Henrickson has many years of experience in a wide range of HIV-related health care work under his belt, including the management of an HIV-dedicated community medical clinic.
“Mark’s work brings together two aspects of HIV-related work – practical experience of the epidemic, and a background in social science research of queer communities,” says NZAF board chair Hoani Jeremy Lambert. “Given where the epidemic in New Zealand lies at the moment, these are two very important fields.”
Henrickson is Project Leader of the groundbreaking Lavender Islands study, recently published in the international Journal of Homosexuality. The most comprehensive survey to date of New Zealand’s gay and lesbian communities, Lavender Islands received over 2,200 responses, providing a unique portrait of the social and emotional aspects of GLBT lives.
“I’ve been involved with HIV and AIDS work for most of my professional life, from primary prevention to bereavement support work,” Henrickson says. “I feel I can draw on that, as well as my background in academic research, and offer those experiences to the Foundation. It is a real privilege for me to continue to do HIV work, and I’m very much looking forward to it.”
