Legal Needs Study (LeNS)
The first-ever national study investigating everyday experiences of law among people living with hepatitis B and HIV in Australia.
While it is widely recognised that law and the legal environment impact the health and wellbeing of people with chronic hepatitis B and HIV, we lack a detailed understanding of these impacts.
Through in-depth interviews and a national online survey, LeNS aims to find out more about people’s experiences, including whether they have unmet legal needs, whether they can access legal services and information, and how all of this impacts their health and wellbeing. The findings of LeNS will be used to inform more comprehensive community legal information, legal services and resources, and clear recommendations to policymakers and government about how to improve the legal environment for people affected by hepatitis B and HIV in Australia.
LeNS interviews
The qualitative phase of LeNS was completed in July 2024, with the Health+Law team interviewing 140 people living with HIV and hepatitis B nationwide.
We are grateful to everyone who generously shared their time and experiences with us.
This important work would not have been possible without the support of peer workers and other staff in community organisations across every Australian state and territory.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the teams at:
Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland (ECCQ)
Hepatitis ACT
Hepatitis B Voices
Hepatitis NSW
Hepatitis QLD
Hepatitis SA
Hepatitis WA
LiverWELL
Living Positive Victoria (LPV)
Meridian
Northern Territory AIDS and Hepatitis Council (NTAHC)
PEACE Multicultural Services
Positive Life NSW
Positive Life SA
Positive Women Victoria (PWV)
Queensland Positive People (QPP)
SAMESH
Tasmanian Council on AIDS, Hepatitis and Related Diseases (TasCAHRD)
WAAC
With the continued support of these organisations, Health+Law moved to the next phase of the study - the first-ever national survey exploring the everyday legal experiences of people living with hepatitis B and HIV in Australia.
“I really liked the interview. I don’t think that I ever had the opportunity to talk about my experience in such detail.”
– Laurence
“Thanks for asking me to do an interview…and for letting me share my feelings…I hope it will help people to understand more about what we have to go through…”
– Maria
“I’m really grateful for the opportunity to participate in a study like this and…I think it’s definitely going to have major impacts for policy change so I’m really looking forward to that.”
– Manish
“I always say, I want to be the last person who experienced this. I don’t want anyone – not just only Hepatitis B, any chronic disease, I don’t want them in my shoes like this.”
– Chivy
“…I want to bring the change that I want to see and be there for any other Latin person that comes about and has no idea, and just to share my knowledge, share my information. And just bring – yes, it may sound a bit trite, but just bring us together.”
– Tomas
“I do hope that…this research will go a long way in paving some way for some people not to have to go through what we are going through. Because it's not everybody that can still hold it, you know, going through all this.
– Shona
“Hepatitis B is one of Australia’s most significant blood-borne viruses. It is heartening to know that we will soon have the first high quality, community owned and driven data on the legal needs and experiences facing this community.”
Carrie Fowlie, former CEO, Hepatitis Australia
“If we're going to have a chance at ending HIV transmissions and improving quality of life for positive people, we need to better understand the legal issues facing people living with HIV today.”
Aaron Cogle, Executive Director, NAPWHA