What Britain needs is a sexual health czar who is living with HIV and doesn’t
wear a suit, says Allan Morris
I’m sorry Tone, but I don’t think you’re listening.
My name is Allan Morris and I live with HIV. I’m a campaigner and occasional
writer on HIV affairs for Positive Nation.
You’ve just told us that you won’t be in your present elevated
position in five years’ time, so you won’t be around when the
bomb goes off. But please don’t forget that it will be you who will
have presided over a disaster that is brewing right now: a disaster that you
have the power to prevent easily.
I’ve noticed how good you are at quoting statistics without reference
to notes and how much you seem to enjoy using these to back up your arguments,
so maybe you’ll appreciate these:
• In 2003, 58,362 cases of chlamydia were diagnosed among 16-24 year
olds at GUM clinics in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. (1)
• In 2003, 24,309 cases of gonorrhoea were diagnosed among 16-24 year
olds at GUM clinics in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. (1)
• In 2001, cases of syphilis increased 180 per cent in England and Wales.
(1)
Now, here’s my point Mr Blair: the single, glaring fact that screams
out at me from these figures is that young people are having more and more
unprotected sex. And while they’re having all this unprotected sex,
they’re doing nothing to shield themselves from other sexually transmitted
infections, including HIV.
In 1997, you told us all in a memorable speech that you were going to base
your entire premiership on education. Well, despite this well-intentioned
claim and despite the existence of the much-trumpeted but widely-unread document
on your strategy for sexual health, it seems your message is just not getting
through to the people who need to hear it most: our children.
The problem is, mate, that you’re out of touch. You just ain’t
cool enough, bro’. Despite the fact that I was born within just a few
weeks of you and have obviously lived through much the same world all these
51 years, I don’t need your sharp lawyer’s brain to work out that
kids just don’t listen to men in suits and people who only remind them
of their parents. When I was 16, the last people in the world I wanted to
get advice from were my folks, and I’m sure that nothing’s changed
in that respect. You seem to have forgotten that.
Now, I believe you when you say that Saddam Hussein would have done some terrible
things to his neighbours, maybe even to us, probably even to his own people.
You took clear and decisive action to prevent that particular disaster and
all I’m suggesting is that you be consistent and do the same to prevent
this impending tragedy.
So, here’s what I propose you should do. It’s effective, dynamic
and, above all, cheap: get cool, man. Appoint a Sexual Health Envoy, someone
who doesn’t wear a suit; someone who’s living with HIV; someone
who knows what’s number one in the charts and who knows how to talk
to teenagers; someone who knows the real dangers and who can talk in simple
terms about what it’s actually like to live with the virus; someone
with whom the kids can identify and who can tell them face-to-face how easy
it is to keep themselves safe from harm.
Then get this envoy to go round every school in Britain. Get him or her to
tell their own story, to reach out to these kids and make a real connection.
Don’t fall into the trap of having them lecture the kids from a podium.
Get them close to the future life-blood of this country. Get them to get down
and dirty and not to be afraid of getting involved with these young citizens.
Actually, I’d quite like to apply for this job myself, as I have all
the above qualifications, I really care about what’s happening out there
right now and I’m determined to do whatever I can to stop it. I don’t
ask for much: just a decent salary, a car and expenses. Surely that’s
not asking too much to invest in the safe and happy future of our country’s
youth?
The ball’s in your court, Tone. I know how much you love tennis, and
I know how much you love your own kids; so please, hear me and start doing
something that will really prevent this bomb from going off.(1)
Source: Health Protection Agency.
