HIV Prevention Conference Talks

posted: 11/04/2011

The presentations, from all the speakers at the national CHAPS gay and other men who have sex with men’s (MSM) HIV prevention conference, are now available online. This CHAPS conference was held in Manchester, in March.

The full programme here tells you who the speakers were and more about each talk  
 

Here’s what’s available - the presentations are PowerPoint files. 

If you need a programme to view PowerPoint presentations download the PowerPoint Viewer programme here 
 

Session 1

• Work with prisons
• Advice services for PLHIV
• Advice services for PLHIV 2
• HIV prevention with the over 50s
• Asian MSM
• Sexual health services in the community
• Online initiatives
• Online initiatives 2 - social media
   

Session 2 

• The role of fear in HIV prevention
• Re-engaging the community
• South London HIV Prevention (SLHP) model of HIV prevention 1
• SLHP model of HIV prevention 2
• SLHP model of HIV prevention 3
• SLHP model of HIV prevention 4
• SLHP model of HIV prevention 5
• SLHP model of HIV prevention 6
• European MSM Internet Sex Survey (EMIS)
• Treatment as prevention 1
• Treatment as prevention 2

 Session 3 

• Targeted working
• Transmen 1
• Transmen 2
• Sex workers 1
• Sex workers 2
• Blood donations
• Partner numbers and patterns

Session 4 

• Undiagnosed infection - partner notification
• Undiagnosed infection - MSM
• National LGB Drugs and Alcohol Database
• The role of fear in HIV prevention
• Sexual orientation monitoring
• European MSM Internet Sex Survey - Differences in STI testing
• The changing sexual behaviours of MSM

Session 5 

• Measuring outcomes 1
• Measuring outcomes 2
• Measuring outcomes 3
• Treatment as prevention 1
• Treatment as prevention 2
• Just gay men?
• Condom and lube distribution 1
• Condom and lube distribution 2
• Pornography and gay men's attitudes towards sex, risk and pleasure
• Telling partners about HIV status 1
• Telling partners about HIV status 2

Session 6 

• Re-engaging the community
• HIV and ageing
• Young people and homophobia
• Crystal Meth
• Testing times 1
• Testing times 2

Talking and Telling about HIV

posted: 28/02/2011

There’s a lot of fuss made about how important it is for gay and bi men diagnosed with HIV to tell their sexual partners about HIV, before any sex takes place – which is known as ‘disclosure’.

Telling people whether or not you have an STI / HIV is your choice.

We think it is smarter if every  person in the UK were to talk about HIV and discuss their and partners’ HIV and STI status and risks before sex. But telling others about having HIV is always a choice.

One-sided talking

One major problem is that undiagnosed people, including gay and bi men, rarely ever talk about their own HIV status, but instead expect diagnosed people to always reveal their HIV status.

Some undiagnosed men then decide not to have sex, or decide on less risky sex after the partner says they have HIV.

Conference debates

George House Trust has critically examined the evidence for and against relying on being told HIV status as a way of avoiding getting HIV. Chris Morley, George House Trust's HIV policy expert, issued a challenge to gay men's HIV prevention workers when he gave a detailed presentation at the CHAPS conference last week for England's sexual health and HIV prevention organisations.

The challenge is to tell undiagnosed men that relying on being told by people with HIV is a seriously flawed way to try to avoid HIV. The HIV risk run by men expecting disclosure is simply too high. The challenge was also to help undiagnosed men be more respectful to anyone who does disclose having HIV. Some disclosing men with HIV are then shamed, abused, rejected, or worse.

Talking about HIV happens very unevenly and the expectations of disclosure put an unbalanced burden on people with HIV.

Dysfunctional Disclosure

The far bigger problem however, is that relying on being told, and being told accurately, is a highly risky way to manage anyone's HIV risks.

Only men diagnosed with HIV have HIV status information that is at all reliable.

Depending on men to tell you they have HIV puts you at a big HIV risk. Disclosure doesn't work at all well as a way of staying HIV negative. 

• 1 in 3 gay and bi men have never had a HIV tested - so untested, can't tell anyone anything useful about their own HIV status
• Men who have been tested usually only have information that is past its sell-by date
• Many men have had condomless anal sex since they had their last negative HIV test. An MOT certificate saying your car was roadworthy is no guarantee of future safety after you have had a crash. In the same way, a negative HIV test result becomes worthless once you have had unprotected sex.
• The only dependable information is from men who have been diagnosed with HIV to tell you this; but not all diagnosed men disclose in all situations; for example disclosure by diagnosed HIV+ men is less common in gay saunas and clubs.

George House Trust is also making a second presentation, about cuts in legal advice and representation for people with HIV. 

HIV Legal Advice Services
Among the hundreds of cuts, one cut would remove most legal aid for advice and representation at courts and tribunals. £450 million is to be slashed from budgets for advice, such as provided by Citizens Advice, Manchester Advice, Law Centres and other organisations, for immigration and asylum, welfare benefits, housing, employment and most discrimination cases.
 

This will affect millions of people a year, and you can tell things will become really bad, because even the Judges’ Council has gone public with its objections.

HIV Talking and Telling - George House Trust discussion for CHAPS-14 conference, Manchester  

HIV Advice Services - George House Trust discussion for CHAPS-14 Conference, Manchester

CHAPS-14 Conference, Manchester, March 9-11th

Image - Let's Talk HIV - Swedish language HIV site
 

Doctor Talk – What’s Said?

posted: 23/12/2010

You have just 15 minutes to talk with your HIV doctor and the clock is ticking.     What should you talk about?     Are you saying the right thing?     Does your doctor understand you?      Do you understand the doctor?      Is the doctor treating you seriously?

Lindsay Calder and James Miller from Living Well  talk to doctors and patients about this special relationship.

Click to read the article, first published this summer, in HIV Treatment Update.
 

Read about

• What we want from our doctor
• Telling it like it is
• Working the 15-minute slot
• Take PART
• You’ve got mail
• The special relationship
• Information levels

You may also find this helpful : You and Your Doctor factsheet.

HIV Treatment Update  back issues online

Gay Men's Space Events

posted: 18/05/2010

Gay Men's Space has regular events and activities every two weeks. Let's Talk is a monthly discussion about things the men at the Space have chosen. And also monthly we have some activity or talk. We've now added the details of the discussions, activities and events, including the annual summer BBQ to our web diary.

You can download our leaflet with details about the Space, Frequently Asked Questions, a map and what activities you can look forward to at the Space until late September.

HIV Information on Tour

posted: 17/05/2010

UPDATED 20 MAY - LEEDS and NEWCASTLE DATES CORRECTED

HIV and Your Body is the theme for free workshops for people living with HIV. Find out more about HIV and your Heart, Kidneys, Bones, Liver, and Body Shape.

Robert Fieldhouse, the editor of Baseline, is running a series of talks in the North-West, Midlands, West Yorkshire and North East of England.
 

Blackburn        with THRIVINE at Jarman Centre 53 James Street, Blackburn, Lancashire BB1 6BE
contact James 01254 263 525
Saturday 22 May 2pm HIV and your Bones
Tuesday 17 August 6pm Choice of HIV and Your …. Heart, Kidneys, Liver, and Body Shape

Manchester      at Black Health Agency (BHA) 464 Chester Road, Manchester M16 9HE
Monday 5 July                1pm       HIV and your Kidneys
Monday 6 September       1pm       Choice of HIV and Your …. Heart, Bones, Liver, and Body Shape
contact BHA 0845 450 4247

Birmingham         at ABPLus 29-30 Lower Essex Street, Birmingham, B5 6SN 

Tuesday 13 July             7pm       HIV and your Liver
Tuesday 10 August         7pm       Choice of HIV and Your …. Heart, Kidneys, Bones, and Body Shape

Leeds                      at Skyline 4th floor Gallery House, The Headrow, Leeds, LS1

CORRECTED DATES

Thursday 8 JULY              6pm       HIV and your Body Shape
Thursday 5 August          6pm       Choice of HIV and Your …. Heart, Kidneys, Bones, and Liver
 

Newcastle upon Tyne       at Body Positive North East 12 Upper Princess Square, Newcastle, NE1 0191 232 2855
Wednesday 7 JULY       3.30pm         HIV and your Heart

Wednesday 4 AUGUST        3.30pm         Choice of HIV and Your …. Heart, Kidneys, Bones, and Liver
The Leeds and Newcastle dates on the postcard with detilas of this talks tour are incorrect. Robert has told us the corrected dates above.

Further details from the speaker Robert Fieldhouse 07886 159 735 or by email

These talks are all funded by the drugs company Gilead Sciences