ACON has given its Sex on Premises Venue (SOPV) Code of Practice a makeover and relaunched it under the new name of PlayZone.
The code, which was first introduced in 1996, is designed to promote safety in gay saunas, sex clubs and backrooms, increase gay men’s awareness around sexual health and to help reduce the transmission of HIV and sexually transmissible infections among gay men.
Under the PlayZone code, participating venues agree to provide their customers with the following:
- Access to free condoms and lube
- Adequate lighting at venues
- Safe disposal of injecting equipment
- Access to information resources on sexual health, HIV and STIs
- Staff training in sexual health and drug and alcohol
- Cleaning
The PlayZone relaunch includes the installation of new signage and resources in participating SOPVs as well as a promotional campaign highlighting the partnership. Venues will receive a manual to guide them through the accreditation process and will receive free training for staff about HIV, sexual health, PEP, PrEP, drug and alcohol awareness and first aid.
“The development of this code has been an incredibly successful collaboration between ACON and SOPV owners/managers across NSW,” said Nicolas Parkhill, ACON CEO. “Over the past 20 years we’ve worked very closely with SOPVs and the community to ensure that standards of safety exist for both customers and staff, and this has benefited the health of our community.
“Getting gay men to use condoms and other risk reduction strategies is central to our efforts to end HIV transmission in NSW by 2020 and this is where the PlayZone code of practice plays a critical role. If men are having sex in SOPVs, we want them to be doing it in an environment where they’re treated with respect and have access to condoms, lube and sexual health information.”
For more information, visit: www.acon.org.au for details.
Image: courtesy of ACON