Tag: UK

Man who tricked four straight men to have sex with him convicted

A man who tricked four men into having sex with him in the mistaken belief that he was a female has been convicted.

Duarte Xavier, 34 (11.11.84), of Wandsworth, was convicted at Kingston Crown Court on Friday, 5 October of six counts of causing a male aged 13 or over to engage in penetrative sexual activity.

He had pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing at Kingston Crown Court on Wednesday, 16 May. He has been remanded in custody to be sentenced at the same court on Friday, 9 November.

The court heard that Xavier was a liar and fantasist who carried out his crimes over several years. He would use online dating websites to masquerade as a female named ‘Ana’, entering into conversations and sending provocative pictures to heterosexual men, who were fooled by his online persona into meeting for sex.

When they agreed to meet for sex ‘Ana’ would set a series of conditions, including that the victim must wear a blindfold for the duration of the encounter and were not allowed to touch in return.

Communication through a dating app

On the first reported incident on 17 February 2016, a 45-year-old victim had been communicating with ‘Ana’ through a dating app and arranged to meet at ‘Ana’s’ flat.

Rules had been set prior to the victim’s arrival so that both apparently knew what would happen; ‘Ana’ told the victim that he would not see her throughout their encounter.

Upon arrival at an address in Wandsworth, the victim followed the instructions and found a blindfold in the bedroom.

He heard ‘Ana’ call his name and put the blindfold on. The pair began having sex when the victim realised something was wrong and removed the blindfold when he saw Xavier.

The victim was enraged and immediately left the address. Xavier sent a message to the victim afterwards saying ‘I got a mental health problem, sorry’. The victim ordered Xavier to delete all record of their communication, to which he replied that he already had.

Female ‘looking for a bit of fun’.

On 15 October 2017, a 29-year-old male messaged ‘Ana’ via a dating app and received a response that ‘she’ was a recently single female ‘looking for a bit of fun’.

The pair talked over WhatsApp, exchanging pictures and even a video call; the victim had no reason to suspect that he was not speaking to a woman.

They arranged to meet for sex the same day at a flat in Hardwick Square, Wandsworth. Again, the victim arrived at the location and put on a blindfold, as ‘Ana’ had asked.

He heard what he thought was a female voice saying ‘stay there, don’t take off and don’t move the mask’. A person then approached from behind and tied the blindfold tighter.

He was led blindfolded into another room where ‘Ana’ began to perform a sexual act. The victim took off the blindfold and saw Xavier.

He left in disgust immediately having been in the property for minutes.

Xavier began sending messages to the victim, apologising and saying there must have been a misunderstanding, but continued to message requesting oral sex.

The victim reported the incident to police and Xavier was arrested on 16 October 2017 on suspicion of causing sexual activity with a person without consent. He was released under investigation.

A number of mobile phones and masks were also seized.

Victim had pillowcase stuffed over his head

The third incident took place on Wednesday, 4 April 2018. The victim, a 26-year-old man, had been looking for sexual relations with females on a website when he received a message from ‘Ana’, advertising herself as a 35-year-old woman.

The pair arranged a video call via WhatsApp, where ‘Ana’ stated that she had to conceal her identity so as to avoid getting caught because she was married.

The pair arranged to meet at ‘Ana’s’ address, which was in darkness when the victim arrived. He said ‘hello’ and was instructed to close the door and come upstairs.

As the victim went upstairs, he felt a person grab him and pull his trousers down. An item, believed to be a pillowcase, was put over his head.

He asked to see that the person he had been communicating with was actually female, to which ‘Ana’ said ‘no’ and began performing a sexual act. The victim used the light from his mobile phone and discovered that it was Xavier.

The victim was horrified and said he would tell police, to which Xavier responded ‘good, I will too’. The victim went outside and called police; Xavier was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and later charged with two counts of causing a male aged 13 or over in a penetrative sexual activity and sexual assault.

He was remanded and later bailed at Wimbledon Magistrates Court.

“Roleplay experience”

The fourth victim was identified by police after reviewing phone records from seized mobile phones.

The victim in this incident, a 29-year-old man, had been too embarrassed and ashamed to tell anyone.

On 5 December year 2016 the victim and ‘Ana’ began engaging with each other over a dating website. ‘Ana’ explained that she was looking for a ‘roleplay’ experience where the victim would be blindfolded.

Both parties exchanged pictures and videos and agreed to meet at ‘Ana’s’ address before she claimed her landlady would be home and they must meet elsewhere.

‘Ana’ told the victim they would meet in a park around 19:00hrs. The victim obliged and the following day he went to King George’s Park in Wandsworth as ordered by ‘Ana’. The victim had trouble finding the meeting place and called ‘Ana’; again he had no reason to suspect he was not talking to a female, commenting in later interviews to police that ‘Ana’ sounded like a foreign woman.

He went to the agreed spot, a secluded area, when ‘Ana’ arrived and performed a sexual act on him before they had sex. ‘Ana’ then left and the victim was left entirely unaware that he had had sex with Xavier.

WhatsApp records of conversations between the pair revealed that the victim had not realized what had happened and at no point did Xavier reveal his true identity.

As a result, the pair arranged to meet again a few days later, on the same terms and same place. This time the victim held off on putting on the blindfold, curious as to who he was meeting.

When Xavier approached, the pair saw each other and Xavier tried to hide. When the victim asked what he was doing, Xavier claimed to have believed that the victim was bisexual and approved of the arrangement.

The victim was distraught by the revelation; Xavier offered to pay his cab fare home, to which the victim said no and that he did not want to be contacted by him ever again.

“Crimes are unique in their depravity”

Detective Constable Lucy Marsh, of Wandsworth police, said, “The crimes Xavier committed are unique in their depravity; all of the victims had no reason to believe that they were not engaging with a woman and all have stated unequivocally that they would never have given their consent to sexual relations with another man.

“Xavier has demonstrated extreme manipulation and cunning in order to satisfy his own sexual gratification, setting bizarre conditions that the victims adhered to in the belief that they were part of the experience.

“He is a sexual predator and I hope the victims, all of whom were traumatised by their experiences, will now feel that they have achieved some justice. I thank them for their bravery not only in telling us of their ordeals, but in facing difficult and challenging questions throughout the judicial process.

“We are also entirely aware that there may be other potential victims of Xavier who, so far, have also felt too ashamed to speak to police. I would ask those people to come forward, to tell us, and we will treat you with the utmost sensitivity and in the strictest of confidence.”

6th October 2018
25th anniversary production of Beautiful Thing heads to Bristol

The iconic show, Beautiful Thing is to get a run at the Bristol Tobacco Factory

Beautiful Thing, which tells the story of two 17-year olds growing up on an estate in Thamesmead, was a seminal moment in representation of working class LGBT stories in British theatre. Beautiful Thing came out in the wake of a nation living in the shadow of the AIDS epidemic and, in the face of Thatcher’s attempts to alienate the LGBT community, Harvey presented an optimistic coming-of-age story of two young working class schoolboys discovering their sexuality. The premiere in 1993 took place at the Bush Theatre before moving to the Donmar Warehouse and the West End starring Jonny Lee Miller (Trainspotting), Philip Glenister (Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes) and Jill Marsden (EastEnders).

The film of Beautiful Thing, directed by Hettie MacDonald in 1996, was recently voted 20^th most iconic LGBT film in history with the hopeful nature of the movie as well as the intersectionality of the piece often being remarked upon. The film sees Meera Syal and Linda Henry appear and launched the career of Tameka Empson, it remains a surprisingly unique watch even now, 22 years on from release.

Beautiful Thing will be directed by Tobacco Factory Theatre’s Artistic Director, Mike Tweddle and runs 11-27 October. Amy Lee-Hickman will star in the show, known for her role as Nasreen Paracha inAckley Bridge, a role that made waves as a rare representation of a gay Asian young woman.

5th October 2018
New gay and inclusive rugby club opens in Devon

A rugby club has been set up in Exeter for LGBT+ people who want to play rugby in Devon and Cornwall.

The Westcountry Wasps RFC was set up by Andy Smith, a straight man from Exeter and Ryan Cook, a gay man who is a Special Constable for the Devon and Cornwall police.

The Exeter based team will be the first of its kind in Devon and Cornwall, aiming to be a welcoming and uplifting environment for players of all sexual orientations and experience levels.The team will promote community spirit, equality, and diversity in LGBT+ players while committing to England Rugby core values of; Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline, and Sportsmanship. The team will welcome new members to taster sessions in Exeter and Plymouth this month before regular training sessions begin.

Andy Smith, one of the clubs founders is a straight man from Exeter and played for an inclusive team, the Manchester Village Spartans for 10 years. About forming the new club, he said;

“Seeing how rugby can change lives through new experiences, new relationships, new social groups, and how that can change attitudes has really made an impression on me. I want other people to enjoy the same experiences and make the same great friends I’ve had.”

Ryan Cook, a special police Constable for Devon & Cornwall Police, started playing rugby at the age of 11, and has refereed for Cornwall RFU at County and Federation levels and is delighted to be a founding member of Westcountry Wasps RFC.

He hopes to “bring together players that have never played before for fear of homophobia and allow them to thrive in a social scene of the club”.

The club founders are keen to hear from anyone who wants to meet new people, make friends, get some exercise and get involved in sport. Free taster sessions will be held on Oct 13 in Exeter and Oct 20 in Plymouth where you can find out why thousands of men are joining inclusive rugby teams up and down the country.

To find out more about Westcountry Wasps RFC and the taster sessions, please visit bit.ly/westwaspsrfc

4th October 2018
THEATRE REVIEW | Rebus: Long Shadows

★★★☆☆ | Rebus: Long Shadows

Ian Rankin’s novel series came alive on stage via the adaptation of Rona Munro. It was an atmospheric and sombre affair.

Rankin’s novels first featured the character of John Rebus in Knots & Crosses where he was merely 40 years old, and he grew older, bitter and more cynical as his life progressed in the subsequent novels, Black and Blue, Exit Music, In A House Of Lies, etc. Putting Rebus on stage was not Ian’s original conception but a fan of his books, producer Daniel Schumann’s. Ian chose Rona as he wanted her take on this robust and clout-packed character.

Not an adaptation of any of the 19 novels, Rebus – Long Shadows is a unique story bringing together the three protagonists of his series: Rebus (Charles Lawson), Clarke (Cathy Tyson) and Cafferty (John Stahl). The promise was to excite the book fans while giving the newbies a real taste of whodunnit. Centred around two murders that happened ten years apart, but a vivid haunt for Rebus, physical ghosts, and on the ground too, make for an unsettling mystery.

Charles Lawson, who most will know as Jim McDonald in Coronation Street (ITV) really embodied Rebus in a sombre, tired portrayal, but with spouts of energy in a man who had decades of unfinished business. I never read the books, but Charles portrayal is the image I would have had in my mind. His multi-faceted performance created powerful moments as the murder mystery unravelled. In some parts, Lawson was like Lear of the murder realm.

Cathy Tyson did a good job as Siobhan Clarke, but as a whole it was not a totally captivating performance. Her portrayal of Clarke was not a secure one, and I am not sure her decades’ bond with Rebus was consistently convincing. John Stahl was exactly what Cafferty was described as, and it was very enjoyable watching his dangerous and playfully performance.

Neil McKinven played everyone else, but most importantly, murderer Mordaunt, and Andy. It was a very energetic multi-role play, and Neil used comedy very well. However, sometimes it was hard to distinguish between characters, and I think it was due to costume changes that didn’t change much and how quick he was back on stage. The murdered ghosts of Angela and Maggie by Dani Heron and Eleanor House respectively was a well synchronised vocal and physical performance adding more mystery to the narrative.

The set was fairly simple. The furniture for Rebus’ home was always seen in other scenes which took away from the illusion. However, there was a really nice moment with purple lights shining against the wall of Cafferty’s home making his apartment look very ostentatious, very different from Rebus’.

Charles portrayal of Rebus is well worth the visit of die-hard fans, but perhaps you had to read the books to be fully immersed.

Rebus: Long Shadows is on at Birmingham Rep until the 6th October 2018

26th September 2018
Charity wins Patient Information Award for LGBT inclusion

A London-based charity has won an award at this year’s Patient Information Awards.

Compassion in dying was selected as the winner of the BMA equality, diversity and inclusion special award for the resource they produced in collaboration with LGBT charity for the older people, Opening Doors London, and Stonewall. The awards were hosted by the British Medical Association yesterday (Tuesday 25 September) at BMA House in Tavistock Square, London.

‘Your treatment and care: Planning ahead for the LGBT community’ is the first ever resource designed specifically for the LGBT community on end-of-life care planning. It was based on extensive research which found that those in the LGBT community can face specific and significant barriers stopping them from getting the end-of-life care they want. This can include healthcare professionals making assumptions about their preferences for care and a lack of understanding about what or who is important to them. This guide was therefore designed to set out the different ways in which LGBT people may plan ahead.

Accepting the award, Natalie Koussa, Director of partnerships and services at Compassion in Dying, said, “We’re absolutely thrilled to win the diversity and inclusion award. ‘Planning ahead for the LGBT community’ was developed as the first resource of its kind in order to support people from LGBT communities with very specific decision-making processes that they experience towards the end of life, so we’re thrilled to be recognised for this work.”

BMA representative body chair, Dr Anthea Mowat, said, “It is a privilege to be able to recognise the great work of Compassion in Dying as the first-ever winners of the BMA’s special award for equality, diversity and inclusion.

“The LGBT community, particularly older people, can face specific and significant barriers to getting the end-of-life care they need and it’s a sign of progress that there’s now, for the first time, a resource specifically aimed to help gay, lesbian, trans and bisexual people plan ahead for their future treatment and care in case they become unable to communicate their decisions.

“The resource, produced with help from Stonewall and Opening Doors London, will take the complexity out of a decision that’s quite hard to understand but a very important aspect of compassionate healthcare and highlights the diverse concerns of LGBT people.”

Note to readers: This is a press release, published for record.

26th September 2018
RESTAURANT REVIEW | Delicatessen, London

★★★★| Delicatessen, London

Walking up Roslyn Hill towards Hampstead Heath tube station you’ll walk by a restaurant that’s always full, and why? Because the food is delicious and the portions are huge!

Delicatessen, open since 2010, is modern Middle Eastern/Israeli cuisine at excellent prices. This neighbourhood restaurant, which was totally full (include the outside tables) on a Wednesday night that we went, has filled a gap for food of this very high quality and taste in this area.

Chef Or Golan, who has worked in some of Tel Aviv’s most popular restaurants, was most recently a head chef in one of Yotam Ottolenghi’s self-titled restaurants.

The food at Delicatessen is influenced by Golan’s Moroccan and Lebanese grandparents, so what is cooked straight from the kitchen and sent directly to your table is a mish-mash of extreme flavour & tastes that are bold and wonderful.

The Sashimi grade bluefin tuna starter was a feast for the eyes and the tongue. Chunks of tuna served with fennel, avocado, anchovies and bits of bruschetta, among many other herbs and spices, are included in this massively huge dish, and at only £12, it’s a steal. Also good value for the money also delicious to boot is the Golden Cauliflower with tahini and smoked Chilli. It was served very warm and soft, oven-baked, and was a huge mound for a mere £8.

As if we hadn’t enough food in our starters, our mains were even larger!

My dining companion’s Ras el hanut Lamb Chops were definitely too big for his, or anyone else’s, stomach! Five large chops are served over bulgar wheat, sprinkled with lavender and various greens, and one certainly gets what you pay for (£33). What was missing was any form of sauce, as the wheat became dry – perhaps applesauce would’ve gone perfectly with the lamb. My Old Jaffa Lamb Kebabs were very good. Served with tahini, sehug spice and baby vegetables, three very large and long kebabs were nicely cooked and delicious. The dish could’ve used some starch – perhaps a few potatoes or bulgar wheat, but it was very filling for its £24 price tag.

What took me and my friend for a loop was the Kadaif tower dessert. Yes, it was a tower and served with strawberries and cream. What is a kadaif you ask? It’s shredded filo dough, and in this dish there is cream in the middle that makes it look and feel like a sandwich. And it was superb – and large – and did I mention extremely delicious? And at £8.50, it’s a no-brainer choice for dessert. We also shared the Handmade Moroccan cigars (basically baklava), filled with nuts, and served with an amazing tasting mint tea. But it was the Kadaif that was memorable, amazing and wow!

Please have the wonderful Instant B Cotes de Provence Rosé wine with your meal, it’s wet, with a flowery taste that goes well with the fish and meats served on the menu. Or you can have one of Delicatessen’s speciality drinks, including the Msc mule, which was vodka and ginger ale and was very very good.

The menu at Delicatessen is just simply amazing. And while the prices aren’t cheap cheap, it’s the amount of food given that’s generous. We sat next to a table of two who had ordered the Mixed Grill – it was actually a mound of meat, with chicken thighs, kebabs, lamb chops, mergues & rib eye steak all for a wonderful price of £75. It appeared they could not finish it, and I am sure the took the rest home with them which probably fed them for a few more days. I will order this next time I go to Delicatessen.

With an amazingly knowledgeable and nice staff, very good food, large portions, all in a nicely remixed from the hustle and bustle location – what’s not to like? I’m definitely looking forward to my next visit to Delicatessen – it’s that mound of meat that I’ll make an attempt at – can’t wait!

Home

Location:

46 Rosslyn Hill, Hampstead
London NW3 1NH, UK

020 7700 5511

Hours

Sun-Thu • 12:00 – 23:00

Fri • Closed

Sat • 18:00 – 23:00

23rd September 2018
This musical is holding auditions by Instagram

Bright lights, the smell of the greasepaint, the likes on Instagram

The team behind the brand new musical Club Mex is holding open auditions, on Instagram.

Club Mex is being described as “a part-immersive, part-musical clubbing experience, will get its world premiere at the Hope Mill Theatre, in Manchester in early 2019.

The show centres around Mel and her two best mates as they experience the highs, lows and hangovers of Cancun in a heart-warming coming-of-age comedy.

It is directed by West End star Julie Atherton who has been working on the development of the show with Perfect Pitch Musicals over the last couple of years. “When the guys at Perfect Pitch first approached me to get involved I knew it was an idea I wanted to play with and explore how involved the audience could be. After a workshop last year at Edge Hill university we soon realised audiences are very happy to be in the heart of where the action takes place and this piece allows them to do just that.”

Applications will be via Instagram, with further details on Club Mex’s website: www.theclubmex.com.

Recalls will be offered in London on 8 October and Manchester on 12 October. ”We are looking for people with funny bones and strong vocal ability, however there is no requirement for formal training. We want to hear from you if you love singing and making people laugh!”

18th September 2018
Dolly is coming back to the UK

Squeal.

Dolly Parton is coming back to the UK – with her musical 9 to 5 – and it stars, Louise Redknapp, Brian Conley, Amber Davis and Natalie McQueen.

To celebrate, the Queen of Country Music uploaded a camp AF promo starring the cast mates. Check it out

So excited to announce that @9to5MusicalUK is hitting London’s West End! It’s inspired by the film and features all original music written by me. Y’all don’t want to miss this!

Book tickets before anyone else at https://t.co/FPXL5WSzy5 #9to5Musical pic.twitter.com/P0rPtXah9J

— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) September 13, 2018

Book tickets now

WE. ARE. SO. THERE.

13th September 2018
There’s a new gay bar opening in Weston-Super-Mare

A brand new LGBT+ venue is opening in September in Weston-Super-Mare.

In contrast to the scene across the UK, Weston-Super-Mare is about to get a brand new queer space, Proud Bar after a nearly a decade of no gay scene.

The bar recently shared a post saying it was “bar stool shopping”

There are no gay bars in Weston at the moment, the longest standing bar, Alexandra Bar served its last pint in August 2009, before being rebranded as The Edge.

Weston-Super-Mare does have a very popular annual pride, which is attended by thousands of people.

The new bar is located 20 Boulevard BS23 1NA in Weston-Super-Mare and is due to open on the 19th September 2018 at 5PM.

13th September 2018
Man sentenced for biting off the ear of a man he accused of looking at his genitals

A man has been handed a suspended sentence, and avoiding jail time, after pleading guilty to a brutal attack on a man he accused of looking at his penis.

Martin Gallagher, 28, pleaded guilty to a vicious assault on a man – punching him and biting off part of his ear. Gallagher accused the 20-year-old victim, who has left with a disfiguring scar on his ear, of looking at his genitals in the toilets of a nightclub in Newcastle.

He had been drinking in the bar with friends in May last year when he became involved in an argument with a 20-year-old man in the toilets.

Gallagher had accused his victim of looking at his genitals as he was urinating before following him back into the club and challenging to a fight.

He then proceeded to attack the victim who desperately tried to explain to him that he hadn’t been looking at him.

The victim fought back to protect himself but in the scuffle that followed Gallagher sunk his teeth into his victim’s ear, ripping part of it clean off.

Security staff at Digital nightclub threw out both men.

The victim was taken to hospital for treatment to his injured ear while Gallagher was arrested for his part in the brawl. He was later charged by police and pleaded guilty to assault occasioning grievous bodily harm at Newcastle Crown Court earlier this year.

Detective Constable Lisa Common, of Northumbria Police’s Central CID, said the victim in the case was left permanently disfigured by the attack. Following the case, she said, “This was an unprovoked attack on a complete stranger who had gone out that night to socialise with friends.

“Instead, he was confronted by a drunken male who was so out of control he bit the victim’s ear off.

“The victim has been left suffering not just permanent physical injury, but emotional trauma as a result of the incident.

“I hope he can take some comfort in the sentence that has been given today.”

The victim in the case says he is now trying to rebuild his life and made a point of thanking DC Common for her support. He said, “The last year and a half have been some of the most testing and strenuous times in my life. At times I have been left demobilised by the sheer stress of it all.

“I never could comprehend how one vicious incident could lead to so much pain for so many people until now.

“I’m still coming to terms with my new reflection and hope for a future to bring better days.

“That is largely thanks to the tireless work of Northumbria Police, especially from DC Lisa Common who has been nothing but an exemplary figure throughout the proceedings.

“She has my gratitude for being a strength when I was at my weakest.

“Her hours of work are thoroughly appreciated and I hope she continues to be a pivotal keystone in the community.”

Gallagher was sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on Thursday, September 6.

He was handed a three-month curfew, ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work. He was also made to pay a £140 victim surcharge and £5,000 in compensation to the victim.

11th September 2018
HIV Infections in gay and bi men plummet by 31 percent since 2015

New figures, published by Public Health England (PHE), show a 17% decrease in HIV diagnoses in the UK in 2017 and a drop of more than a quarter in the last two years (28%).

However, the new statistics also show that 42% of people with HIV were still being diagnosed late; with heterosexual men and individuals aged 65 and over the most likely to experience late diagnosis.

HIV diagnoses in gay and bisexual men have dropped by 31% since 2015 and this decline is particularly focused in parts of London. This represents one of the most significant advances in HIV prevention since the beginning of the epidemic, but now we need to ensure we see the same declines in other groups.

Ian Green, Chief Executive at Terrence Higgins Trust, said, “Today’s drop in new HIV diagnoses among some communities in the UK clearly shows we have the tools to end the HIV epidemic in this country. But, rather than patting ourselves on the back, we need to redouble our efforts, work harder and get to zero HIV transmissions.

“There is continued progress among some gay and bisexual men, particularly in London, with a 31% fall since 2015. This follows on from last year’s numbers where we saw the first ever decline in new diagnoses among gay and bisexual men.

“This turnaround in one of the groups most affected by HIV shows what can be achieved by utilising everything we’ve got in the fight against HIV. That includes the widespread availability of condoms, a range of ways and places to test for HIV, early diagnosis and access to treatment, and increasing the availability of HIV prevention pill PrEP. It also shows that initiatives like National HIV Testing Week are working.

“But we need to work harder and look more broadly to make sure the decline in new diagnoses reaches other groups affected by HIV in all corners of the UK – not just in London and the South East.

“For example, rates of late diagnosis remain worryingly high with 42% of all those diagnosed being diagnosed late, which is after the immune system has already been damaged. Among black African heterosexual men rates of late diagnosis are now 72% while in those 65 and over it’s 60%, which is unacceptably high.

“For the first time, there has been a drop in the number of diagnoses reported among heterosexuals not from black African or black Caribbean communities with a fall of 20%. This is welcome news but more needs to be done to understand what’s behind this decline and lessons learned to ensure the number of new diagnoses continues to fall.

“We welcome the inclusion of women only data tables for the very first time. But while around a quarter of new diagnoses continue to be among women, more needs to be done to ensure women are invisible no longer when it comes to HIV and properly included in HIV prevention campaigns. Similarly, this year we also have trans-specific data for the first time, which is so important in ensuring we have an accurate picture of how this group is impacted by HIV.

“We must also ensure Relationships and Sex Education has a strong emphasis on sexual health and HIV when it becomes compulsory in schools in England from 2020. Currently, more than one young person a day is diagnosed with HIV in the UK and that’s one too many. We have the tools to prevent HIV but we need to ensure our young people know what they are and how to access them.”

On the reason for this continued decline, Ian Green added, “HIV treatment has undoubtedly played a significant role in this decline. Now, when someone is diagnosed, they are encouraged to start treatment as soon as possible. This enables them to more quickly achieve an undetectable viral load, which means HIV can’t be passed on.

“Testing options have also improved in recent years and now HIV self test kits, where you test at home and get a result within 15 minutes, are sold on the high street. We’re also offering these tests for free to people from the communities most affected by HIV. But testing at home isn’t for everyone and it is vital we have fully funded and easily accessible sexual health services for those who want or need a face to face service.

“PrEP is a game changer for HIV prevention and almost 100 per cent effective when taken as prescribed. PrEP’s portrayal in the media means it is all too often seen as something only for gay men – but that certainly isn’t the case and we need to ensure it is fully utilised by all groups affected by HIV, including both black African people and trans communities.

“Although PrEP is available on the NHS in Scotland and via an uncapped pilot in Wales, it is only available in England as part of a 10,000 place trial and we know that many sites have filled all their places for gay men and are having to turn people at risk of HIV away. In light of today’s data, we’re continuing to strongly call on NHS England to play its part in getting to zero HIV transmissions by making PrEP available to all who need it on the NHS in England.”

9th September 2018