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INSIght News

50 Pounds for Fun and 100 Words

posted: 29/10/2009

large group of people jumping in celebration on a beach at sunsetGo out and have fun with some positive friends, write 100 words about it, take a photo (if you can) and send it all to Gus. Be quick - it needs to reach him no later than Friday 4 November. Gus says even a two-sentence quote will do, he doesn't want it to seem like an assignment!

Every published piece of writing for the Christmas and World AIDS Day issue of HIV Treatment Update will get £50.
 

Gus Cairns wants the Christmas/World AIDS Day issue of HIV Treatment Update to talk about your experiences of HIV socialising: how you meet other positive people and have fun with them.

The idea is to have it written by the people who go to groups and people who do things. It doesn’t matter if you think you can’t write proper English – send it in and he’ll tidy it up.

How do you  beat isolation and stigma?
As Gus says, HIV positive people often face isolation and stigma (sometimes self-imposed) but in line with the piece on happiness in the last HIV Treatment Update, they want people’s stories of how you overcome isolation and stigma.

  • Do you have a circle of HIV positive friends you network with, or an HIV+friendly circle?
  • How important is the social support of other HIV+ people to you?
  • What activities do you enjoy doing together? Or
  • Do you feel you lack social support and would like somewhere friendly and informal to go to?

The definition of a “social group” for this article is that it could be formal, semi-formal or completely informally organised, but shouldn’t feel formal.

Is my group OK?

  • If it’s a formal group run by an organisation (HIV or otherwise), it should feel like a fun place to go: one of the African ‘let’s get together and have a meal and a chat’ groups for instance. Or an HIV disco night. Or something.
  • Semi-formal means something like the London gay men’s HIV Meet-Up group.
  • Informal means any group of poz friends who get together to do stuff now and then.
  • It should NOT be about a “support group” in the classic sense. i.e. we don't want something about counselling or groups for people who are newly diagnosed.
  • The other exclusion is that this isn’t primarily a piece about sex, dating or finding love, and although you may find romance (or a shag) in social groups, the emphasis is on meeting and hanging out with friends and potential friends.

Photos? permission and confidentiality
If you do go out and end up sending in photos, PLEASE make sure you have people’s consent to be featured in HIV Treatment Update and that the person's pictured are happy with people knowing or assuming that they may be HIV+. Alternatively, take photos that don’t identify people.
 

All contributions welcomes – this is a chance to get your name (disguised if you want) in HIV Treatment Update.
 

Send your pictures and words to Gus, editor of HIV Treatment Update by Friday 4 November.


How can I get HIV Treatment Update?
You can get HIV Treatment Update free here (pdf version)
click Add to basket, then (top right in basket area) click Proceed, then at the checkout click Proceed , and on the next page give your email etc details.
 

You can get a printed copy posted free here (free print version for people living with HIV) - simply follow the instructions above
 


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