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Guide for GPs About HIV
posted: 19/05/2011
The popular booklet HIV in Primary Care has a brand new edition ideal for the many GPs unfamiliar with HIV, to help GPs provide high quality care for people living with HIV.
Tell your GP to use this
People living with HIV can help their GP provide better healthcare by telling them about this booklet – it is free to download from MedFASH, or doctors can buy a copy for only £10.
Diagnose and Test
With over a quarter people with HIV in the UK still undiagnosed, the new booklet HIV in Primary Care will help doctors and practice nurses to consider HIV as a possible diagnosis and to test new patients. Testing all new patients is advised in the UK National Guidelines for HIV Testing, which recommend the routine offer of HIV testing for patients with certain conditions or risk factors, and particularly in areas such as Greater Manchester and Blackpool, where HIV prevalence is high.
Better care for patients with HIV
GPs can also help improve their services accessible to people living with HIV by reassuring patients about confidentiality in their practices and by making links with local HIV clinics.
As well as covering testing, the booklet also offers up-to-date information on primary healthcare for patients with HIV, covering day-to-day issues such as contraception, immunisation and cervical screening, as well as side-effects of HIV antiretroviral drugs and potential drug interactions.
GPs who have traditionally not had any or much contact with patients with HIV will see more people with HIV in their surgeries for non-HIV-related problems, because HIV clinics are no longer providing general medical care.
Doctor says
Dr Surinder Singh, a GP from Deptford in London and co-author of the booklet, said: “With the move toward shared care models for people with long-term conditions, GPs will undoubtedly find themselves dealing with people with HIV. In fact it is no more difficult than managing patients with diabetes. The essential element is trust. Ensuring that patients feel confident to disclose their positive HIV status is key, and we hope this booklet will give GPs the information they need to feel confident to provide primary care for HIV-positive patients. Remember that the local HIV specialist unit is available to answer questions from GPs.”
Over 25,000 copies of the first edition of HIV in Primary Care have been distributed since its launch in 2004 and it has received excellent feedback from users.
Getting HIV in Primary Care booklet
Copies can be obtained from MedFASH at £10 per copy, or it can be downloaded free of charge from MedFASH.
The direct download link is here
HIV in Primary Care: an essential guide for GPs, practice nurses and other members of the primary healthcare team by Dr Sara Madge, Dr Philippa Matthews, Dr Surinder Singh and Dr Nick Theobald.
Drs Matthews and Singh are practicing GPs, Drs Madge and Theobald are HIV specialists with a background in general practice. All the authors are involved in GP education.
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New HIV Mental Health Standards
posted: 08/04/2011
The first standards for mental health services for adults living with HIV are now out for public comments, until the end of May.
The new Standards for psychological support for adults living with HIV were written by a team of experts, with the help of patients’ representatives and the HIV community sector, including George House Trust, Terrence Higgins Trust and NAT (National AIDS Trust).
The new standards describe the care that adults living with HIV should expect to receive from all the services providing mental health and psychological support, from any time after HIV diagnosis. These are not designed for children and teenagers with HIV, but it is hoped that standards for younger people will soon follow.
Psychological support means ‘any form of support which is aimed at helping people living with HIV to enhance their mental health and their cognitive and emotional wellbeing’. Mental health support comes in lots of different ways and not just from experts.
Many people with receive really valuable support from other people living with HIV – at services such as spaces, groups, weekends, which is known as 'peer support'. Experts like psychologists and other professionals (counsellors, nurses, psychiatrists and others) working in HIV clinics, at doctors surgeries and other clinics, as well as in HIV and other community services, provide more specialist support, treatment and help.
Stepped Care and 9 Standards
The standards follow a four-stage 'Stepped Care' model, to match people's growing psychological support needs, as these get more serious and complex.
- Standard 1: promotion of mental health and wellbeing
- Standard 2: support at the time of diagnosis
- Standard 3: screening
- Standard 4: competence to provide psychological support
- Standard 5: comprehensive psychological support services
- Standard 6: co-ordination of psychological support
- Standard 7: evidence-based practice
- Standard 8: evaluation and audit
- Standard 9: engagement of people living with HIV
Say what you think
Comments on the draft standards are very welcome from anyone with experience (good or bad) of using or providing mental health support for people living with HIV. They’d like people to use their special form for your response. This helps by asking questions, and gives you space for any general comments on the whole standards, and on each of the 9 standards.
The standards should be used by the people deciding what mental health support services for people with HIV are provided in each district and by the people providing those services for checking their services are up to the standards.
The Standards
Please use this consultation response form and send your comments to MedFash by 5.00pm on Tuesday 31st May 2011.
These standards are a joint initiative of the Faculty for HIV & Sexual Health of the Division of Clinical Psychology of the British Psychological Society (BPS), the British HIV Association (BHIVA) and the Medical Foundation for AIDS & Sexual Health (MedFASH).
New Government Mental Health Strategy - No Health Without Mental Health
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Guide to Safer Sex Advice
posted: 01/03/2011
The British HIV Association has produced draft guidance for STI clinics on offering Safer Sex Advice for the UK. They are inviting comments on their draft Guidelines.
The Safer Sex Advice guidelines recommend behaviour change interventions, what safer sex advice to give people at risk of STIs, and advising people living with HIV and people at greater risk of HIV infection.
The guidance is also useful for GPs and HIV care services when offering Safer Sex Advice.
Comment on Safer Sex Advice Guidance
Comments deadline is 31 May 2011 - comment through this webpage
Safer Sex Advice Guidance for the UK
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HIV Sperm Washing NorthWest
posted: 08/02/2011
Sperm washing for people with HIV is now available in North West England. Sperm washing cuts the risk of HIV transmission for couples who want a baby, when the male is living with HIV but his female partner is HIV negative. Sperm washing cuts the risk of passing HIV to the female partner and of the mother then passing HIV to the baby.
More information on sperm washing and HIV here
New sperm washing service in Liverpool
A Liverpool clinic now offers sperm washing and fertility services to people with HIV and other blood borne viruses.
People wanting sperm washing before now have had to travel around 200 miles to London.
Dr Chitra Babu (from the Hathersage Clinic at Manchester Royal Infirmary), has worked with the Greater Manchester Sexual Health Network to arrange in principle for funding to pay for this sperm washing, as a way of reducing the risk of HIV transmission.
HIV positive men with HIV negative partners who want to have children should both go together and talk with their HIV clinic about sperm washing and other ways to cut HIV transmission risks. Liverpool can also provide other fertility treatments – talk with your local HIV clinic.
Leaflet for patients and guidelines for clinics
Within the next couple of weeks there will be a leaflet for couples affected by HIV and guidelines for clinics, and we will then add these here.
Information Sessions - HIV and having a family
Positively UK are holding two HIV and Pregnancy information sessions at George House Trust:
Preconception and Pregnancy:
Saturday 19 February 2011
13:00 – 15:00
Delivery and After Care:
Saturday 19 March 2011
13:00 – 15:00
Both men and women are welcome to attend.
If you need a space for a child at the crèche, please book this in advance
For further information contact Jill Cooke at GHT on 0161 274 4499 or email her, or Angelina from Positively UK on 0207 713 0444 or email her
More information on HIV and pregnancy
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Lancashire World AIDS Day
posted: 24/11/2010
World AIDS Day events in Preston and central Lancashire are
- Friday 26th November 2010
9pm til late - Red Ribbon Cabaret at
53 Degrees @ UCLAN - University of Central Lanchashire, Preston
The annual evening of entertainment to raise funds for local HIV Charities
Tickets £10-12 on the door
- Wednesday 1st December 2010
5pm - 7pm
Awareness Raising, Live Performances and Information Sharing
at Harris Library, Preston
at 7:00pm Light refreshments, then at 7.30pm candlelit procession from the Harris Library to St Johns Minster Church
at 7.45pm in St Johns Minster Church, a multi faith service of remembrance and celebration
Finishing at 8.30pm
- Ending with a closing party at The Hangout Bar (behind The Bears Paw pub on Church St).
More information
on these events or how you, or your organisation can support World AIDS Day 2010, please email or phone Peter Channon, Lancashire HIV Services Coordinator, 01772 253 732
The HIV Service for Central Lancashire is: CLASS - helpline 01772 825 684
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