Up front I want to say that I agree, such messaging does need to be tested and the issues it raises are complex and multifaceted.

HIV prevention is a matter about which people quickly form strong views, often influenced by personal faith, world views and perspectives on morality. President Museveni often states how he would prefer Ugandans to either Abstain or Be faithful, and that he is not in support of HIV prevention campaigns that are focused on the promotion of Condoms or male circumcision,(this e.g. in The Monitor from his end of year message).

The argument made is that such promotion leads to increased infidelity and even promiscuity. So if I encourage you to use condoms, that mere encouragement will cause you to have more sexual relationships. It is the same argument that I’ve heard against providing family planning education to teenagers, because that will then lead them to start having sex, which they wouldn’t do if we didn’t mention family planning.

I think that such arguments are somewhat flawed. I agree that society could be healthier if more of us remained faithful to our life-long partner(s). I admire those that do so and would wish for more, but the reality is very different. Can one prove that increased infidelity, or promiscuity, has resulted from HIV prevention and family planning campaigns? If we take such an argument to its logical conclusion then we would not want to see an HIV vaccine developed, and made widely and freely available, because that would certainly cause all those vaccinated to become promiscuous.

So how should we balance the need to prevent the rising tide of HIV infections, more than 560,000 new infections each year, against the possible causation effect of increased infidelity and promiscuity? Public health policies are meant to consider good for society as a whole; I’m not so sure that we should be overlaying these with our individual faith and world views, but rather we should remain objective and evidence-based. I could of course be wrong and I would really be interested in reading any research that you know of that discusses how such campaigns influence behaviour, for good or for bad.

Related articles

• Cheating? Use a condom. (percuity.wordpress.com)

We know that HIV rates are rising in Uganda and it seems that more than 40% of new infections are occurring among those in long-term relationships. Multiple concurrent relationships (cheating?) are common, and the consistent, correct use of condoms is poor (less than 25%).

Given these data I think it is right and proper that public health campaigns promote the use of condoms, testing for HIV and knowing your partner’s (partners’) status.

I’m not at all convinced that promoting such a message is encouraging immorality and will lead to more people becoming unfaithful or promiscuous, I think those that will, are already being so. I favour this realistic and pragmatic public service approach, whilst at the same time agreeing with the detractors that, yes it would be better if we lived our lives faithful to our partners.

So if you cannot be faithful and are going to cheat, then please use a condom; and if you think you are being cheated on, then get tested and ask your partner to do so too.

An article published on the 12th January shows an increase of crystal meth use amongst gay men on the London gay scene.Crystal meth use became popular on the west coast of the U.S. amongst the gay community in the 1990s before spreading to the East Coast and then to gay scenes in Europe and beyond. In 2005 use amongst London gay men generally was 7%, but it was nearly three times that, at 20% on the gay scene and 35% amongst HIV positive men with multiple partners. PnP (Party and Play), in particular, appears to be becoming more common amongst gay men in the city. This is where house parties are organised involving intense use of crystal meth and multiple sex partners.

Doing crystal meth isn’t all fun and partying. There is a very dark side to the drug too. This is possibly clearest when users talk about the come down off the drug. Crystal meth is taken because of its euphoric and stimulant effects. Users will often stay awake for 48 hours or more, may lose their appetite and may become antisocial. Some become paranoid and others may have hallucinations. Following this, users often experience a tough come down where they feel very tired, depressed and have an increased appetite. With long term use psychosis and insomnia can become problems, as can ‘meth mouth’ where dry mouth, poor oral hygiene and teeth grinding can cause the teeth to fall out and even cause the jay to collapse.

One side effect while taking crystal meth is increased libido, reduced inhibitions and self confidence. Sex on crystal meth can result in long sessions that are aggressive and can sometimes lead to bleeding. For these reasons there is growing evidence that crystal meth use (amongst other drugs) is linked to increased risky sexual behaviour. A recent article showed that crystal meth users are twice as likely to have unprotected sex. Crystal has also been identified as one of the key factors in rising HIV and STI prevalence amongst the gay community. There is also evidence that increasing crystal meth use has consequences for drug adherence for within the positive community, with rising use causing reduced drug compliance. As a result of these factors reducing crystal meth use is an important challenge for those working in the sexual health field. In the US this was approached by the ‘Crystal fee and sexy’ campaign which included billboards targeted at the gay male community, such as the one below, which was put up in New York.

Crystal Meth US Working Group Poster

In London there are various organisations that provide support for gay and bi men who are worried about their drug use. The following are good starting points:

Antidote – LGBT specific alcohol and drug support including drop-ins, one-to-one sessions and counselling: Click here for info.

CODE clinic – Tuesdays 5-7pm at 56 Dean Street clinic for gay and bi men into drugs and/or harder side of sex : More info here.

GMI – Counselling, mentoring and one-to-one sexual health sessions including the link between drug use and unprotected sex, tony@metrocentreonline.org

THT – Online resource on drug use for gay men. Click here to view.

Open Doors – Australian guide book on alcohol and drugs LGBT young people. Can be downloaded here.

GMI provide free counselling, mentoring and one-to-one sexual health sessions for gay and bisexual men and transgendered folk in London. For more information contact Tony – tony@metrocentreonline.org

The views in the website are those of Tony Furlong and do not necessarily reflect those of GMI.

The public defense of Greek authorities and politicians centered on the idea of a need to contain an epidemic possibly engendered in the center of Athens.

 

But here again, the irony is palpable. The centre of the Greek capital, where the arrests happened is in many ways a kind of modern Spinalonga. In spite of millions thrown into its development ahead of the 2004 Olympics, central Athens has come to symbolize a berth of isolation for homeless citizens, immigrants and drug users who are abandoned there not by any boat arriving from a nearby coast but by a broken system that has consistently failed its citizens. Austerity measures that were hailed as the surefire way to reforms have coincided with a rapid decline in the social services that are necessary to prevent this influx of vulnerable people in Athens’ downtown neighborhoods.

The U.S. epidemic is not much different. We know that poverty is a key issue in the crisis. Many in the so-called “black belt” of the epidemic — 10 Southern states that are being crushed under the weight  of the epidemic — are states where poverty reigns and the vast majority of the epidemic is pocketed in rural areas, miles from adequate medical care. Fear of HIV drives those who are infected into hiding, which in turn makes access to medical care and medicine difficult, not to mention simple support for those living with the virus.

In addition, states across the country have laws on the books where commercial sex work — consensual sexual activity between adults for an exchange of money or valuables — goes from being a misdemeanor offense of the mostly women (including trans women) who are working in the industry to felony offenses for those who are infected with HIV. In large cities, like New York and Washington DC, being in certain areas and in possession of condoms is often de facto evidence of prostitution, In other cities, such as New Orleans, being transgender in often an invitation to harassment by police and allegations of sex work — whether true or not.

Can we address an epidemic of a virus that is spread by sex and needles when we are creating criminals out of the very people who are infected, by the mere fact that they are infected? Can we address an epidemic when people who take responsibility for their own health by having condoms face criminalization for possessing those items which serve to protect their health?

Click link below slideshow

.

Researchers may have discovered a way to protect against the transmission of HIV–a worldwide epidemic that now infects about 35 million people.

Nobel Laureate Dr. David Baltimore and colleagues at his Caltech lab are injecting mice with a powerful prophylaxis called VIP. And guess what? It works. Caltech postdoctoral fellow Alex Balazs is heading up this groundbreaking research. So is it now time to test this approach in humans?

.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

.

.Click link below for story, video, and slideshow:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/14/hiv-prevention-david-baltimore_n_2435387.html?utm_hp_ref=science

.

____________________________________________________

Review of Article “What’s Next for PrEP” authored by Dr. Jeffrey T. Schouten, JD, MD, AAHIVE from HIV Specialist Magazine, December 2012, Volume 4, No. 4. found at: http://www.aahivm.org/HIV_Specialist/upload/HIVspecialist_Dec_2012_WALGREENS_revision.pdf

My usual role here would be to write a step by step review of the article/media referenced but I think that Dr. Schouten does a fantastic job of outlining the various challenges and considerations that we face regarding the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

For those not aware of this newly approved method of reducing the transmission of HIV, PrEP is the use of once daily medication (emtricitabine/tenofovir or brand name Truvada) to prevent an HIV-negative individual from becoming infected with HIV.

I have been wanting to write a commentary like this for quite some time, since even before it was approved by the FDA.  I have had several patients, friends and colleagues ask me about my thoughts on this topic and I have deliberately not given them my first reactionary response to this question because it is NOT a question to be taken lightly.  The article highlights some of my reservations about the widespread use of this tactic.

One one hand we have the clinical utility of this method.  We now have a method for potentially (not absolutely) limiting the spread of the HIV epidemic as we wait for effective vaccines and various “kick and kill” methods to be developed.  As the article notes though, if someone in on successful anti-retroviral therapy (ART) and is virally suppressed, the HPTN 052 study demonstrates a potential 96% reduction in HIV.  It is this piece of information that troubles me and I will elaborate more during my next point.  This information, if not understood very well and very clearly, could lead to high-risk behaviors and lull us into a false sense of security.  So on one hand, the use of PrEP as a clinical tool to prevent the spread of HIV is a groundbreaking resource.

On the other hand (and possibly the dominant one in my opinion only) are the concerns about what this could mean.  First and foremost, in my opinion, education is CRUCIAL to the proper use and success of PrEP.  People who are going to use PrEP need to understand some basic virology, basic pharmacology, importance of adherence, AND the potential shortcomings.  Second, we must be concerned about the development of resistance to this wonderful drug.  Truvada is currently a mainstay of ARV due to the convenience of use (once a day), the low incidence of side effects, and low pill burden (among others).  If widespread resistance to Truvada were to occur (and clinically we’ve already seen it happen), pill burdens would go up, adherence would go down and infectivity would go up as more patients would lose their viral suppression.  Third we have to consider cost.  In this day and age we cannot ignore cost.  As our federal borrowing has reached its maximum, tax cuts expired, income taxes increasing, we have to be concerned with how this will affect funding for crucial programs like ADAP (AIDS Drug Assistance Program) and the Ryan White Care Act.  Many states have waiting lists for patients to get on these programs, so needless to say there is not a surplus of funding out there.  It is becoming harder and harder for these programs to provide care to those already infected, so it would appear to be a pipe dream to ask the programs to provide PrEP to people not infected.

In summary, my response to the question “How do you feel about PrEP?” is not a simple ‘yay’ or ‘nay’ since there are so many factors to consider (some of which I did not even touch on).  My answer to them has been “I think it is a wonderful and useful tool, HOWEVER like any tool available, it must be placed in educated and capable hands for its utility to fully be recognized and potential harm to be mitigated”.

I’d love to hear anyone’s thoughts or opinions on this subject.  And please remember, what I have written is from my point of view as an expert in the field and is no way to be taken for an absolute truth.

Abstinence.

To avoid sex is the safest way to prevent infection. To delay sexual relationships during the teen years will also minimise the dangers of multiple, casual sexual encounters.

Faithful Relationship

In a loving relationship both partners must be tested.

If both are negative and have not been involved in any risky behaviour for at least three months prior to the test, one can be considered safe. If there is any doubt it will be advisable to use condoms until two consecutive tests are negative.

Casual Sexual Encounters

Chances of exposure to HIV is greater if one is exposed to multiple partners. Condoms must always be used for casual  sex.              Since you cannot see that someone is positive it is always wise to protect yourself in all sexual encounters.

Sexually Transmitted Infections

As soon as one becomes aware of an infection, seek medical advice immediately and get it treated. Both partners must be treated. Any lesion makes the transmission of HIV much easier.

Know Your HIV Status

Make a point of getting yourself tested and also encouraging any sexual partner to get tested. A pregnant lady needs to know her status so that the necessary precautions can be taken to protect her unborn baby if she is positive.

Never Share Needles

A person who chooses to inject drugs can prevent HIV by using clean needles and syringes each time a drug is injected.

Never Share Toothbrushes or Razor Blades.

A chance of exposure is possible through any broken skin or sores.

Handling of Blood or Bodily Fluids

Health professionals care givers and emergency personal etc. must take every precaution to protect themselves if they are at risk of being exposed. Retest yourselves if you are in any doubt. In some risky exposusure situations it may be advisable to double glove. Needle stick exposure needs immediate treatment.

Fights or Violent Encounters.

If you are involved in any fight where skin has been broken and you have been exposed to the blood or bodily fluids of an unknown assailant/ or an assailant whose status is not known to you, get medical assistance as soon as possible. I include rape in this group. Tests and prophylactic antiretroviral medication are usually given at trauma centres.

HIV is not curable but it is preventable!

©Teresa Denton

www.hiv123.wordpress.com

But ultimately, we as a gay community have to take ownership here as well. HIV has become a taboo subject. It is not discussed openly, let alone honestly, in the community. We shame and isolate many with the virus, particularly those who are out and open about the virus. Our social and political events are void of anti-HIV-stigma messages or programs; and our bars and social venues rarely have condoms freely and openly available. Most in our community do not know the basic facts about HIV transmission, and even fewer are aware of drugs that are available to prevent infections. Many in the community have surrendered their sexual health to the faulty expectation of disclosure – and in fact many actually reject those who are positive for being honest.

Click here to read the whole editorial.

There have been mulitple breakthroughs, some even reported on SJS, in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Scientists in Australia sound confident that they are close to a cure for AIDS. David Harrich describes taking a protein that HIV needs to replicate, turning it against itself:
Harrich said the…

CLICK HERE TO READ FULL ARTICLE

There have been mulitple breakthroughs, some even reported on SJS, in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Scientists in Australia sound confident that they are close to a cure for AIDS. David Harrich describes taking a protein that HIV needs to replicate, turning it against itself:
Harrich said the…

CLICK HERE TO READ FULL ARTICLE

There have been mulitple breakthroughs, some even reported on SJS, in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Scientists in Australia sound confident that they are close to a cure for AIDS. David Harrich describes taking a protein that HIV needs to replicate, turning it against…

CLICK HERE TO READ FULL ARTICLE

Need support? We can help. Contact us.

Then I finally get into the office to find my key staff out of the office when we have client deliverables to meet, and with most of our clients we only get paid when we deliver, and I’m not happy when cash is not coming in – why run a business just to spend money?

And as the day progressed it just all snowballed. Then suddenly just after lunch, it was like everything was well in the world again. I was starting to feel at ease and ready to start promoting episode 2 of Love Games for tomorrow’s broadcast.

Then my phone starts ringing from the client, despite not knowing what she could possibly want – I like to have an idea of what a client will want before answering the call, so I’m prepared lol – but this time, I had no clue, we are on top of everything that needs to be done.

She hits me with the national broadcaster, ZNBC, won’t air episode 2 in the way it currently it is, because of a kissing scene they think goes on too long.

Erm, is that the most ridiculous thing you have ever heard?

I call ZNBC to find out what they’re on about and I get this explanation about broadcast boards, viewer comments etc. So would I be willing to go to them to supervise the edit? It’s not like I have a choice right?

As I hung up – feeling beaten yet again – I realised how fundamentally flawed this country is. Every day in the papers is a case of gender based violence, of a clergy man having an affair, of young girls being defiled, and then the not so public stories of Ministers and their extra-marital affairs, of women using their body for material gain and all sorts.

And this makes me angry. Nationally we have an HIV prevalence rate of about 14%, but new trends suggest HIV can be on the rise again. And what is driving our epidemic is things like multiple and concurrent sexual partners, and low and inconsistent condom use. Further more evidence suggests that HIV education and prevention works!

But we don’t want to call a spade a spade. If a kiss is shown on national TV – after 8pm – that is considered pornographic and corrupting the morals of our youth! Are you kidding me?

Do these same people read the papers? Walk through the townships to see babies having babies?

When are we going to stop being ashamed of sex and our sexuality and embrace it for what it can be, a positive part of who we are?

And in the case of HIV, how can we address prevention if we can’t openly and honestly talk about sex? ZNBC is the gateway to the masses. It is the only broadcaster that reaches the majority of Zambians, across socio-economic barriers and yet their own self-censure is what is a barrier to addressing some very real issues.

You won’t really feel my pain until you watch episode 2 (will put it online tomorrow night) and see what they want to censor, but right now, I had to have my say.

Time for me to end this day and hope for a better one tomorrow.

One Love

Author: Mark Mascolini

11 January 2013

More than one quarter of HIV-positive women in the US Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) used prescribed marijuana for therapeutic reasons, and a similar proportion used marijuana for both medical and recreational reasons. Daily use of marijuana rose from 1994 to 2010.
Some research suggests that marijuana may reduce certain HIV symptoms. Medical marijuana use has become legal in some parts of the United States. But research has not addressed medical marijuana use in people with HIV infection.
This study involved 2776 HIV-positive women enrolled in WIHS between October 1994 and March 2010 in one of six US cities. WIHS participants make study visits every 6 months during which they answer an array of questions about health and behavior. Researchers used multivariate logistic regression analysis to identify predictors of any and daily marijuana use. For this study medical marijuana meant marijuana prescribed by a doctor.
Over the 16-year study period, prevalence of current marijuana use fell significantly from 21% to 14%. But daily marijuana use doubled from 3.3% to 6.1% in all women studied and almost tripled from 18% to 51% among current marijuana users.
In 2009 more than one quarter of women reported purely medicinal marijuana use (26%) or both medicinal and recreational use (29%).
Reasons cited most often for using marijuana were relaxation, appetite improvement, reduction of HIV-related symptoms, and social use.
Daily marijuana use was associated with higher CD4 count, quality of life, and older age. Demographic traits and risk behaviors did not predict daily marijuana use.
The researchers conclude that “both recreational and medicinal marijuana use are relatively common among HIV-infected women in the United States.”
Source: Gypsyamber D’Souza, Pamela A. Matson, Cynthia D. Grady, Shadi Nahvi, Dan Merenstein, Kathleen M. Weber, Ruth Greenblatt, Pam Burian, Tracey E. Wilson. Medicinal and recreational marijuana use among HIV-infected women in the Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) Cohort, 1994-2010. JAIDS. 2012; 61: 618-626

I remember watching the movie GIA with Angelina Jolie as Supermodel Gia Carangi who died of AIDS in 1986 at the age of 26.  She was addicted to heroin and other drugs.  She contracted HIV through a shared needle.  What a tragic movie it was to see someone so young and with a successful career spiral downhill because drugs had taken over her life.  She was thought to be the first famous woman to die of AIDS.

General Hospital’s Robin Scorpio came to mainstream attention during a 1990s story arc where her boyfriend Stone Cates dies from AIDS and Robin is diagnosed as HIV-positive.  Robin has since married Dr. Patrick Drake and the couple has a daughter, Emma, who, after a brief scare, is shown not to be infected by Robin’s HIV.

Even though there is way more information about the disease now than back in the ’80s, there are still some questions people have about HIV/AIDS.  Some of the frequently asked questions  are:

1. Are HIV and AIDS the same thing?

Sources:  http://www.hivaware.org.uk/be-aware/faqs.php; http://www.womenshealth.gov/hiv-aids; http://www.who.int/gender/hiv_aids/en/; http://www.amfar.org/about_hiv_and_aids/facts_and_stats/statistics__women_and_hiv_aids/; http://hiv411.org/page.php?pID=30; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gia_Carangi; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_cleansing_myth

It has been proven in several randomised clinical trials that HIV transmission from female to male is reduced by at least 60% among circumcised males. The WHO recommends safe male circumcision (SMC) as part of a comprehensive HIV prevention package and PEPFAR has estimated that Uganda will need to perform 4.2m SMCs to reach the optimal 80% prevalence of adult males circumcised.

The objective of this study was to describe early lessons learnt at the start of the SMC programme in an urban Ugandan site (International Hospital Kampala), implemented through task shifting and a private public partnership (PPP) approach. A total of 3,000 males were circumcised in 27 days, over four months. The adverse events (AE) rate was 2.1%, all mild and reversible. The study indicated that the full SMC procedure can be safely task-shifted to non-physician clinicians.

IHK continues to use this task-shifted model and in the first 15 months successfully completed 15,000 SMCs. The IHK SMC programme passed an external safety and quality audit by PEPFAR in December 2012.

You can read the paper here.

With evidence showing such a strong link between late diagnosis, health problems and reduced life expectency the importance to get tested and to know your status has never been greater. In 2010 an estimated 2.1 million tests were performed. Whilst that might sound like a large number it only about 3.8% of the population. It appears that many people are still not getting tested for a variety of reasons. These might include some of the following barriers:

• Fear of stigma, shame or disapproval attached to something regarded as socially unacceptable,
• Discrimination of people found to be HIV positive
• Fear of being ill/dying
• Fear of a positive result
• Fear of loss of family support
• Concerns of difficulties of keeping or finding a job
• Lack of understanding of the importance of early diagnosis
• Lack of awareness of testing and testing locations

More positively, though, the number of those visiting a clinic who had an HIV test in 2010 was 69% and the number of those leaving a clinic without testing because it wasn’t offered/they refused to takes a rest has dropped from 57% in 2000 to 27% in 2010. More people are getting tested and access to testing locations appears to have improved with HIV tests offered at more sexual health clinics than ever before. As I wrote last week there are also locations you can get tested outside clinics and also talk to our health trainers about any questions you might have regarding HIV, STIs, testing and staying safe. The calendar is always updated and can be seen here.

What sort of tests are offered?
The ELISA / Western Blot – The standard screening test for HIV is a blood test known as the enzyme immunoassay (EIA) or ELISA for short. A small sample of blood must be taken from the person being tested. Typically, two visits are required – one for the blood to be taken and the other for receiving results and counselling/referrals if necessary. The result comes back negative or positive.

Rapid HIV Testing – This is a fingerprick test and takes a very small amount of blood from the finger. The whole process from having a pre-test talk, to taking blood and getting the result normally takes only about 20 minutes. The result comes back negative or reactive.

A rapid HIV test at 56 Dean St clinic, London

Both tests are free and completely confidential. The rapid test requires a blood sample confirmation test if the result comes back REACTIVE.

Testing options
1. As part of National HIV testing week you can put your postcode in the following website to find out the closest place to get tested: https://www.tht.org.uk/thinkhiv

2. GMFA has a list of testing locations in London for gay and bisexual men in London at the following link: http://www.gmfa.org.uk/londonservices/clinics/index

3. At many of the locations where our health trainers are working across London. See calendar for more information.

GMI Health Trainer Outreach
This is recognised by our GMI Partnership health trainers who talk to men about issues related to sexual health and HIV prevention. Our approach avoids scare mongering and aims to enable MSM (men who have sex with men) to make informed decisions about their sexual health. You will find us working in venues across London including bars, clubs, saunas, clinics and at special events such as Black Pride or World Aids Day. The role of the Health Trainer is to work with men to help them decide how they manage their sexual health, helping them to have the kind of sex they want to have. Men might talk to health trainers for the following reasons:

• Being worried about the risks they are taking in sex
• Wanting to know about getting an HIV test – when they should take a test, where they can get tested, and why they might want to test
• Being unsure about what is high and low risk behaviour in terms of HIV
• Wanting to know what sexual health services are available for MSM in London
• Wondering if they might benefit from having another MSM as a mentor to help them work through ways that they can stay HIV negative
• Considering counselling to talk about issues around the risk they take with sex
• Wanting more information about STIs and safer sex practices

GMI health trainers at World Aids Day, 2012

Where are the health trainers going to be?
Our health trainers work across London at different locations on different days of the week. Please see the following link for the latest schedule for our health trainers:

https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=bab28vp7uesehq4afngs17qijk%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=Europe/London

How can I find out more information about Health Training?
Feel free to give us a call or send us an e-mail using the details below:
E-mail: healthtrainer@gmipartnership.org.uk
Telephone: 020 7791 9318

GMI provide free sexual health services for MSM in London including counselling, mentoring and sexual health advice. If you would like more information please contact tony@metrocentreonline.org .

A lack of sexual health knowledge is common amongst the Deaf LGBT and non-LGBT community alike, but probably more serious amongst those that are LGBT. Comparatively high exposure of deaf gays to AIDS/HIV, in particular, continues to be a concern for those working in sexual health. A pilot study with deaf gay men form the US identified negative perceptions of LGBT Deaf people from sexual health providers. Deaf LGBT people often face additional barriers might lead to a lack of sexual health knowledge and higher risk of STIs, including HIV. These include – stigma, inequitable access to services and lack of appropriate materials. Information of HIV and STIS was found to be inappropriate and criticised for being ‘incomprehensible, inaccessible and ineffective’. Sexual health staff were also condemned for showing a lack of compassion towards LGBT Deaf people. The above factors might explain why the ‘Count me in too’ survey showed that in Brighton over 1 out of 10 Deaf LGBT participants found it very difficult to access health services.

More needs to be done for this community and to reduce the risk of HIV prevention. Appropriate materials, trained staff and specifically targeted information for the LGBT Deaf community would definitely be a big first step to achieving this. In addition, increased visibility of LGBT deaf people might also help the cause. Many people, for example, don’t know that the internationally recognised British Artist David Hockney is Deaf and Gay. If visibility of the Deaf LGBT community was improved maybe sexual health providers would be more likely to recognise the importance of taking a more inclusive approach to the community. The experience of those who identify as LGBT and Deaf shows, then, that not only is it important to embrace the diversity of the LGBT community (another issue) but also ensure HIV/STI prevention is appropriate and inclusive of the Deaf LGBT community, otherwise there is a higher risk of HIV and STIs amongst the group.

Deaf Gay and Lesbians marching at Paris Pride 

Groups and websites for the LGBT Deaf community
Deaf LGBT UK Facebook page: http://en-gb.facebook.com/pages/Deaf-LGBT-UK/171069191662

Deaf AIDS website – provides information and serves as a tribute to those who are were Deaf and died as a result of HIV and AIDS related illnesses: http://www.deafaids.info.

Deaf Queer Resource Centre: Accurate, up to date and comprehensive material for LGBT Deaf community: http://www.deafqueer.org/

GALOP – Anti-hate crime charity – Type talk operator for support for Deaf people: 18001, followed by 020 7704 2040, http://www.galop.org.uk/

GMFA social groups for those who are LGBT and have a disability: http://www.gmfa.org.uk/theguide/browse?cat=%2FCampaigning%2FDisability

Greenbow – Irish Deaf LGBT charity full of useful information and links.

UK – Bristol deaf gay pride: http://www.deafab.co.uk/

GMI Partnership provides free sexual health counselling, mentoring and sexual health advice to  gay and bisexual men and trans folk who are HIV negative in London. For more information e-mail tony@metrocentreonline.org

 The views above are those of Tony Furlong and do not necessarily reflect those of GMI Partnership.