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HIV-related Legal Needs, Demographic Change, and Trends in Australia since 1992: A Review of Legal Administrative Data

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Abstract

An enabling legal environment is essential for an effective HIV response. Using legal administrative data from the HIV/AIDS Legal Centre (HALC), Australia’s specialist HIV community legal service, this article characterizes the nature and trends in the legal issues and needs of those with HIV-related legal issues in New South Wales, Australia since 1992. At present, approximately 40% of all PLHIV living in NSW receive a legal service from HALC during the most recent five-year period. Clients received legal services relating to immigration law at a greatly increased rate (2010: 36%; 2019: 53%), discrimination matters decreased (2010: 17%; 2019: 5.9%), wills and estates remained steady (2010: 9%; 2019: 8.3%). Most clients identify as male (76.9%), homosexual (55%) and are aged between 35 and 49 years of age (34.6%). This demographic profile of clients changed over time, becoming younger and more likely to have been born overseas, and increasingly identifying as heterosexual.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are solely responsible for the views expressed in this study and do not necessarily represent the views, decisions, or policies of the funders or any institutions with which they are affiliated. We thank the people living with HIV who were involved in the research described in this study. We would also like to thank Dr. Vicky Vallas for providing editorial assistance and Katrina Mathieson for her Research Assistance. This study was supported by funding from the NHMRC (Grant ID 1156520), the Australian Government through a STI and BBV Research Grant and the University of Technology Sydney through a Cross-Faculty Grant. The contents are solely the responsibility of the individual authors and do not reflect the views of the funding bodies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Law & Justice, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia

    David J Carter

  2. School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia

    Adel Rahmani & James Brown

  3. Doctoral Candidate, Faculty of Law, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia

    Rhys Evans

  4. Industry Fellow, Faculty of Law, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia

    Alexandra Stratigos

  5. HIV/AIDS Legal Centre, 414 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills, Australia

    Alexandra Stratigos

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  1. David J Carter
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  2. Adel Rahmani
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  4. Alexandra Stratigos
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  5. James Brown
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Correspondence to David J Carter.

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Competing Interests

DC is a member of the HIV/AIDS Legal Centre and an elected member of its governing body (board). He is the Chief Investigator of a grant awarded by the University of Technology Sydney to support this research, and Lead Chief Investigator of the Health + Law Research Partnership, which is supported by a STI and BBV Research Grant awarded by the Australian Government. AS and RE are or were employees of the HIV/AIDS Legal Centre.

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Carter, D.J., Rahmani, A., Evans, R. et al. HIV-related Legal Needs, Demographic Change, and Trends in Australia since 1992: A Review of Legal Administrative Data. AIDS Behav 28, 574–582 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-023-04245-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-023-04245-3

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