Almost edible
Susan Cole was positively glowing on the cover of the December edition of
PN. She looked almost edible. Just think: if she had the effect she had on
me (I’m a gay man
by the way) many straight guys must
have been drooling.
Well done to PN for running the story on HIV and pregnancy. I have spoken
to a number of newly diagnosed women for whom this has always been a major
issue. Well done also, for showing the world that it’s possible for
women living with HIV not only to keep their fertility but to be damned sexy
while they’re at it.
Kevison Montgomery, Leeds
Worth a thousand words
I got the new PN a few days ago and found the pictures of Susan absolutely
fantastic,
I was bowled over. These are incredible images, seriously superb, and they
promote such a positive image of us it’s unbelievable. They are worth
a thousand words. They are also very tasteful, though no doubt some will complain
they are pornographic, voyeuristic, intrusive etc, especially for the front
cover. Putting the image on the front was a bold and brilliant decision. Well
done.
Nick Howes, London
Clarification
I am writing to clarify a misleading headline put on the article ‘Toking
the Medicine’ that I wrote for (PN 106 November 2004). The standfirst
suggests I had peripheral neuropathy and side-effects to antiretrovirals and
that prescription marijuana got rid of them. This is not the case. I have
never suffered from peripheral neuropathy and only mentioned it in the body
of the text because various doctors have told me that ‘medical’ marijuana can help people with HIV who are affected by them. I would not like
anyone who reads PN to think from this that I anything but honest about my
health. In the article, I did stress that people should do their own research
from trusted sources. Conventional and complementary therapies need not conflict.
Treatments that improve quality of life and health should not be disregarded
because of outdated laws or moral objections.
Andrew Hanuman, Brighton
Reaching the parts...
I came across the September issue of PN at my friend’s place. Since
the moment I got hold of the magazine I haven’t been able to put it
down. I was amazed to see how open it was. So, I honour it and have photo-copied
it for my own use. I like the medication and treatment updates and the frankness
of some articles. Here in Bangalore we don’t have access to counselling
or a place where PLWH/A can meet. My wish is that PN will grow and become
a beacon and channel of blessing and opportunity for people with HIV/Aids
like me and not only for the UK, but throughout the world. I am a 29-year-old
former drug mainliner diagnosed in 1996.
I now work as a voluntary field worker with an NGO called the Accept Society
that
provides care and support for adults
and children with HIV/Aids.
Bojo Paite, Bangalore, India
TV ‘ignored’ World Aids Day
On World Aids day I was shocked by the lack of media coverage on all the major
terrestrial channels. I strongly feel WAD should resemble the round-the-clock
coverage given to Children in Need. When I complained the man at ITV was particularly
dismissive. So I told him about the 1980s slogan ‘silence equals death’
and pointed out that HIV rate is increasing in proportion to the lack of media
coverage. I encouraged a number of my friends to call up too as I know that
if the BBC gets over a number of complaints on a particular issue they may
change policy. I wonder if anyone else out there felt disappointed and angry
at the lack of coverage and fed up with people living with HIV being depicted
as marginal. Perhaps PN could run an article on ‘campaigning for beginners’ to help people like me challenge media coverage of HIV and Aids.
Mark Clare, Brighton
Transatlantic comparison
I read the news item ‘One in four at new clinic have STI’ (PN
November 2004) with some interest. I have worked in HIV prevention for the
last four years in San Francisco and our local STI clinic noticed the same
increase in STIs amongst gay men. When further research was done it was also
noted that over 75 per cent of the cases were among men who had already tested
positive. It was clear HIV positive gay men were choosing to have sex with
each other rather than with an HIV negative partner. There was also some evidence
the HIV infection rate, which rose after the advent of HAART, had levelled
off and started a bit of a decline, which blasts the supposition that a rise
in STIs automatically relates to a rise in HIV infection.
Keith Folger (visiting London)
Aids and HIV not interchangeable
I have noticed over an extended period that the BBC uses the terms HIV and
Aids as interchangeable. This needlessly upsets too many people living with
HIV. Most people in the developed world with HIV will not be expected to develop
Aids, and such articles both contribute to prejudice and to a lack of understanding.
A recent BBC on-line article suggested an Aids vaccine was possible. I am
unsure how it is possible to vaccinate against a syndrome rather than a virus.
I suspect the use of ‘Aids’ in preference to ‘HIV’ stems from a tabloid attitude towards dramatic copy and headlines, regardless
of the impact
on those directly affected by the issues.
I have raised this with the BBC countless times, and they have assured me
that they have stressed their existing guidelines to their correspondents
and staff. Perhaps the UKC and can raise the issue with the BBC, since my
efforts appear to be having no effect.
On World Aids Day of all days, this was
a callous and tabloid-type attitude that
we can well do without.
James, London
NewFill price update
In response to Issue 105(October 2004) and the article, A Tale of Two Faces,
I write on behalf of Medi-Phill Treatments Ltd. The article showed the price
of NewFill for facial lipoatrophy to be £1,200 for four sessions. Our
original pricing was in fact £1,200 for three sessions. NewFill now
costs £200 per vial. Patients usually require 2/3vials per session and
may need between four and eight sessions. The consultation is free and any
potential client will be informed of how much their course of treatment is
likely to cost following that initial assessment.
Jayne Mahida, Medi-Phill Treatments Ltd
Write to:
Letters, Positive Nation,
250 Kennington Lane,
London, SE11 5RD or email
editor@positivenation.co.uk
or fax 020 7564 2140.
Please include your address and phone number although these need not be
published. Letters may be edited for length. Views expressed in letters are
not
necessary those of PN or the UKC
