Who's getting the HIV message across to UK Africans? The first help could be a phone call
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There are now as many African women as gay men being diagnosed with HIV in the UK. Africans formed 60 per cent of new diagnoses in 2001. African women are twice
as likely to be diagnosed with HIV as African men. If present trends
continue, the UK's epidemic may be a predominantly African one by 2010.
Africans need more of their own sexual health and HIV testing information.
Too many HIV diagnoses are still being picked up late, when people are
sick or dying, or during the later stages of pregnancy.
There are lots of reasons for the low take-up of African services. Stigma
surrounding the accessing of HIV services. The assumption that moving
here means you've 'left Aids behind in Africa'. Cultural attitudes of
fatalism like 'if I have Aids it's God's will'. Religious concerns around
safer sex and HIV medication. Low awareness of the effectiveness and accessibility
of HIV
treatments. And of course the language barrier - many don't speak English as
