Lloyd Cox, Anne Levy key figures in Family Planning Association of South Australia (later SHINE SA) birth in 1970
Early posters (at left) from the Family Planning Association of South Australia. The association's 21st Century form, SHINE (Sexual Health Informational Networking and Education) SA, had practices at Hyde Street, Adelaide city, and at Woodville in Adelaide western suburbs, provided more extensive services and counselling on sexual, reproductive, relationship health.
Professor Lloyd Cox and Anne Levy were key figures in the founding of the Family Planning Association of South Australia (later called SHINE SA) in 1970.
Cox, Adelaide University’s professor of obstetrics and gynaecology from 1958, brought major changes to reproductive health treatment and attitudes. He became national president of the Family Planning Association of Australia as well as leading the birth of the Family Planning Association of South Australia. As another association founder, former Labor state government minister Anne Levy had worked extensively in homosexual law reform, abortion law reform, euthanasia, rape law reform, childcare, maternity leave, equality in education for girls, equal pay and affirmative action.
Cox and Levy were still involved at the association’s eight annual general meeting in 1978 with Dr Mary Walker as president, Cox and Karl Ball as vice presidents, Janet Browning (secretary) and Margaret Hope treasurer. Other members included Yvonne Allen, professor Warren Jones, Patricia Bockner, Dr Michael Martin, Ione Brown, Dr Kerrie Davies, Virginia Hall, Dr Peter Hoopmann, Dr Olive Johnston, Dianne Morris, Dr Graham Vimpanai (government nominee) and Frank Webster.
The annual report noted the organisation had expanded from one room in South Terrace to a five-building complex in the eastern suburb of Kensington. Both headquarters and nine suburban locations had seen an increased monthly client visits from 20 in 1970 to more than 2,000 and in the large increase in education programmes, mainly for secondary school students.
In 1977, the association held a Condom Week. With a specially designed T-shirt (from of the Family Planning Association of Hong Kong) and promoted new varieties of coloured and textured condoms, attracting television, radio and newspaper coverage. The Family Planning Association, receiving funds from the federal and South Australian governments, still faced financial “uncertainty” in 1978.
The association’s later form, SHINE (Sexual Health Informational Networking and Education) SA, with practices at Hyde Street, Adelaide city, and at Woodville in Adelaide western suburbs, provided more extensive services and counselling into the 21st Century on sexual, reproductive and relationship health. .Welcoming people from diverse cultures, sexual orientations, genders, sexes and abilities, SHINE SA clinics provided STI (sexually transmitted infection) testing and management, contraception services, pregnancy testing and referral, and counselling on common gynaecological issues, and sexual dysfunction. The Hyde Street practice was also home to other services including SAMESH and gender wellbeing.
SAMESH was a partnership of Thorne Harbour Health and SHINE SA, providing support, education and training about sexual health and HIV for men who have sex with men and people living with HIV. It also provided services for the broader LGBTIQ community in South Australia. The gender wellbeing service was a free, confidential and safe space for people questioning their gender identity or identifying as trans or gender diverse.
