House of Lords to Investigate HIV

posted: 21/12/2010

The House of Lords today set up a new Committee on HIV and AIDS, chaired by Lord Fowler. Lord Fowler was the Secretary of State for Social Services with responsibility for public health, at the start of the HIV epidemic. He was a key figure in the first national public HIV awareness campaign.

Investigating and reviewing HIV in the UK

The new House of Lords Committee will look in detail at HIV in the UK. They will ‘call for evidence’ in the New Year, inviting written evidence from everyone. They will then hold public evidence sessions, before producing a report next summer.

Prevention, Testing, Treatment, Discrimination

The committee is interested especially in reviewing prevention, testing, treatment and discrimination.

After the creation of the Committee Lord Fowler, said
 

"The Committee's report will appear almost exactly a quarter of a century since the 'Don't Die of Ignorance' campaign in 1986. This is a good time to review the success of prevention and treatment policies. In the last 25 years, various efforts have been made to check the spread of the infection. Nevertheless today the number of people living with HIV is nearing 100,000. The committee will examine whether public education has been effective and how it might be improved; and also the importance of early diagnosis. Currently about 27 per cent of those with HIV do not know that they are infected. The committee will examine what improvements can be made in testing and consider evidence of discrimination. A call for evidence will be issued in the New Year."

The Committee will have a webpage within the House of Lords Committee section of the Parliamentary website. The HIV Select Committee webpage is here

HIV Committee membership:

• Lord Fowler (Chairman)
• Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall
• Lord Gardiner of Kimble
• Baroness Masham of Ilton
• Baroness Gould of Potternewton
• Lord May of Oxford
• Baroness Healy of Primrose Hill
• Lord Rea
• Baroness Hussein-Ece
• Baroness Ritchie of Brompton
• Lord McColl of Dulwich
• Baroness Tonge
   

Police, Prosecutors, Press Bungle HIV Crime

posted: 01/09/2010

Despite new police HIV crime investigation guidelines, HIV prosecution guidelines and new press HIV reporting guidelines, it appears that all were ignored and left on office shelves in the latest prosecution for reckless HIV transmission.
 

A man accused of passing on HIV to a woman of 19 was jailed for a year, and given a five year sexual offences prevention order yesterday.

Nicholas Richards, who is 31, and lived in Sittingbourne, Kent, admitted Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH) for the HIV offence of reckless HIV transmission at a previous hearing at Maidstone Crown Court.
 

Richards was also given a five-year sexual offences prevention order, which stops him from having unprotected sex or not telling his partners about his HIV.
 

He was jailed yesterday for a year on that charge and was sentenced to a further year for an unrelated GBH charge, for attacking a man in Medway, Kent.  

The court heard Richards exposed the 19-year-old woman to HIV in June 2008. The young woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, found out she had HIV during routine blood tests when she became pregnant. Her baby does not have HIV, say the police.
 

Police comments
After the hearing, Det. Ch. Insp. Simon Wilson said the crimes committed by Richards were "abhorrent and callous" and had far-reaching consequences. He said: "Not only did he knowingly infect a young girl with HIV - a disease she will have to live with for the rest of her life, but he also selfishly put her child at risk too. Thankfully, the sheer bravery the victim showed in coming forward immediately and giving evidence in court helped us secure a conviction against him and I would pay tribute to her courage." He urged anyone else who had "fallen prey" to Richards to contact the police.
 

George House Trust comment

 
More Police, Crown Prosecution Service and Press failings

Because HIV crimes are complex to investigate and prove beyond reasonable doubt, and because of the harm HIV stigma and discrimination cause, police and prosecutors have strict guidance and policies to follow in HIV cases. This case seems to prove that these were ignored. The investigation and prosecution system cannot be relied on to work properly in all HIV cases.

Police

It appears that the Police ignored their own HIV investigation guidelines. They have clearly ignored their own Communication Strategy guidance, because Det. Ch. Insp. Simon Wilson should never have made his inaccurate and sensationalising comments and blatantly fished for other people to come forward who may have ‘fallen prey’ (his words) to the man.
 

Crown Prosecution Service

The Crown Prosecution Service appear to have yet again ignored their own HIV prosecution policy and guidance. Prosecutor Roy Brown seems to have been the man responsible. Guilty pleas should not be accepted without rigorous efforts to obtain transmission evidence.There is no evidence from the media reports that phylogenetic analysis was carried out as the prosecution guidelines require. So we can't be sure the man found guilty did pass HIV to the young woman.

Press

It was only the middle of August, just a few weeks ago, that the managing editor of The Sun told us about his paper’s commitment to responsible reporting of HIV at the launch of NAT’s new press guidelines. Graham Dudman, Managing Editor at The Sun, we were told, ensures his staff use the guidelines. He says: “At The Sun we pride ourselves on getting the facts right and staying up to date. This can be a challenge in sensitive areas like HIV. NAT's guidelines for journalists are very useful, really simple to work with and lay out all the facts reporters need.”
 

He seems to have forgotten the press guidelines for HIV very, very quickly. The Sun’s headline for this HIV news story: ‘HIV fiend jailed for infecting girlfriend’
 

News reports

BBC

Independent

Daily Mail

The Sun

Vital Positive Voices

posted: 16/04/2010

Vital Positive Voices is a network of Africans in the UK living with and affected by HIV for sharing experiences and giving ourselves a voice.

Vital Positive Voices help the African HIV Policy Network’s (AHPN) work and strengthens the involvement of Africans in the policy, research and practice work. Involving and learning from Africans affected by HIV gives AHPN a much better understanding of the issues and concerns, so AHPN can be even more effective.
 

Vital Positive Voices is for Africans to :

• influence policy, research and practice
• help AHPN learn from people’s experiences 
• have a voice in the decisions that affect people's lives 
• be supported and undisadvantaged.

Benefits of joining Vital Positive Voices

• Become an ambassador for Africans in the UK affected by HIV
• Contribute to national debates and influence change
• Access to AHPN publications
• Dedicated interactive web page for Vital Positive Voices
• Reasonable expenses for attending sessions
• Advice, support and training
• AHPN Membership is free

AHPN welcome people of all ages, experiences and with diverse interests - young people, women, over 50s, men, LGBT/sexual minorities, carers/partners/dependents
 

Application form

More information

To join Vital Positive Voices download and complete the application form and email it / post it to: African HIV Policy Network (AHPN) New City Cloisters, 196 Old Street, London EC1V 9FR

Health Party Politics

posted: 13/04/2010

The health policies and the manifestos of the three main political parties in England are on their websites.

Conservative health policy        Conservative manifesto              

Liberal Democrat health policy   Liberal Democrat manifesto      

Labour health policy                Labour manifesto

HIV Policy Job with NAT

posted: 13/04/2010

As the election campaigning runs on, NAT (National AIDS Trust) is looking for a new HIV Policy and Parliamentary officer. The job is based in central London and an exciting opportunity to join NAT's small but dynamic policy and campaigns Team leading on parliamentary work at a crucial time.

NAT is working on a wide range of issues that affect people living with HIV, focused on four goals:

• Effective HIV prevention in order to halt the spread of HIV
• Early diagnosis of HIV through ethical, accessible and appropriate testing
• Equitable access to treatment, care and support for people living with HIV
• Eradication of HIV-related stigma and discrimination.

They want a graduate with a sound understanding of policy analysis, development and advocacy and at least 12 months' experience of working in a parliament-related role in the UK.

Salary range: £26,257 - £31,935

Closing date is 29 April 2010 at midday, interviews on Friday, 14 May 2010

The application pack documents can be downloaded from this page or e-mail with your name and address, or call 020 7814 6767. All materials are available in alternative formats upon request.

In the pack you will be required to complete NAT's standard application form and also answer four specific questions related to the job.