living with HIV today is more diverse than ever. It has a personal and unique impact on every individual. Many people with HIV in Canberra live secure, active and healthy lives, and they manage their condition without issue. Others experience life issues (such as poverty, homelessness and relationship breakdown) and health issues (such as cancer and poor mental health). This can have a cascading effect and interfere with overall health and wellbeing. For some, these issues can persist over the long term. For others, they occur unexpectedly or episodically.
We know that stigma, health inequities and barriers to accessing services remain day-to-day realities. Some people choose to keep their HIV status to themselves, some talk about it openly and others only disclose their status to a select few.
Whatever HIV means for Canberrans with the virus, Meridian will be there when they need it for information, connection, services and advocacy.
Our commitment is to provide appropriate, high-quality support services for people living with HIV and those impacted by HIV and AIDS across the ACT region. If you have HIV, we can provide tailored services to help you find support and get information on and access to treatment options. Our HIV services are also open to people who are not personally living with HIV but are impacted by HIV in some way. This includes partners and family members of people living with HIV.
At Meridian, we recognise the power of peer support as an essential component of our services. Connecting individuals with lived experiences creates a unique bond that goes beyond shared challenges: it forms a community. Our peer activities for people living with HIV offer a platform for shared experiences, client support, advocacy services and counselling. Together, we strive to improve health and wellbeing outcomes through individualised support and advocacy.
Meridian actively promotes partnerships with organisations and conducts targeted health promotions, aiming to reduce HIV transmissions and enhance awareness and access to treatment options. We also provide a wide range of sexual health programs, including STI prevention and testing. We are dedicated to supporting you, regardless of your unique circumstances.
Whatever your case and however HIV/AIDS has impacted you, we can support you. Together, we can navigate a path to health, understanding and empowerment.
To find out more or access our HIV Services, call us on (02) 6257 2855 and ask to speak to one of our HIV Peer Support officers. You can also fill out our contact form.