Eight week waits at GUM clinics
Britain’s genitourinary medicine clinics are failing to tackle
the rising number of sexually transmitted infections, according to a report
from two of London’s top teaching hospitals. A team from Imperial College
and University College Hospitals found that inadequate funding and the lack
of capacity to treat STIs promptly was allowing them to spread further and
quicker.
The report came as new figures showed the number of STIs in Britain has doubled
in five years.
The government has pledged extra money for GUM services and that all patients
will be seen at STI clinics within 48 hours by 2008. But figures from the
government’s own Health Protection Agency show that in 2004 only 40
per cent of patients were seen at GU clinics within 48 hours and 26 per cent
had to wait longer than two weeks. Agency researcher Dr Peter White said:
“Current levels of capacity [at GU clinics] have failed to keep up with
increasing demand, resulting in yet more infections as many people are unable
to get treated promptly or even at all. A significant increase in capacity
and investment is needed to tackle the current
STI epidemic.” The Department of Health acknowledge that there is a
long way to go to meet the 48-hour target by 2008. But a spokesman said: “We
have responded by committing an extra £130 million for GUM services
between 2006 and 2008, allowing clinics to expand their services and offer
more and more people access to early treatment.” The British Association
for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) warned that extra money was urgently needed.
BASHH president Dr Angela Robinson said: “With waits of up to eight
weeks for a routine screen for STIs in some parts of the country and some
people being turned away who may never get seen, STIs will continue to rise
until capacity is increased sufficiently in specialist services, with the
experience to deal with cases efficiently and speedily.”
Garden party bash raises Crusaid cash
Crusaid held another successful summer garden party in the elegant Earl’s
Court home of Rupert Cavendish.
Cocktails were served by sexy bar boys from London’s Escape and Kudos
bars, Crusaid’s Steve Inman and drag divas Mariah Scarey and Naomi Shambles
ran a hilarious charity auction and Four Poofs and a Piano provided camp entertainment
on a scorching Sunday afternoon in August. Gossip was exchanged, boys stripped
off and displayed themselves in the garden pool, suntans and physiques were
admired, and over £14,000 was raised for Crusaid.
Inner-city councils slash HIV funding
A review of HIV services by two inner London councils has led to the
withdrawal of funding from a long-established charity. Oasis North London
had its council funding pulled by Camden and Islington council after a review
found it failed to provide good value for money.The decision comes ahead of
the ending of ring-fenced
government funding for HIV services in April 2006 and most likely means the
closure of Oasis.
Camden councillor Geethika Jayatilaka commented: “This service [Oasis]
is not meeting the changing needs and population of people living with HIV,
therefore it would be wrong to continue with the service in the future.”
But the review does not meet with the approval of some Camden residents. Interviewed
by the Camden Gazette, an HIV positive mum slammed the council’s attempts
to cut “vital” support services.
“So far I have not been impressed by Camden Council’s attitude
towards people in my position,” she said: “We are marginalized,
ignored and our services deemed unimportant.” She added that layers
of red tape are another problem for people living with HIV trying to access
local services. “Many people who use support services like the ones
I attend do not know how to make themselves heard to those in power who are
making decisions on their behalf, supposedly in their best interests.”
A Camden Council spokesman added: “With funding so tight the council
must make sure it spends effectively, and in collaboration with the scrutiny
panel, we are currently reviewing all the services we provide for HIV positive
people, including those we jointly commission with Islington.” Peter
Davey, interim director of Oasis, said it was “too early” to say
if they would be forced to close. He said Oasis were in the process of updating
their education, training and back to work services but the council still
acted as though they were still a “drop-in”.
UKC Hero Awards 2005
The
2005 UKC Hero Awards will take place at Old Billingsgate, on the banks of
the River Thames, on 25 November. The UKC Hero Awards is the premier event
of its kind in the UK. Originating in 2002, it brought together for the first
time in history a union of people living with HIV and Aids, our peers, colleagues,
friends and supporters, who wanted to celebrate those who make outstanding
contributions to the ongoing fight against the virus. Previous award recipients
include Sir Elton John, admired for his support of and powerful advocacy for
people living with HIV, and Liza Minnelli for her inspirational work within
the global community of people living with HIV and Aids. Pictured at
the UKC Hero launch at Soho’s Too2Much are, left to right, Carl Mills
(UKC Hero Awards events manager), Stephen Bitti (UKC chief executive), Mike
Ross (major funder and managing director of Cameron Ross Associates) and John
Campbell (UKC founding patron).
For details of this year’s Hero Award, call Carl on 020 7564 2180 or
email cmills@ukcoalition.org. To sponsor the event or purchase a table or
seats, contact CRA on 01293 763 085 or email paulf@camross.com.
Belfast man in fear over gay website threats
A user of the contact website Gaydar is angry the site owners failed to act
after he was threatened with violence by a policeman he met via the site.
‘David’ from Belfast didn’t disclose his HIV status to the
man but said they always had safer sex. Shortly after the liaison, the man
sent him a message on Gaydar saying: “I’ve heard a rumour you
are HIV positive. I want an answer to this message or I’ll be round
to put your door in.”
David said: “I was particularly concerned as he was a policeman, so
I felt powerless to complain.
“I got several messages from other acquaintances in Belfast saying exactly
the same thing; without the door-kicking promise. They said they’d heard
it from someone online, but wouldn’t say who.
“Gay men in Northern Ireland are still very backward when it comes to
HIV. They view it as something that happens somewhere else, and the general
opinion here is that those with HIV deserve it.”
When David complained to Gaydar, the company first advised him that he could
block unwanted messages but he felt this would not stop the bullying. David
said: “I thought the person’s profile should be removed. Instead
they offered to remove mine and give me a new profile name. This whole episode
has scared me and undermined my confidence.” Gaydar’s conditions
of use state that users mustn’t cause ‘harassment or needless
anxiety’ to others or use ‘threatening or offensive language’.
Jamie Crick, Gaydar’s press officer, admitted mistakes had been made.
“We should have sent David more information. He should also have been
told that we would warn the user who contacted him that his language violated
our conditions of use. “However, without hearing both sides of the argument
we can’t revoke someone’s membership of Gaydar.” PN
has also heard of other HIV positive men dissatisfied with how Gaydar dealt
with threats made against them. However, one UKC manager said that when he
faced similar threats, Gaydar had acted swiftly to stop them. Gus Cairns
Manchester Pride raises cash for HIV charities
Manchester’s leading HIV charity The George House Trust ran an emotive
and successful vigil at Pride in the city at the end of August. Manchester
Pride continued its support by raising over £135,000 for local HIV charities.
news on the side
Syphilis increase among HIV patients
Regular syphilis screening is being introduced at the Chelsea and Westminster
Hospital’s HIV unit after
the discovery that most new asymptomatic syphilis cases occur among men who
have sex with men and who
also have HIV. Meanwhile, a study published in Sexually Transmitted Infections
suggests it might be acceptable to test for syphilis in gay venues such as
saunas. Of those tested in the study, over 60 per cent hadn’t visited
a GUM clinic in the previous year. Eleven per cent reported having 10 or more
sexual contacts in the previous 90 days.
HIV positive Jamaican man faces ‘death by deportation’
A gay man living with HIV says he faces certain death if he is deported to
Jamaica; a country branded ‘the most homophobic place on earth’.George
Jackson, 35, of Lewisham, still bears deep scars from a homophobic attacks
on him when he lived there. Last month George learned that the Home Office
had rejected his appeal
to remain in the UK on humanitarian grounds. He told PN: “It means certain
death If I am sent back; either I will be killed or I will die of Aids because
there are no HIV drugs available.”
International Hepatitis Day
International Hepatitis Awareness Day takes place on 1 October and the Hepatitis
C Trust is asking people to sign a petition calling for better treatment in
Britain and the EU. To sign, visit www.hepcaction.org. Meanwhile, a study
from University College London has revealed that many hepatitis C (HCV) infected
babies acquire the virus in their mother’s wombs.
Brighton cabbies hand
out condomsThe Safe Ride Home programme, sponsored by condom makers Trojan,
is making 60,000 condoms available to passengers in Brighton. “By making
Trojans available en route home, the embarrassment factor of the ‘Have
you got a condom?’ question is removed,” said a company spokesperson.
‘It’s up to all gay men to stop HIV’, GMFA
Gay men’s health charity GMFA is launching a new advertising campaign
this autumn to encourage all gay men, whatever their HIV status, to take responsibility
for preventing transmission. “Most gay men acknowledge that everybody
has a responsibility for safer sex,” said GMFA spokesman Matthew Hodson.
“However, it’s clear a lot of men take the attitude that if their
partner isn’t going to demonstrate responsibility by using a condom,
then they won’t demand it. It’s not enough to assume that your
partner will prevent the transmission of HIV.”
HIV magazine was ‘never charitable’
The Charity Commission has criticised the running of the now defunct HIV magazine
Positive Times for a series
of finanical irregularities in the way it was funded. Commissioners found
that although a charity called Positive Lives was supposed to publish the
magazine, it was in fact "for all practical purposes" published
by the commercial publishing house Chronos, former publishers of Boyz
and the Pink Paper. Investigators said they found "little evidence of
charitable activity" and documented how £47,000 of funding to the
charity went astray. The commission ruled that Positive Lives and Positve
Times be removed from the register.
HIV meds price tab
The lifetime cost of treating an HIV positive patient exceeds $400,000 and
could run as high as $648,000, according to a US study. Researchers claim
adults who began antiretroviral therapy when their CD4 counts were below 350
could expect to live 24 years and run up an average $0.5m medical price tab.
The study estimates 68 per cent of HIV costs go on ARVs, 16 per cent on outpatient
care, 11 per cent on inpatient care and five per cent for other meds and lab
costs.
Quality of life is the issue for men with HIV
Quality of life, or the lack of it, was the top issue raised in a study of
men with HIV, presented at the Rio conference. Research from European Mens’
Health Forum (EMHF), found that while most believe many aspects of drug treatment
has improved since they first started taking therapy, they nonetheless feel
areas of emotional wellbeing, work and social life need attention. “Respondents
showed some satisfaction with treatments,” said EMHF’s director
Erick Savoye, “but it was also clear that side effects and difficulty
in taking medicines are still an enormous burden.” www.emhf.org
Web ‘slowing spread of HIV’
The internet is helping reduce the spread of HIV and other STIs, according
to new research. A report from the San Francisco-based Kaiser Family Foundation
said many HIV positive gay men used online dating services to find sex partners
who also had the virus. This practice, known as ‘sero-sorting’,
may partly explain a drop in the rate of HIV cases among gay men in the San
Francisco area which is now estimated at 1.2 per cent per year, down from
the city’s estimate of 2.2 per cent in the previous year.
