WORLD AIDS DAY: 1 DECEMBER KEEP AWARE
Charli Scouler of NAT (National AIDS Trust) explains the results of research recently carried out by the organisation, and why many gay men still need to educate themselves about HIV infection…
World AIDS Day is an important opportunity to raise awareness and encourage people to learn the facts about HIV. This is particularly relevant to gay men as not only do one in 20 gay men have HIV, but last year also saw the highest-ever number of new HIV diagnoses among gay and bisexual men – a clear reminder of the need for better education, awareness, targeted prevention and testing efforts.
One area where knowledge is particularly lacking among gay men is the early indicators of HIV infection. Research from NAT, conducted among more than 8,000 gay men in partnership with Gaydar, showed that 60% of gay men incorrectly believe there are no symptoms of early HIV infection. In fact, between 70-90% of people experience symptoms – most commonly a combination of sore throat, rash and fever – soon after HIV infection, but fewer than one in 10 respondents were aware of this. This lack of knowledge is extremely worrying, as spotting the signs of recent HIV infection presents one of the best opportunities to get diagnosed early. Lack of awareness of these facts increases risk to your own health and to the health of your sexual partners.
Despite a clear lack of knowledge around the indicators of early HIV infection, it was positive to see that 65% of gay men surveyed were aware that someone with HIV will be highly infectious in the first few weeks after infection. This suggests that if knowledge of HIV symptoms were improved amongst gay men, they would be likely to take the necessary action to reduce the risk of passing it on to others. It is important that if you experience a combination of sore
throat, fever and rash, you go and get tested for HIV as soon as possible. The worst thing you can do is wait until the symptoms disappear and then forget about it, as the symptoms will go away and someone with HIV may then live for many years without any further indicators that they are HIV-positive until their immune system is severely compromised several years later. The signs of recent HIV infection are just one aspect of HIV information that many people still unaware of, but there are also common myths and misconceptions that people still believe. NAT has been working to raise awareness and educate the public about all aspects of HIV by launching
www.HIVaware.org.uk, a brand new website aimed at everyone which provides all the information you need to know about HIV. We’ve also revamped our web information for people living with HIV, making it more user- friendly and interactive. Check it at
www.lifewithHIV.org.uk. Log on to both websites today and tell us what you think.
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WWW.OUTMAG.CO.UK BE A CLEVER
DICK! We preview THT’s new Clever Dick/ Smart Arse campaign…
The Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) has launched a new campaign to coincide with World AIDS Day. The new ‘Clever Dick /Smart Arse’ campaign has been designed to encourage gay men to talk about HIV prevention, and it features “real men” speaking out about why they use condoms to protect themselves. The England-wide campaign is urging gay and bisexual men to use condoms during sex. There are now more men with HIV on the gay scene than ever before, one in four of whom remain undiagnosed and therefore more likely to pass the virus on. To combat rising rates, THT is calling for gay businesses and individuals to help halt the spread of HIV on the scene by placing a renewed focus on condom use.
To create the ‘Clever Dick / Smart Arse’ campaign, THT
invited eight gay men from across England to take part in a photoshoot and talk about why they use condoms when having sex. Men came from all areas of the gay community – from a Soho bar manager to a rugby player with the Kings Cross Steelers – to lend their voices to the campaign, which will run via print and online press advertisements, posters in gay venues, and on 100,000 condom packs to be distributed across the scene. Other areas of the campaign include an online
SexScore survey at
www.clever-dick.org, where gay and bisexual men can receive tailored information on how risky their sex lives are, along with advice on how to stay safe. All men who complete the survey can choose to be entered into a prize draw to win an iPad 2 and one of ten pairs of Monkee Jeans. Ben Tunstall, Head of Health Promotion at THT, said: “At
THT, we’ve been talking about condoms for almost 30 years. But our oldest message is also our most important: when you’re having sex, condoms are the best way to guard against HIV. “How much do you know about the guy you just picked up?
How confident are you that you know his HIV status? With the vast majority of new infections passed on by people who don’t know they have it, the chances are he may not know himself. Thirty years on from the start of the epidemic, condoms are still the best way to protect not just your health, but also your peace of mind. We want everyone on the gay scene to get behind this campaign – putting up posters in venues, picking up our condom packs, or just talking to their mates about safer sex – and help us reduce the spread of HIV in our community.”
www.tht.org.uk - THT website
www.freedoms-
shop.nhs.uk - Buy reduced price condoms
www.myhiv.org. uk - Information for anyone living with HIV
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