Multicultural Health & Support Service (MHSS)
CEH’s Multicultural Health & Support Service (MHSS) works with communities and health professionals to promote the health and wellbeing of people from refugee and migrant backgrounds, asylum seekers and international students.
The goal of MHSS is to prevent new incidences and transmission of STIs, HIV, blood borne viruses (BBVs) and viral hepatitis among these communities.
MHSS is now on TikTok!
Our mission
Our goal is prevent new incidences and transmission of blood-borne viruses (BBVs) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in refugee, asylum seeker and migrant communities, and mobile populations.
We aim to do this by increasing knowledge around BBVs and STIs, uptake of harm-minimisation strategies screening, testing, treatment, and use of relevant care and support services by culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) community members.
We also seek to increase responsiveness and service coordination in relation to BBV and STI prevention and transmission in refugee and migrant communities.
talktesttreat.org.au
Initially developed as part of the 2021 STI Testing Week Campaign, talktesttreat.org.au contains tailored resources addressing cultural and language issues across all aspects of STI testing, to help with conversations about sexual health with your clients from multicultural backgrounds.
Sexual Health and Relationships Education (SHARE) resources
SHARE is designed for teachers, community groups, youth workers, and anyone working with young people. Use our resources include comics, facilitators guides and fact sheets to start discussions about sexual health, healthy relationships, sexuality, gender, and laws relating to these themes.
Our services
Community Education sessions
Tailored, free community education sessions on sexual health, viral Hepatitis & HIV, respectful relationships & contraception, for people from refugee & migrant backgrounds, asylum seekers & international students. *costs may apply for non-community members
MHSS Community & Workforce Education Flyer (February 2023)
Peer Education Projects
We work in partnership with community members to deliver BBV/STI training in first language, while empowering them to become health promotion advocates.
Download Community Education Flyer
Download Peer Education Flyer
Professional Development
Training sessions for workers from a number of sectors on engaging with communities on highly stigmatised & sensitive topics, such as sexual health to improve culturally competent service delivery.
2025 Workshops – HBV Made Easy – Hepatitis B
Download 2025 HBV Made Easy Flyer
Our Networks
Communities are more powerful when they work together and support each other.
Multicultural Sexual Health (MSHN)
This platform brings together stakeholders from various sectors including health, youth, settlement, education, employment and housing to discuss strategies to address some of the health issues affecting asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and international students, such as emerging blood borne viruses and STIs.
Multicultural Community Action (M-CAN)
Refugee and migrant communities are more vulnerable to blood borne viruses and sexually transmissible infections and generally experience poorer health outcomes compared to the established Australian population. (M-CAN) brings together members from these communities to help like-minded people work towards improving the sexual health of their own communities.
International Students’ Sexual Health
Established in 2015 ISHHN provides the opportunity for health professionals to address issues related to the sexual health of international students. Members share information in research, policy and practice, as well as collaborate on projects to promote the sexual health and wellbeing of international students who are studying in Australia.
Projects
FIGHTING HIV
- PrEP – The Facts.
Watch the video that explains PrEP – Pre–exposure prophylaxis
A drug that helps prevent you from getting HIV. - HIV info sessions
EMPOWERING YOUNG PEOPLE
Keeping You Sexy & Safe (KYSS) Education initiative for Young People
Sexual health education sessions about STIs, BBVs & healthy relationships.
The KYSS Project seeks to bridge the gap & address the lack of sexual health & literacy knowledge prevalent among disengaged young people, especially those from refugee & migrant backgrounds and young asylum seekers, who are at high risk of contracting STIs.
TACKLING HEP B
- Peer Education Sessions
- Hep B Made Easy
The Rainbow Connection Project
A creative platform for young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds
to share their experiences in relation to health, identity, gender, relationships, culture, racism and discrimination.
POLICY & ADVOCACY
Our work is underpinned by the principles of access and equity for all:
- Racism & Health
- International Students
- Gender Equity
- Preventing Violence Against Women (PVAW)
- PrEP for all
- Participation & Inclusion
