Scary NY HIV Video

posted: 20/12/2010

New York City's Department of Health is defending a controversial ad that uses rotting brains, decaying bones and bleeding anuses to convince young gay and bi men to use condoms.
 

"I am completely comfortable with what we put out here. I have talked with many young men who are HIV positive," said Dr. Monica Sweeney, assistant commissioner for the city's Bureau of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control. "This is not fabricated. These are real conditions that affect people even though their viral load might be under control."
 

'Offensive and dishonest', or 'Prevention shock value'

The ad has split people – many are offended by its scare tactics and call the campaign dishonest – but others think the video's shock value could prevent the spread of HIV.
 

"I reject portraying my life -- 15 years and counting with HIV -- as a hellish nightmare," said Jim Pickett, advocacy director at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. "Has it been tough? Yes ... living with HIV is challenging, but it is not one big long scream of agony for most of us. But nuance isn't eye catching or sexy, is it?"
 

The controversial NY City Department of Health video ‘It’s Never Just HIV’

Scaring people about HIV does NOT work
There is no evidence that scaring people works for HIV – and much evidence to show it does far more harm than good – the recent UK review of all the evidence, the Role of Fear in HIV Prevention, shows the use of fear fails.
 

Does using fear of HIV work?
Would using more fear in HIV prevention work? ‘The role of fear in HIV prevention’ is written as a guide for gay men’s HIV prevention workers, but many other people, including people with HIV, are very interested in this and have strong views about it. It is an interesting and informative read, on four illustrated pages.
 

It looks at the scientific evidence for whether fear works or not, considers the ideas behind it, and looks into the unforeseen consequences and risks of using fear in HIV campaigns.
 

Fear is for the Fearless
The evidence shows that fear only works with people who are not already frightened by HIV. But 98% of gay men say (in Gay Men’s Sex Survey, 2008) they agree or agree strongly that “HIV is still a very serious medical condition.” So almost every single gay and bi man is already fearful of HIV. Perversely, adding to that fear can make things worse for the men at more risk of HIV.
 

As Adam Bourne says:

“It will remain a constant challenge for those promoting sexual health and well-being to attract the attention of their target audience among the many other advertisements that compete for their attention.
“The temptation is to produce shocking or explicit imagery, which may stand a better chance of being noticed or being remembered.
“However, it is doubtful whether it will actually be successful at influencing behavioural choices.
“Most gay men and other men who have sex with men are already motivated to avoid HIV, but some still lack the knowledge or the power to do so.”
________________________________________
“Inducing fear is not an effective way to promote previous HIV relevant learning or condom use either immediately following the intervention, or later on.
However, HIV counselling and testing can provide an outlet for previous HIV-related anxiety and, subsequently, gains in both knowledge and behaviour change immediately and longitudinally.”  Earl & Albarracin, 2007

The role of fear in HIV prevention, Adam Bourne, 2010, Sigma Research Briefing no.1 for the CHAPS gay and bi men’s HIV prevention partnership

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More information and comment from The Body (leading USA HIV website)

The NY City Department of Health video ‘It’s Never Just HIV’

Hospital Blamed for HIV Stigma

posted: 30/06/2010

The recent publicity and invitation to over 500 patients cared for by a healthcare worker with HIV to have a HIV test at York Hospital has been described as “disgraceful” by one of the city’s leading academics.
 

Professor David Maughan Brown, deputy vice-chancellor of York St John University, accused NHS bosses of not caring “who they terrify” or “how severely they stigmatise people living with HIV”.
 

In a letter to The Press, York’s local paper, Prof Maughan Brown questioned the thinking behind the hospital asking 519 patients to undergo HIV tests “because they have come into contact with a hospital worker who is HIV positive”.
 

Gross over-reaction and HIV stigma
He suggested there had been “a staggeringly inappropriate over-reaction by people so fearful of the risk of litigation, however incredibly remote, that they don’t care who they terrify or how severely they stigmatise people living with HIV”. He claimed the alternative was that senior medical personnel in the UK were so ignorant about the transmission of the HIV virus that they believed it could be passed on by casual contact. “Of the two disgraceful alternatives, one can but hope it is the former,” he said.
 

Risk ‘very low’
His comments come after the paper revealed last week how 101 former hospital patients in York had received letters asking them to attend HIV testing, after being treated by a member of clinical staff who was found to have HIV. Patients were offered support, counselling and the opportunity to undergo testing, but experts said the risk of cross-infection was very low.
 

A spokesman for NHS North Yorkshire and York said it would be “inappropriate” to comment on Prof Maughan Brown’s letter, due to an injunction preventing the publication of any information which could lead to the identification of the staff member. However, the trust repeated an earlier statement that only those who had received a letter asking them to undergo testing needed to contact their hospital.
 

Not one HIV infection from any HIV+ healthcare worker
Thousands of people have been scared across the NHS over the years, but no-one has ever been found with HIV from a NHS healthcare worker. George House Trust believes this was another pointless scare, stigmatising people and HIV. Much of the advice in the cautious NHS guidelines (now 5 years old) seems to have been ignored.

York Hospital's bad record with HIV

Two years ago York Hospital lost 19 people’s HIV medical notes in the street

NHS Guidance: HIV Infected Health Care Workers: Guidance on Management and Patient Notification [July 2005]
 

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New York, New York Memorial

posted: 10/07/2009

A memorial party for drag queen par excellence Petra at New York, New York raised £225.35 on Sunday 28th June. The generous staff made this a memorable evening for everyone there and volunteer Lee Botham was manning the collecting buckets on the night. We say a big thank you to New York, New York customers and staff and all of Petra’s friends, family and colleagues.

Sue Fletcher, community fundraising coordinator says:
‘Thanks so much to New York, New York for inviting us down to collect on the night. The staff and customers at New York, New York know how to throw a party in style and we’re delighted to receive this generous donation to support our work.’
 

York Hospital Loses HIV Notes

posted: 07/04/2009

Confidential medical records with details of 19 seriously-ill York Hospital patients were found in the street two miles away.

An investigation has now been launched about how the file, picked up by a passer-by, was lost.

The document revealed their name, age and medical history – with one person having HIV and syphilis.

The people affected were mainly elderly, except one 27-year-old. The hospital has apologised and is now investigating what happened.

HIV, confidentiality and stigma

Paul Ward, deputy chief executive of the Terence Higgins Trust said: "This breach is totally unacceptable. For anyone with HIV who is facing stigma, having personal information about their health being inadvertently made public is very worrying."

It could be difficult for a complex organisation like a hospital to get it right all the time, he added, but people trusted them.

"If there has been a failing we ask York Hospital to redouble its efforts to make sure it is able to ensure full confidentiality in the future."

Other patients had breast cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis. Handwritten notes found in the bundle gave details about their personal nursing care.

Mike Proctor, deputy chief executive of York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We take the protection of all patient information very seriously and we apologise to any of our patients and their families who may have been caused distress by this potential breach of their confidentiality."

The patients concerned would be contacted and reassured, he said. Policies on staff responsibilities for such information were clear. "We are appalled that details of this nature have been found outside the hospital."

He added that the trust was investigating the incident and would take appropriate action.

The papers were found by an unidentified person.

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