Football, HIV and Saving Lives

posted: 16/03/2011

When Birmingham City play Arsenal in the Carling Cup Final this weekend, they are launching a HIV awareness campaign for soccer fans.
 

Birmingham City and England goalie Ben Foster with midfielders Alexander Hleb and Craig Gardner are supporting Football Saving Lives, a national health promotion project.
 

Get Tested, then Stay Negative or Get Treated
“Saving lives is, of course, a lot harder than saving goals,” says Ben Foster, “but I’m a proud to be an ambassador for this campaign, precisely because it makes things so simple: get tested, get treated.

It’s as easy as that. It is definitely in your best interest to get HIV tested if you get the opportunity: if you’re negative, then you can stay that way, and if you turn out positive there are now life saving treatments available ”.
 

22,000 people do not know they have HIV
Football Saving Lives is part of a Birmingham NHS HIV campaign. Dr Steve Taylor says “One in four of those who have HIV are unaware they’re infected. That means that they cannot access the life-saving treatment we can now offer, and in addition they may well be unknowingly infecting others. We need to tackle this problem and diagnose the 22,000 people in the UK who have HIV but are totally unaware.”
 

Football Saving Lives raises public HIV awareness and corrects the wrong ideas people may have about HIV and HIV testing. Being rhis reluctance to take HIV tests, or thinking you are not at risk, remain key reasons why so many are untested and often end up in hospital because of the damage HIV infection causes over time.
 

People still die of HIV even though excellent treatment gives people reasonable health and life propects as long as people are tested and diagnosed early.
Soccer fans may not give much thought to HIV so the players and campaigns hopes to make fans think and act.
 

HIV hasn’t gone away
“I grew up in Birmingham,” says Blues midfielder Gardner, “and I remember the HIV prevention campaigns at school. But I haven’t heard anybody talk about HIV for years – I thought it had just gone away. But to think that there are some 22,000 people out there who have no idea they are infected is a really scary statistic. I’m supporting this campaign because I believe that education and raising awareness are the best ways of helping young people look after their sexual health and start to reduce the spread of HIV.”
 

Testing and timely HIV treatment allows people to live a near normal life. Treatment also helps cut the spread of HIV because people on successful HIV treatment with undetectable viral loads are far less likely to pass on HIV.
 

Almost all pregant women get tested - why not soccer fans?

Ninety-five per cent of pregnant women already receive an HIV test as standard, and if the mother has HIV treatment of the mother and baby means babies now rarely get HIV.
 

“Football Saving Lives is about getting these really important public health messages regarding sexual health and HIV testing out to the public,” summarises Alexander Hleb, on loan to Birmingham City from Barcelona.
 

Football Saving Lives, includes player profiles

Source

Scary NY HIV Video

posted: 20/12/2010

New York City's Department of Health is defending a controversial ad that uses rotting brains, decaying bones and bleeding anuses to convince young gay and bi men to use condoms.
 

"I am completely comfortable with what we put out here. I have talked with many young men who are HIV positive," said Dr. Monica Sweeney, assistant commissioner for the city's Bureau of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control. "This is not fabricated. These are real conditions that affect people even though their viral load might be under control."
 

'Offensive and dishonest', or 'Prevention shock value'

The ad has split people – many are offended by its scare tactics and call the campaign dishonest – but others think the video's shock value could prevent the spread of HIV.
 

"I reject portraying my life -- 15 years and counting with HIV -- as a hellish nightmare," said Jim Pickett, advocacy director at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. "Has it been tough? Yes ... living with HIV is challenging, but it is not one big long scream of agony for most of us. But nuance isn't eye catching or sexy, is it?"
 

The controversial NY City Department of Health video ‘It’s Never Just HIV’

Scaring people about HIV does NOT work
There is no evidence that scaring people works for HIV – and much evidence to show it does far more harm than good – the recent UK review of all the evidence, the Role of Fear in HIV Prevention, shows the use of fear fails.
 

Does using fear of HIV work?
Would using more fear in HIV prevention work? ‘The role of fear in HIV prevention’ is written as a guide for gay men’s HIV prevention workers, but many other people, including people with HIV, are very interested in this and have strong views about it. It is an interesting and informative read, on four illustrated pages.
 

It looks at the scientific evidence for whether fear works or not, considers the ideas behind it, and looks into the unforeseen consequences and risks of using fear in HIV campaigns.
 

Fear is for the Fearless
The evidence shows that fear only works with people who are not already frightened by HIV. But 98% of gay men say (in Gay Men’s Sex Survey, 2008) they agree or agree strongly that “HIV is still a very serious medical condition.” So almost every single gay and bi man is already fearful of HIV. Perversely, adding to that fear can make things worse for the men at more risk of HIV.
 

As Adam Bourne says:

“It will remain a constant challenge for those promoting sexual health and well-being to attract the attention of their target audience among the many other advertisements that compete for their attention.
“The temptation is to produce shocking or explicit imagery, which may stand a better chance of being noticed or being remembered.
“However, it is doubtful whether it will actually be successful at influencing behavioural choices.
“Most gay men and other men who have sex with men are already motivated to avoid HIV, but some still lack the knowledge or the power to do so.”
________________________________________
“Inducing fear is not an effective way to promote previous HIV relevant learning or condom use either immediately following the intervention, or later on.
However, HIV counselling and testing can provide an outlet for previous HIV-related anxiety and, subsequently, gains in both knowledge and behaviour change immediately and longitudinally.”  Earl & Albarracin, 2007

The role of fear in HIV prevention, Adam Bourne, 2010, Sigma Research Briefing no.1 for the CHAPS gay and bi men’s HIV prevention partnership

Source

More information and comment from The Body (leading USA HIV website)

The NY City Department of Health video ‘It’s Never Just HIV’

Halving Undiagnosed HIV

posted: 09/12/2010

The Department of Health has welcomed a community-led policy for HIV testing called Halve It. The Halve It campaign aims to cut the number of people who have HIV but don’t know it, in half, and by 2015.

The Department of Health said: “We really welcome the Halve It campaign. Encouraging HIV testing is everyone’s business – the NHS, charities and groups, individuals, the media and industry.”

Best test early

If diagnosed early, HIV can be successfully treated and people with HIV live to near-normal life expectancies. Late diagnosis, by contrast, is associated with a greater risk of hospitalisation and AIDS-related illness, reduced life expectancy and increased cost to the NHS. It is also associated with increased onwards transmission, and continued sexual risk taking while people are unaware of their HIV-positive status.

Halve It is a new coalition of national experts determined to tackle the continued public health challenges posed by HIV. This campaign is being supported by BHIVA (British HIV Association).

They have produced a position paper Early Testing Saves Lives

Simon Kirby, the Conservative MP in Brighton Kemptown, is the vice-chair of the All-Parliamentary Group for HIV/AIDS. He said he was “delighted” that the government supports the campaign. Calling the target “ambitious and admirable”, he said: “I am delighted that the government will support the coalition of experts involved in the Halve It Campaign in achieving their goal.”

Caroline Lucas, the Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, added: “What we really need is a much stronger commitment from the government to properly address the issue – and, importantly, some assurances that greater resources will be made available for those working in HIV detection”.

Action not words
The chief executive of the National AIDS Trust, Deborah Jack, said the government needed to do more action than simply making welcoming noises. “The Halve It campaign requires leadership and support from the top – and it would be good to know what plans the government has to reduce significantly the rates of late HIV diagnosis in the UK,” she said.

NW England has the worst rate of late diagnosis in England.

Call for national screening
The Halve It campaign calls on the government to set up a national screening programme, and to make HIV testing more accessible.

Baroness Gould talked about this at the autumn party conferences. She pointed out this was the first time that there had been a really active campaign around undiagnosed HIV and highlighted the case for including sexual health and HIV in the upcoming new Public Health White Paper. "We need to analyse why people don't get tested", she said.

Dr. Ed Wilkins (consultant at the regional specialist HIV centre, North Manchester General Hospital) said the problem was that too many patients appear with symptoms of long HIV infection, with serious complications brought about by a damaged immune system. Early testing for HIV has to be a public health priority.

Doctors miss chances
"75% of people who have been diagnosed late, originally visited a GP with ill health and the virus wasn't picked up so there is clearly a need to educate health professionals about early diagnosis too." said Dr. Wilkins.

Men with the wrong ideas
Sir Nick Partridge (Terrence Higgins Trust chief executive) highlighted that HIV testing is quick, easy and it can save lives and far too many people do not realise this. Sir Nick drew attention to the fact that men, whether they are gay or heterosexual and whatever their ethnicity including African, still have out of date ideas about HIV and what treatment and testing is like.

He pointed out that 1 in 7 gay men on the gay scene in London are HIV positive (it is around 1 in 10 in Manchester and Blackpool) and that 1 in 5 gay men with HIV do not know this. Many men have never taken a HIV test.

We need more community based, easily accessible rapid testing clinics to target high risk groups of undiagnosed people, such as African men and men who have sex with men.
David Cairns Labour MP for Inver Clyde said that "MP's on the all party Parliamentary Group on HIV are 100% behind the new 'Halve It' campaign. Stigma is still an enormous challenge to overcome."

Get Tested
The Lesbian & Gay Foundation's Rapid HIV Testing clinic for gay and bi men runs every Thursday at LGF, 5 Richmond Street, Manchester, M1 3HF.
The clinic takes place every Thursday at The LGF from 4-6pm and you can just drop-in, as no appointment is necessary.
 

You can find details of the nearest HIV test centres in NW England here

Early Testing Saves Lives - the Halve It  campiagn position paper

Be a HIV Activist

posted: 09/12/2010

NAT (National AIDS Trust) invite everyone to join others and become a HIV Activist, whether you are personally affected by HIV or simply feel strongly about HIV issues. All you need is to want to do something that can make a difference.

Local action and local services

Being a HIV Activist empowers us all, including people living with HIV, when we join others in simple direct actions on HIV issues that affect lives, rights and wellbeing. We need local activists in every district now, because more and more decisions, including about cuts, are now being made locally.

We encourage people to be passionate about HIV and HIV Activists will be given the tools to speak out, and help make the voice and needs of people living with HIV heard by the people making the decisions which affect our lives.

Why be a HIV Activist?
You can have your say on the matters you feel strongly about, such as

• Stigma and discrimination
• Funding for effective HIV prevention, treatment and support
• Poverty
• HIV education and awareness
• Immigration
• Confidentiality of HIV data.

NAT offers HIV Activists a choice of eight to ten actions at any one time. At the moment these include writing to your MP about how benefits cuts announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review, and asking your local school if their curriculum includes HIV.

Actions without revealing HIV

There will always be things you can do if you do not wish to disclose your HIV status. Everyone can sign a petition, write a letter to your local MP or school without having to say anything about HIV status.

Feedback and ideas welcome

NAT are keen to get feedback from HIV Activists, and If there’s something you feel strongly about and would like to see included as a future activist action, they’d love to hear about it.

If you are interesting in joining others as a HIV Activist or want to find out more, please email HIV Activist or ring NAT on 020 7814 6767.

There is more information about NAT’s HIV Activists here

Image - The Power to be Strong is a music video and song for World AIDS Day

Gay Men - Count Me In

posted: 03/12/2010

HIV affects gay men’s lives and thinking in some odd and complex ways. To stop the spread of HIV amiong gay and bi men, we must be serious about tackling the common wrong-headed ideas and actions that lead to HIV transmissions.

Count Me In is a community campaign from GMFA (Gay Men Fighting AIDS).

GMFA are asking gay men to make five simple pledges and for gay men’s health organisations, the gay media and community leaders to join GMFA in tackling these issues head on. The work may not be easy or straightforward, and some messages can be be difficult to hear. However, if we want a change in the health of the gay male community, this is what we need to do.

Our five steps to heaven?
The campaign asks gay men to join the campaign and commit to stop the spread of HIV by agreeing this simple five-point personal action plan:

• I will know my HIV status
• I will not assume I know anyone else’s HIV status
• I will take personal responsibility for using condoms
• I will value myself and my health
• I will stay informed about HIV and how it’s spread

If every gay man in the UK commits to each of these, we can significantly reduce the spread of HIV in our community.

• GMFA’s goal for ‘Count Me In’ campaign is
  
• for all gay men to be confident and empowered to take responsibility for our own health
• to support each other,
•  to openly discuss issues such as HIV status and safer sex without fear or stigma and
• where the barriers to effective condom use are overcome.

By working together we can prevent new infections and make a real difference to the wellbeing of gay and bi men.

GMFA Count Me In

Facebook Count Me In