Young
people lobby MPs over HIV
A young Aids activist told MPs last month how she was barred from raising
cash for an HIV charity because her school deemed it inappropriate.
Katie Chalcroft was one of many young speakers from the Stop Aids Campaign
that toured 17 UK universities in October to boost HIV awareness among students.
One of their key messages was the injustice of 8,000 people dying a day from
Aid-related illness.
Pictured is 24-year-old HIV positive US youth activist Johnny Guaylupo who
explained how he was diagnosed at the age of 17 and has been working on HIV
education with young people ever since.
www.stopaidssocieties.org.uk
Gay newspaper readers’ poll exposes poz phobia
A poll in the Pink Paper that revealed 57 per cent of gay readers supported
criminal prosecutions for passing on HIV has led to a storm of protests.
Carried out in the gay weekly newspaper in Ocotober, the poll was criticised
as biased and unfair to the UK’s 60,000 plus HIV positive population.
In a letter to the editor, Martin Schwarz, facilitator of positive support
group Midweek, said: “We feel you have joined the witch-hunt against
positive people. Instead of reporting in a neutral and objective way, you
lowered yourself to the level of Daily Mail or the News of the World reporting.”
Former Positive Nation editor Gus Cairns said several people had already been
prosecuted and jailed in Britain after accusations from former gay sex partners.
“Where’s the incentive to say you’re poz if it might result
in jail? Where is the incentive to get tested at all?” he asked.
“Some of the worst HIV discrimination I experience comes from other
gay men,” said another long-term survivor of HIV.
Jack Summerside, UKC’s prevention specialist, said many thousands of
gay men were unaware they were already HIV positive themselves.
“There is still a lot of HIV positive phobia within the gay community,
especially outside the big cities. Gay men are often obsessed about their
image and anyone different can receive the cold shoulder at best.
“And some gay men seem to project their own fears about getting HIV
onto people with the disease,” Jack continued: “This makes disclosure
for us very difficult. And if they go on to become infected themselves, this
‘poz phobia’ magnifies the trauma of a diagnosis.”
Pink Paper editor Tris Reid- Smith defended the decision to run the poll.
“The Pink Paper has always been against these prosecutions. However,
it is a public policy issue and should be openly debated. Our poll was just
part of that debate and we’ve also printed letters, articles and comment
pieces and hosted online forums.
“Our poll successfully demonstrated the split in opinion in our community
and has got people discussing how the law could persecute HIV positive people
whether they act responsibly or recklessly.”
So far there have been 11 prosecutions related to HIV transmission in the
UK and nine convictions.
Activists have accused the police, prosecution and media of mis-stating the
alleged offences as ‘deliberate’ rather than ‘reckless’.
Brookie star launches Aids expo
Brookside star and Sahir House patron Dean Sullivan officially launched the
Positive Lives exhibition at the Merseyside’s Alima Centre.
This is the first time this collection of 40 images has been shown in the
UK. The collection moves to London’s City Hall for World Aids Day after
a four week run on Merseyside. Positive Lives is an international project
documenting the impact of HIV around the world. Sahir House hosted a series
of free HIV awareness workshops. New reported cases of HIV on Merseyside are
up 14 per cent on last year and the total of people with HIV in the north-
west of England has increased by 114 per cent since 2001.
£4m campaign targets young ‘on
the pull’
The
government has launched its long-awaited sexual health campaign targeting
young adults ‘on the pull’.
In the run up to Christmas and Valentine’s Day, sexually active young
people will be urged to make condoms ‘essential wear’ as part
of the £4 million TV, radio and magazine ad campaign to combat sexually
transmitted infections (STIs).
The TV ad shows couples ‘getting it together’ in scenes where
the name of an STI is clearly displayed on their clothing or jewellery.
UKC chief executive Stephen Bitti welcomed the hard-hitting message.
“Young people in the UK account for around 10 per cent of all new HIV
diagnoses each year and the number of young people since 2000 acquiring HIV
through heterosexual contact have consistently exceeded the number who acquired
it from sex between men.
“The message is the same for anyone: don’t ever assume anyone
is HIV negative because they probably don’t know.”
The National Aids Trust (NAT) warned that the £4 million fell short
of the £50 million the Government promised to spend over the next two
years: “Even in a time of budgetary constraint, to cut back on a sexual
health campaign is the worst kind of false economy,” NAT said.
Soul in the city
Positive
Nation cover star Carlos Lopez (left) and his CD4 Band staged a concert to
launch their new CD Red Ribbons in my Heart at Walkabout in Sheffield.
Their aim was to raise awareness of HIV among young people in the city and
to promote the band’s CD4 Community Project. The Band will hold another
concert in Manchester on World Aids Day for Body Positive North West.
www.thecd4project.org.uk
& www.bpnw.org.uk
HIV on increase among drug users
New HIV infections are on the increase again among drug users in Britain after
many years of decline thanks to the introduction of free needle exchanges.
One in 50 intravenous drug users are now infected with HIV, according to latest
research carried out by the Health Protection Agency.
This is around twice the level recorded at the beginning of the decade. There
has also been a marked increase of HIV infection among those who have begun
injecting in the past three years, and the evidence suggests the main culprit
is crack cocaine.
Dr Fortune Ncube who compiled the agency’s report, Shooting UP, said:
“The association between crack cocaine use and high levels of HIV and
hepatitis C infection are a concern, as evidence shows that the injecting
of crack cocaine is becoming more common.”
At present, over half of all people who inject drugs are also infected with
hepatitis C almost certainly as a consequence of sharing contaminated needles.
Because symptoms are not immediately apparent, carriers of the virus are unaware
and can unknowingly pass it on to others.
news on the side
Top actress tests for HIV
Praised by the Family Planning Association and Terence Higgins Trust,
actress Scarlett Johansson has said that she gets a test for HIV and other
sexually transmitted diseases once every six months. “It's just disgusting
behaviour when people don't. It's so irresponsible,” she told Allure
magazine.
Cervical Cancer jab arrives
The human papillomavirus vaccine, Gardasil, which protects against cervical
cancer, has arrived in the UK. the three injections cost £241.50 but
are only available through private clinics. At present, the costs and benefits
of the vaccine are being evaluated by the joint committee on vaccinations
and immunisations.
THT Scotland launched
Terrence Higgins Trust announced the launch of THT Scotland earlier this month,
with offices in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness. It follows this summer’s
merger between the trust and Glasgow based group PHACE Scotland. The merger
is the 21st between THT and HIV charities around the country since 1999. www.tht.org.uk
New home for activists
Body Positive North West (BPNW) is alive and well and has just moved to spacious
premises in Russell Road in the Whalley Range area of south Manchester. Founded
in 1986, BPNW is the leading service user-led self-help organisation in the
north-west for anyone affected by HIV. The new building provides a comfortable
drop-in centre, dining room and a complementary therapy suite. www.bpnw.org.uk
HIV docs consult on sex
Due to the increasing numbers of HIV positive people living well on antiretroviral
treatments, healthcare professionals are urged by the British HIV Association
(BHIVA) to give attention to the wider health needs of people living with
HIV. This will include a renewed focus on sexual and reproductive health needs.
People living with HIV are strongly advised to visit the BHIVA website and
give their opinions by the 5 December deadline.
www.bhiva.org
Brain damage increasing
As many as 15 per cent of people living with HIV around the world have some
sort of cognitive impairment and even more have mental health problems, according
to a presentation at the autumn BHIVA conference.
Dr Justin McArthur, from Johns Hopkins University in the US, told delegates
there are now high rates of Aids Dementia Complex (ADC) among people with
HIV, despite the successes of antiretroviral therapies. Patients are three
times more likely to die if they have ADC.
High flying for people with HIV
Ian Norfolk, an information specialist for pharmacuetical manufacturer Roche,
raised £1,400 for UKC from a sponsored skydive. And Soho revellers netted
a further £278 for UKC at a party at Compton’s to mark Neil’s
seventh anniversary as manager. For more info on skydiving or fundraising
for UKC contact Carl Mills on 020 7564 2180 or cmills@ukcoalition.org
West has more sex
People in western countries have more sex than those in developing countries,
according to a new study.
Research from 59 countries published in the Lancet concluded multiple sexual
partners were more common in rich countries but people in poorer countries
had higher rates of sexually transmitted infections and HIV.
The study found teenagers were not having sex at an earlier age despite tabloid
press claims to the contrary. In the UK the average age for first sex is 16.5
years in boys and 17.5 years in girls.
HIV goes on trial
An Adelaide man, 35 year old Andre Chad Parenzee, was convicted when he had
unprotected sex with three women although he knew that he was HIV positive.
Seeking to overturn the verdict in the Supreme Court, his defence team is
arguing that there is "no evidence for sexual transmission of HIV".
Abstinence cash rejected
New Jersey health and education officials have declined $800,000 in federal
abstinence education money, saying that the funding requirements contradict
the state's sex education and Aids education programmes. They would be required
to teach that sex outside marriage probably has harmful psychological and
physical effects and that monogamy is the expected standard.
HIV death penalty
Adults with HIV who have sex with minors below the age of 18 and knowingly
infect them are liable to be executed if legislation before Uganda's parliament
is approved. Human rights groups in Uganda believe more effort should be made
to ensure child protection.
