THEGAYUK

Category: Wellness

  • Gay Vices Survey Results

    This month we’ve been discussing Vices on TheGayUK and at the beginning of the month we invited readers to take a survey to reveal what the gay community vices were.

    In our snapshot survey, porn topped the list of vices of gay men of the United Kingdom, with 42.4% of those polled owning up to viewing porn at least a few times a week (30%), watching it on a daily basis (28%), and over a quarter admitting to watching the bad boy stuff a few times a day.
    Other vices topping the list were Drinking 34% Sex 32% and Smoking 19%.

    Only 1.7% of people revealed that gambling was their vice.

     

    In order (respondents could choose more than 1 vice):

    Porn 42.4%

    Drinking 33.9%

    Sex 32.2%

    Smoking 18.6%

    Chocolate 16.9%

    Working 15.3%

    Drugs 11.9%

    Shopping 11.9%

    Fast Food 10.2%

    Cruising 5.1%

    Adultery 3.4%

    Gambling 1.7%
    Just over half said that they would consider giving up their vice, with 50% of all respondents saying that their addiction wasn’t a problem for them.

    Is the gay community actively looking for help or booking into the Priory any day soon – don’t bet on it, only 13.6% said that they had sought any kind of professional help in dealing with their vice or addiction.

    59.3% of those questioned said that they had been addicted for over 10 years – and openly discussed their issues with their peers (66.1%)

    If you need to talk to someone with anything that concerns you call the London Lesbian And Gay Switchboard on 0300 330 0630 or visithttp://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Addictions/Pages/Introduction.aspx for more details.

  • Top List Of Gay-Friendly Healthcare Providers Published

    Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust tops Stonewall’s 2013 list of gay-friendly healthcare providers.

    Stonewall today publishes the results of its inaugural Healthcare Equality Index, showcasing the most gay-friendly healthcare organisations in England. Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust heads the list with Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust in second place followed by London Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

    The Healthcare Equality Index is a new tool for health providers to benchmark and track their progress on equality for their lesbian, gay and bisexual patients and communities. Sussex Partnership NHS Trust leads the Top 10, following their success at being the top performing NHS employer in Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers 2012.

    Thirty two healthcare organisations entered the Index, providing services to over 15 million patients across all regions of England. Organisations were assessed against criteria including policy and practice, engagement and communication, health promotion and staff training.

    James Taylor, Stonewall’s Senior Health Officer, said: ’Every healthcare organisation that secured a place in the Top 10 has performed well. Our ground-breaking research consistently demonstrates that many lesbian, gay and bisexual people still face poor health outcomes and experiences when they use the NHS. Every organisation that entered this Index is helping to tackle health inequalities and deliver a 21st century health service accessible to everyone, regardless of sexual orientation.’

    Lisa Rodrigues CBE, Chief Executive at Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘We’re utterly delighted to be awarded the number one position in the first Stonewall Healthcare Equality Index. We see the award not as a sign that our work is done. But rather, we have made a strong start. It’s our honour and duty to provide the best possible treatment and care to the 100,000 people a year we serve.’

    The Healthcare Equality Index 2013 can be downloaded from www.stonewall.org.uk/HEI

  • NEWS: Are We Getting Close To Eradicating HIV?

    With new HIV cases on the rise in young gay men it’s great to hear some encouraging news coming from researchers about new drugs which have been helping to part cure HIV infections amongst early detection cases.

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  • Online Haven Launched For LGBT People Experiencing Mental Health Issues

    An exciting new online service is launched this month to support lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people experiencing mental health problems.

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  • They Fit Condoms Reviewed

    You know what they say about a man with large hands… He has large gloves. Well what if he has a large c**k? TheyFit condoms guarantee the perfect fit for your sized manhood.

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  • REVIEW: AT HOME HIV TESTING KIT FOR GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN

    Terrence Higgins Trust and the Health Protection Agency announced at the end of January that they were launching a pilot scheme which would allow gay and bisexual men to access an ‘at home’ testing kit for HIV.

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  • NEWS: Condom Use Stopped Over 80,000 News HIV Infections In Gay Men

    Study shows that consistent condom use has stopped over 80,000 new HIV infections among gay men.

    Research by the HPA and UCL published in PLOS ONE will show that consistent condom use by gay men has stopped over 80,000 new HIV infections between 2000 and 2010. The research provides an unprecedented insight into how HIV prevention measures have shaped the epidemic and quantifies the direct impact of condom use by gay men for the first time.

    The research also adds to a scientific evidence base which underlines the need for investment in targeted campaigns focusing on three pillars of HIV prevention: promoting safer sex and condom use, encouraging at-risk communities to test regularly for the virus and early use of anti-HIV drug therapy.

    Sir Nick Partridge, Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, said:

    “This research provides concrete evidence of the vital role which condom use by gay men has had in containing the spread of HIV in the UK. Without it, there would have been 80,000 more gay men with HIV between 2000 and 2010. The study also confirms the impact of the combined HIV prevention strategy, spearheaded by Terrence Higgins Trust, of promoting condom use and safer sex, increasing regular HIV testing and encouraging the earlier use of anti-HIV drug therapy for people with diagnosed HIV, campaigns which have all contributed to reducing transmission over the past 10 years. At a time when funding for local HIV prevention programmes is under threat, this only reinforces the important role which local authorities can and must play in funding local HIV prevention as they inherit responsibility for public health in April.

    “Condoms remain the best protection against HIV. But this study also tells us that 82% of transmissions among gay men in 2010 came from people who were unaware they had the virus. This highlights the importance of regular testing to drive down the rate of undiagnosed HIV, which continues to fuel the epidemic among gay men.”

    In 2012 Terrence Higgins Trust was awarded a three-year contract from the Department of Health to lead a new partnership of organisations (called HIV Prevention England) in delivering HIV prevention work in England among gay men and Africans. In November this partnership launched England’s first ever National HIV Testing Week, which saw clinical and community organisations across England work together on an unprecedented scale to drive down rates of undiagnosed HIV.

    The charity will build on this work in late March, when it will launch major new HIV prevention campaigns targeted specifically at gay men and Africans living in the England.

  • Pilot HIV Home Test Scheme Launched

    Pilot HIV Home Test Scheme Launched

    HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust and the Health Protection Agency are co-launching a pilot project that will allow gay and bisexual men to access HIV home sampling kits by post.

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  • Pilot HIV Home Test Scheme Launched

    HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust and the Health Protection Agency are co-launching a pilot project that will allow gay and bisexual men to access HIV home sampling kits by post.

    (more…)

  • New Health And Wellbeing Centre Opens For Birmingham’s LGBTs

    New Health And Wellbeing Centre Opens For Birmingham’s LGBTs

    This week Birmingham LGBT held the official launch event for England and Wales’ first Health and Wellbeing centre in Birmingham’s Southside district, which will serve the needs of the city’s local lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

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  • New App Helps People HIV To Access Info On The Go

    myHIV, the UK’s most comprehensive online service for people with HIV, has marked its second anniversary with the launch of a new iPhone app.

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