THEGAYUK

Tag: HIV

Read the latest news and analysis of HIV in the UK and abroad. Browse THEGAYUK’s entire archive on news about HIV.

  • Baroness Verma: “It’s great to hear us talk about ending AIDS but the job is far from over.”

    Lords And MPs met today to discuss ending AIDS by 2030 and having an AIDS free generation within 15 years.

    Parliament hosted a roundtable meeting today (World AIDS Day), bringing together a host of Lords MPs and speakers to talk about how to bring about an AIDS free generation by 2030. The talk was hosted by the All Party Parliamentary Group On Global Health and HIV/AIDS charity StopAIDS.
    Speaking at the event were MPs Diane Abbott and Chris Freer along with Baroness Masham, Baroness Liz Barker, Baroness Verma and Lord Cashman.

    A packed room heard from three speakers, Alexa, Cristian and Chan Chan who talked about their personal journey with HIV.

    Diane Abbott saluted the bravery of LGBT activists in Uganda, singling out the tremendous work achieved by Icebreakers, a support community in Uganda, for their efforts in the country, where politicians are fiercely homophobic and where HIV/AIDS medication is hard for LGBTs to gain access to.

    Lord Cashman also put forward questions on how to curve the ever-growing numbers of gay and bisexual men who were being diagnosed with HIV in the UK.

    Recent statistics revealed that new infections in gay and bisexual men have risen again – and that record numbers of men who have sex with men are unaware of their statuses.

    Baroness Verma said that she was proud that the UK was “significantly funding the Global fund”, for HIV/AIDS awareness and health campaigns, and added that we will continue to “champion key populations”, but was keen to stress that there was a “long way to go”.
    Addressing the room she said, “It’s great to hear us talk about ending AIDS but the job is far from over.”

  • COLUMN: The Worst Day Of My Life Was… Remembering The Height Of The AIDS Epidemic

    I guess it started from that lazy Sunday afternoon, stretched out with all the Sunday papers when my eye’s were drawn an article about a a gay cancer in San Francisco. I sat bolt upright and started to read it in earnest.

    (more…)

  • Nigel Farage HIV Patients “Struggling To Get The Drugs” Because Of Immigrants

    According to the UKIP Leader many HIV patients in the UK have written to him to say that they are struggling to get HIV drugs because of immigration.

    Speaking on LBC, UKIP Leader Nigel Farage was answering a question from Nick Ferrari about whether he and UKIP were politically toxic. Answering, Farage brought up the controversy he caused during a leaders’ debate earlier in the year, when he made “outrageous” claims about “health tourism” with immigrants with HIV – testing positive in the UK, obtaining medication on the NHS costing £25,000 per patient per year.

    During the debate he said, He didn’t believe in health tourism and “We need to put the National Health Service there for British people and families.”

    However Farage said, that since the debate and making those claims he has received letters from “lots of HIV sufferers in this country” who have said that their “local clinics are unrecognisable (with) the number of people that are here”.

    He went on to say that people were “struggling to get the drugs” they needed.

    However THEGAYUK reached out to the NHS media team to ask if they were aware of any problems of drug shortages in clinics.

    A spokesman for NHS England said,

    “We have not been made aware of any capacity or drug shortage issues in HIV clinics.”

  • 15 Minute Self HIV Test Released In The UK

    A 15-minute self test kit has gone on sale in the UK.

    (more…)

  • 8 Reasons To Test For HIV

    As National HIV Testing week draws close, the reasons to test for HIV have never been clearer.

    Sponsored by

    biosure

     

     

     

     

    HIV is 3 letters, not a sentence. Especially for those who are able to treat the virus, and early detection means better results and a longer, healthier life. Here are eight reasons to test for HIV.

    1) Be In The Know. According to Public Health England there are 103,700 people in the UK living with HIV. Over 18,000 of them don’t know they have it – and could be spreading the virus even further. There are an estimated 6,500 gay or bisexual men who don’t know that they are living with HIV.

    2) Early Bird. Early detection means better results from the treatment for HIV, resulting in a longer, healthier life.

    3) You’re Not Alone. If you’re afraid that you might not cope with a HIV diagnosis, there are loads and loads of support groups, charities and healthcare professionals to help you. All you have to do is ask for help. You won’t have to face HIV alone.

    4) Stigma Exists. One of the most difficult things many people living with HIV find is the stigma that still exists around the status. Medicine has come a long way; society has yet to follow on as quickly. Getting tested often means that you could be more mindful about your health.

    5) Knowledge Is Power. Sleeping with someone who knows that they are HIV positive could be safer than having sex with someone who doesn’t know their status and may take more risks.

    6) Restart The Clock. Without being glib, many people who have learnt that they are HIV positive have talked about feeling the opportunity to restart the clock. Changes to lifestyle and diet become a priority and general interest in your health can only be a good thing.

    7) Engaged With Your Sex. Getting tested means you’re taking responsibility for your general health and your sexual health – good for you and great for the people you sleep with.

    8) No Longer Need To Go The Clinic. You can now get a self-test kit that can be performed wherever and whenever is convenient for you. Best of all with the BioSure kit you only need half a drop of blood and not a vial full that some other kits require. Testing yourself just takes seconds with easy to read results in only 15 minutes, without you having to send them off to a lab. No waiting in the sexual health clinic. No waiting a week for results to be texted to you.

    Promoted Content by BioSure (what does this mean?)

  • COMMENT: Charlie Sheen, HIV and The Press

    I recently wrote an article for THEGAYUK about reports in the Sun newspaper regarding a Hollywood actor that was alleged to have HIV.

    I was quite firm in my opinion of the Sun and their showbiz journalist Dan Wootton, as I believed that the sensationalism was taking us back to the 1980s.

    The reports by the Sun and other outlets left little to the imagination when trying to work out who it could be. Pretty soon Charlie Sheen’s name began appearing all over my Twitter feed as people gossiped about the speculation that he could have HIV. It’s something that genuinely angered me and I am still incredibly uncomfortable with how this whole story has played out.
    On Tuesday 17th October 2015, Charlie Sheen appeared on American television to confirm that he has HIV. It’s a move that I view as being incredibly brave. I can only applaud Sheen for his honesty and the way he is handling the furore. It is my hope that he can now find peace and indeed be free from the prison he’s been living in, as he says.
    Of course it is massively concerning that he has had to announce something so personal in such a public way. Every person on this planet should have a right to confidentiality, particularly when it concerns their medical records. That extends to famous people and celebrities too. Just because somebody is in the public eye, it does not mean that every part of them and their lives belong to the public
    I cannot admit to being much of a Charlie Sheen fan previously, but I now have a new found admiration for him. The way in which he has been treated, and continues to be treated, is simply atrocious. Nobody deserves to have their medical conditions made public and the way in which some of the press have been reporting on this is nothing short of appalling.
    Along with the Sun’s sensationalised headline of “Hollywood HIV Panic”, the Mirror also published an article by Fleet Street Fox, which had “The Hollywood actor with HIV deserves everything he gets – and worse” as a headline. It is the kind of judgemental gutter press reporting that belongs in the dark ages of the 1980s, not in 2015 when we’re apparently more educated and open minded.

    There are two things to come out of all of this. On one hand it is encouraging that there is now somebody so well-known who has HIV. It has got conversations going around what HIV is and what undetectable means. That can only be a good thing which leads to increased education and awareness of HIV.
    However on the other hand there is the sheer scale and sensationalism of the story. I genuinely thought we had progressed beyond the kind of reports that were seen twenty or thirty years ago. The fact that Charlie Sheen having HIV is such a huge worldwide news story shows that we have a very long way to go in terms of destigmatising HIV. It shouldn’t be a headline news story. It shouldn’t be the topic of tabloid gossip. It shouldn’t be the case that a human being has had to go on television to disclose medical information to the world.
    Whilst there are encouraging aspects to take from Charlie Sheen’s story, it also shows just how much more progress, education and awareness there needs to be.

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • Charlie Sheen Reveals His HIV Status

    Actor Charlie Sheen has become the highest profile person to publicly reveal he is HIV positive.

    The Two And A Half Men actor spoke about his HIV status in an interview with NBC’s The Today Show. The interview took place days after The Sun’s Dan Wootton attracted criticism for the way in which his article spoke about an unnamed actor with HIV, causing Hollywood ‘HIV panic”.

    In his interview the 50-year-old actor said,

    ‘I am here to admit that I am in fact HIV positive,’

    ‘I have to put a stop to this barrage of attacks and sub-truths and very harmful and mercurial stories that are about me that threaten the health of so many others,’ he said. ‘[It] couldn’t be farther from the truth.’

    He told the Today Show that he was diagnosed roughly four years ago and has tried to keep his status out of the public arena since then.

    According to the heterosexual actor, he has paid out ‘millions’ to people who have blackmailed him threatening to reveal his status, which he has known about for four years.

    He did not reveal how he contracted the virus.

  • OP ED: Why Dan Wootton And The Sun Should Be Ashamed Of Themselves

    OP ED: Why Dan Wootton And The Sun Should Be Ashamed Of Themselves

    There seems to be a lot of people who are attempting to turn back the clock at the moment

    Whether it’s one of my friends who has recently had her latest round of botox or the Conservative government trying to take us back to 1875, it seems we all want to relive the past. Then came The Sun and its journalist Dan Wootton, who are apparently trying to take us back to the 1980s with sensationalised, scaremongering articles.

    By now I’m sure most of us will have seen The Sun’s recent front page, which claims a top Hollywood star has HIV.
    “Hollywood HIV Panic”, the headline read, as if the article is a trashy Hollywood-made drama in itself. The Sun alleged that the famous man has been living with HIV for a number of years and has had a string of also famous lovers.

    The article insinuates that the actor has been knowingly having sex with a number of women when he’s aware of his HIV status, and therefore could potentially be passing it on. In the article, The Sun also claim they have chosen not to name the star. How wonderfully considerate of them.

    I have to admit that I thought to myself, where do I even begin with my takedown of this article and Dan Wootton?

    The whole thing is so odious, and indeed Dan Wootton an odious creature, that I wanted to throw my laptop out of the window and bang my head on a brick wall. Let’s begin with the fact that regardless of this person’s fame, everybody has a right to privacy and confidentiality, particularly when it comes to something such as medical records. Running this story is an absolute invasion of privacy.
    Then there’s the sensationalist, dated tone of the headline and article. It reverts back to the dark days of the 1980s. An article of this type can only help to reinforce the stigma around HIV. It takes a giant leap backwards in the fight to change attitudes and perceptions regarding HIV.

    What The Sun could have done is ran a very informative piece about HIV, but instead they chose to cheapen it and spread vicious gossip that is hurtful to many people.

    Overall I’m not really shocked that The Sun would run such a piece. I’ve long regarded them as a trash rag. What I am disappointed with, though, is The Sun’s showbiz journalist Dan Wootton putting his name to something so shameful.

    I must admit that I have never been a fan of Dan Wootton. I believe he and his type represent what is wrong with the world. I have zero respect for someone who makes a living out of spreading gossip and rumours about people. However, I had assumed that as a gay man he’d have used his position to help rather than to hate. Clearly I was mistaken.

    Upon seeing the article, I tweeted Dan Wootton to ask him if he thought it’s ok to spread hurtful gossip. I told him that he is contributing to stigmatising HIV and that he should be ashamed of himself. Many other people had also tweeted him, saying similar things to what I had. I didn’t expect him to reply, but I was surprised to discover that he has blocked me. I’m not the only one; many others have also been blocked by Wootton for calling him out on what he has done.

    I can understand blocking trolls, but when people are asking genuine questions and aiming justified criticism at you, the best approach is to face it head on and be man enough to admit that you made a mistake. By blocking people and ignoring all criticism, Dan Wootton is burying his head in the sand and not taking any responsibility for his actions. This just makes him look even worse and gives the impression that he stands by the article.

    What I’d like to see Dan Wootton do is apologise for what he has done and make an effort to do something more beneficial for those living with HIV. As it stands, he’s shown himself to be a truly appalling individual. He has betrayed people living with HIV and should absolutely be ashamed of himself.
    Terrence Higgins Trust does amazing work supporting people living with HIV, campaigning and raising awareness. Please have a look at their website and show them some love.

    by Daniel Browne

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • HIV Infections Continue To Rise In The Gay Community

    New HIV infections amongst men who identify themselves as gay or bisexual have continued their upward rise.

    New infections of HIV in gay and bisexual men in 2014 increased by 110 new cases over the 2013 statistics. In total 3360 gay and bisexual men were diagnosed with HIV during the 2014 period. Despite being a small minority in the UK’s population gay and bisexual men account for 54% of new HIV diagnoses.

    New diagnoses are higher in 2014 than they were than at the height of the AIDS crisis during the late 80s and early 90s.

    In the period of 2012-2013 new HIV infections increased. The rise of HIV in the gay community has risen from 2450 in 2004 to 3360 in 2014. The National AIDS Trust estimates that there are nearly 110,000 people living with HIV in the UK and around 26,000 living with undiagnosed HIV.

    For the 150th issue of FS Magazine, the magazine published by sexual health charity GMFA, a survey found that around a third of gay men did not use a condom the last time they had penetrative sex.

    Seventy-one per cent of gay men said they would use PrEP immediately if it were available on the NHS. PrEP is a medicine when taken daily is extremely effective in stopping the transmission of the HIV virus.

  • ADVICE | Can I Get HIV From Sharing A Bath?

    One reader asks our sexual health expert Jose Perez De La Cruz, whether he is at risk of getting HIV from sharing a bath.

    Can I Get HIV From Sharing A Bath?

    Dear TGUK,

     I recently stayed at someone’s house in the morning I had a bath before I left. I didn’t know at the time (nor did he), but the lad has since told me that he’s been tested HIV positive and it was likely that he caught it before our meet up.

    The hook up we had was pretty safe. We used condoms and I’ve heard that you can’t get HIV from blowjobs, so I’m assuming I’m okay.

    I’m worried about the bath. can I catch HIV or any other infection from using the same bathtub as someone else?

    I was in there for a good 30 minutes. Plenty of time for an infection to get in me.

    Pls, Help.

     

    Hi Tom,

    Relax. There is absolutely no chance you can catch HIV from a bath. HIV is a very fragile virus and would be dead within seconds even in normal air so such an environment would probably make this even quicker.

    To catch HIV requires exposure to blood, semen, vaginal fluid, prostatic fluid (pre-cum) or contaminated breast milk. Even without allowing for the aforementioned fragility of the virus if one of these fluids, by some unlikely chance, had made its way into the bath water it would be so diluted that it would be unable to infect you.

    The same applies to most other infections, bath water is not a very good medium for the growth of sexually transmitted pathogens.

    There is a very small risk you can catch HIV from blowjobs, the risk being slightly higher if you are giving the blowjob and the person ejaculates in your mouth.

    As standard advice only, if you have any concerns about any sexual contact you have had I would recommend you attend your nearest sexual health clinic for a sexual health screen.

    Did you know you can order an at-home HIV test online? Click here to buy one

    INFORMATION PROVIDED FOR BY JOSE PEREZ DE LA CRUZ

     

    The advice listed above is not intended to replace or take the place of that of your own doctor, GP or medical professional who knows your full medical history. If in any doubt make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible.

     

    The advice given in this article is for guidance only and you should always seek your own independent, professional medical advice from your own GP if you are concerned about your health.  

    OTHER QUESTIONS: HIV | WILLY WONDERS | HOLES | DOING IT | STIs | LUMPS & BUMPS | BACK TO SEX CLINIC HOME PAGE

    Got a problem you’d like advice on?

  • London Sex Health Clinic Accidentally Publishes Email Addresses Of Patients

    Around 780 HIV patients from the sexual health clinic, 56 Dean Street, have had their personal details disclosed in an email sent in an “administrative error”

    The personal email addresses of around 780 patients at London’s busiest sexual health clinic have been leaked via an email. A newsletter was sent to HIV patients of the clinic which disclosed names and emails addresses to everyone on the list.

    The clinic immediately apologised for the mistake and have started an investigation into how the breach happened. A helpline has been set up by the clinic for patients who are worried about the exposure.

    Dr Alan McOwan, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS trust’s director for sexual health said in his apology,

    “I’m writing to apologise to you. This morning at around 11.30am we sent you the latest edition of OptionE newsletter.

    This is normally sent to individuals on an individual basis but unfortunately we sent out today’s email to a group of email addresses. We apologise for this error.

    “We recalled/deleted the email as soon as we realised what had happened. If it is still in your inbox please delete it immediately.

    Clearly this is completely unacceptable. We are urgently investigating how this has happened and I promise you that we will take steps to ensure it never happens again. We will send you the outcome of the investigation.”

    Concerns have been raised about how the leaked email addresses could be used, including typing the addresses into Facebook to find out a full profile, including pictures and other personal details.

    A spokesperson speaking to THEGAYUK for the clinic said the breach was an “administrative error”,

    “We can confirm that due to an administrative error, a newsletter about services at 56 Dean Street was sent to an email group rather than individual recipients.

    We have immediately contacted all the email recipients to inform them of the error and apologise. Any concerned patients can call 020 3315 9555 and 020 3315 9594.”