HIV and Gay European Migrants

posted: 06/01/2011

Gay men from Central and Eastern Europe who now live in the UK are at risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, according to a new study.
 

Around one in four of the men surveyed said they had unprotected anal sex with a casual partner of a different or unknown HIV status, and 15% of men reported being paid for sex. The risks faced by gay and bi men from central and eastern European countries are broadly no worse nor better than the risks run by British men. But the men need culturally appropriate HIV and STI information.
 

The study looked at what happened after the ten central and eastern European states joined the European Union in 2004. Joining the EU gave people the right to live and work in the UK. The men were from the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. Most (80%) of those surveyed live in London.
 

Online recruits
Using the internet cruising sites gaydar and gayromeo, the investigators recruited 691 men. They answered in-depth on-line questionnaires. The men had a mean age of 29 years, most were working and 54% had a degree. The majority (83%) have lived in the UK for over a year and mainly live in the capital.
 

Risks taken
There is a high level of risk behaviour raising the chances of HIV transmission.

• 13% were paid for sex in the UK, with 22% having a history of being paid for sex
• 37% said they recently used recreational drugs
• 31% have had a sexually transmitted infection
• 62% had ten or more sexual partners in the past year
• 23% had unprotected anal sex that involved a risk of HIV transmission.

But HIV testing rates were high, with 79% stating that they had ever tested, and 64% said they had tested since arriving in the UK. British men could learn something helpful about taking regular (at least annual) HIV tests, from some of these European men.
 

HIV is less common than for British men
Prevalence of HIV was 5%, much lower than prevalence among UK gay men, which some studies have suggested is as high as 12% in London, and 1 in 10 in Manchester.  Most of the men diagnosed with HIV, were diagnosed in the UK (78%).
 

Britons' bad example? Risky behaviour rises after arrival
The longer men lived in the UK, the more likely they were to report risky sex. Levels of drug use are higher after men have been here a year, and partner numbers also rise.
 

Condomless risks
Unprotected sex with casual partners of an unknown or different HIV status was linked significantly with being HIV-positive, or untested, recreational drug use, and being paid for sex in the UK.
 

“CEE (Central and Eastern European) MSM (Men who have Sex with Men) are at significant risk of the acquisition and transmission of HIV,” write the investigators, who emphasise the UK’s “duty of care to ensure that MSM from CEE countries are aware of their sexual health services in the UK and are able to access them.” They call for HIV prevention materials to be tailored to meet the needs of these men.

“Our findings suggest that CEE MSM report comparable levels of risk to those in the general MSM population in London and the UK,” comment the investigators, “interventions aimed at MSM should be accessible to CEE MSM.”

Source with reference

Condom Adverts on TV

posted: 17/03/2010

Changes to the rules about TV condom advertising 'may help fight HIV' say HIV charities. The Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice has just announced that condom advertising will be allowed on TV before the current 9pm adult watershed. Condom adverts will now be allowed at any time, but will not be permitted around programmes aimed at children under ten. Condom adverts will also have to comply with strict rules on taste, decency and socially responsible advertising.

Campaign success

The move was recommended by the government's Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health and HIV, which said that advertising the contraceptive method on television would help cut HIV, STIs and unwanted teenage pregnancies.

Deborah Jack, the chief executive of NAT (National AIDS Trust), said: "It is good news that the ban of advertising condoms on television before 9pm has been lifted. Condoms are the most effective way of protecting against HIV transmission when having sex. Over 7,000 people were diagnosed with HIV in 2008 so increasing education about safer sex is important. It makes sense that condom adverts will be allowed to be shown in the early evening at the same time as soaps, such as Hollyoaks, which include storylines about sexual relationships and HIV.”

Carl Burnell, chief executive at GMFA, the gay men’s health charity, added: “This shouldn’t just be about reducing pregnancies. Condom-use is a central sexual health and HIV prevention message and needs to reach those most in need, particularly gay men. In that respect, we welcome the relaxing of the rules. However, commercial adverts promoting brands aren’t enough. Of more importance is making sure men receive the information and support they need to protect themselves and their partners.”

"Prevention is better than cure when dealing with sexually transmitted infections or unplanned pregnancies. Relaxing the watershed is another positive step in getting safe sex messages to the public," said Baroness Gould, chairwoman of the Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health and HIV.

However the welcome is not universal - the Church of England said it was "especially disappointing to see a relaxation of the rules on targeting condom advertising at under-16s". A spokesman said: "The Church supports the sensitive use of media to offer unbiased and authoritative information to young people, but educational and commercial objectives should not be muddled."

Other changes

Other changes will see tougher action on television adverts which promote violent video games or products which make spurious claims about being environmentally friendly.

This new advertising code - and the earlier condom adverts - will appear on TV screens after September 1st.

Image - blog with 41 creative condom adverts

Source and Source2

Hollyoaks and HIV Hate

posted: 17/02/2009

Hollyoaks, the Channel 4 soap opera, is famous for tackling real-life issues, and the teen soap is set to explore prejudice towards people living with HIV next week.

Viewers were appalled a few months ago when Malachy Fisher was diagnosed with HIV but continued to have unprotected sex with then girlfriend Mercedes McQueen, without telling her.

After a turbulent few months the couple reunited and married shortly afterwards. However, the subject of Malachy's condition will come up once again when it emerges that Myra McQueen is scared she could catch the virus by simply touching her new son-in-law.

Glen Wallace, who plays Malachy on the Cheshire-set soap, feels the storyline has been a long time coming.

He said: "Hollyoaks has a track record of tackling big issues, be it Nico's [Newt's] mental illness or the bulimia storyline we had quite recently. The HIV storyline is relevant to today's youth culture, and as they're the ones watching the show we can tackle the issues in a sensitive way."

source

Holyoaks and Malachy