Better TB Awareness

posted: 04/05/2011

People living with HIV have a higher risk of getting TB (tuberculosis) and there is now a rapid rise in the number of people getting TB in this country.

When people have HIV, TB is harder to diagnose, develops faster and, if it is not diagnosed or treated properly, people are more likely to die. But TB can be cured with a course of antibiotics. There were over 9000 new cases of TB in 2009 in the UK – more than the number of new HIV cases.

Know the risks and what to do

People with HIV need to understand the risks of getting TB and the need for early diagnosis and treatment. However many people don’t realise the risks and the stigma linked with both HIV and TB means people often put off seeking help.

TB Alert has joined with the African Health Policy Network (AHPN) to raise awareness of TB among people with HIV, particularly in the UK's African community, which is the most affected.

There’s a new leaflet for people with HIV which explains TB, what it is, how it is passed on, the risk factors, common symptoms and the relationship between TB and HIV. The leaflet tells people what to do if they are concerned about TB or HIV, and provides a full list of sources of advice and information.

TB Alert's The Truth About TB programme has lots of other resources. The TB programme brings together primary care trusts (PCTs), local authorities and the community sector to work together and raise TB awareness among the most vulnerable communities.

About TB
TB is caused by bacteria transmitted through the air when someone with TB in the lungs or throat coughs or sneezes. TB is quite hard to catch and pass on - you have to be in close contact with someone for many hours.
 

TB can affect any part of the body. Symptoms depend on which part of the body is affected, but the most common are:

• a cough lasting more than three weeks
• unexplained weight loss
• loss of appetite
• fever
• night sweats
• extreme tiredness.
   

Anyone with these symptoms should see a doctor.

TB is curable with a course of antibiotics and all TB treatment is always free for everyone living in the UK.
 

TB Alert website 

This includes guidance and posters, including for asylum seekers, homeless people, drug users and people in prison, as well as videos.

Football, HIV and Saving Lives

posted: 16/03/2011

When Birmingham City play Arsenal in the Carling Cup Final this weekend, they are launching a HIV awareness campaign for soccer fans.
 

Birmingham City and England goalie Ben Foster with midfielders Alexander Hleb and Craig Gardner are supporting Football Saving Lives, a national health promotion project.
 

Get Tested, then Stay Negative or Get Treated
“Saving lives is, of course, a lot harder than saving goals,” says Ben Foster, “but I’m a proud to be an ambassador for this campaign, precisely because it makes things so simple: get tested, get treated.

It’s as easy as that. It is definitely in your best interest to get HIV tested if you get the opportunity: if you’re negative, then you can stay that way, and if you turn out positive there are now life saving treatments available ”.
 

22,000 people do not know they have HIV
Football Saving Lives is part of a Birmingham NHS HIV campaign. Dr Steve Taylor says “One in four of those who have HIV are unaware they’re infected. That means that they cannot access the life-saving treatment we can now offer, and in addition they may well be unknowingly infecting others. We need to tackle this problem and diagnose the 22,000 people in the UK who have HIV but are totally unaware.”
 

Football Saving Lives raises public HIV awareness and corrects the wrong ideas people may have about HIV and HIV testing. Being rhis reluctance to take HIV tests, or thinking you are not at risk, remain key reasons why so many are untested and often end up in hospital because of the damage HIV infection causes over time.
 

People still die of HIV even though excellent treatment gives people reasonable health and life propects as long as people are tested and diagnosed early.
Soccer fans may not give much thought to HIV so the players and campaigns hopes to make fans think and act.
 

HIV hasn’t gone away
“I grew up in Birmingham,” says Blues midfielder Gardner, “and I remember the HIV prevention campaigns at school. But I haven’t heard anybody talk about HIV for years – I thought it had just gone away. But to think that there are some 22,000 people out there who have no idea they are infected is a really scary statistic. I’m supporting this campaign because I believe that education and raising awareness are the best ways of helping young people look after their sexual health and start to reduce the spread of HIV.”
 

Testing and timely HIV treatment allows people to live a near normal life. Treatment also helps cut the spread of HIV because people on successful HIV treatment with undetectable viral loads are far less likely to pass on HIV.
 

Almost all pregant women get tested - why not soccer fans?

Ninety-five per cent of pregnant women already receive an HIV test as standard, and if the mother has HIV treatment of the mother and baby means babies now rarely get HIV.
 

“Football Saving Lives is about getting these really important public health messages regarding sexual health and HIV testing out to the public,” summarises Alexander Hleb, on loan to Birmingham City from Barcelona.
 

Football Saving Lives, includes player profiles

Source

HIV ‘Inbetweeners’ and ‘Misfits’

posted: 21/02/2011

Life in my shoes challenges the stigma and prejudice around HIV and corrects misunderstandings about HIV transmission and treatment.It's a new campaign aimed at teenagers and families affected by HIV, organised by the London family HIV charity Body and Soul.

Life in My Shoes is fronted by actors from the popular television shows The Inbetweeners and Misfits, to appeal to teenage interests, and it offers young people exciting opportunities.

Could you be their star?
Life in my Shoes is a film which will be distributed to secondary schools. The campaign has begun with a competition to find a young person to star in the film. There’s a short script about HIV misconceptions and prejudices. You upload your auditions to the online gallery.

Help spread the word about Life in my Shoes - visit the website, and encourage young people to join the competition. The competition is for all between 14-21 who have stars in their eyes to be on screen, whether or not your life has been affected by HIV.

You can audition and star without saying anything about whether or how HIV affects you.

Young people with or affected by HIV should check the other wannabe stars in the audition gallery. It is a treat to see young people, who may not have thought much about HIV previously, reading the script and showing support for young people whose lives are touched by HIV.

Audition and upload

Upload you audition using their script before Thursday 17 March – St Patrick’s Day
 

Life in my Shoes  is a response to findings from research commissioned by Body & Soul and undertaken by OPM into the attitudes of teenagers to HIV.

Download their report Attitudes to HIV among 12-18 years olds in London 
 

Social Media - Talking About HIV

posted: 14/02/2011

All is not lost in the world of raising HIV awareness.  I Talk Because ....  is a cheap-as-chips community HIV awareness social media campaign in the USA. People shoot and upload their own video clips saying why they talk to other people about HIV.
 

It began in 2009 as a way to put HIV back onto New York people's radars. Going Viral Against HIV and STIs was the first social media conference looking to exploit the potential for HIV of social media and I talk because is just one example. 
 

Dozens of celebrities and others have now uploaded videos with thousands of views. This led Mashable.com, a social media news site, to make ‘I talk because ….’ one of the top five YouTube projects that are ‘making a difference’.

The ‘I Talk because …’ campaign debunks HIV myths and gives the facts, not just amongst peers, but across generations. It encourages conversations within families. And ultimately a willingness to talk is worthwhile because it breaks down boundaries and stigma.

"The stories of real people, and of how HIV has affected their lives, is a powerful way to bring home the message that HIV has not gone away, and that HIV continues its assault every day."
 

Cheap as chips

Another reason to like this campaign: the cheap-as-chips cost. The recent USA federal government’s campaign It's Never Just HIV cost $726,000 but "I Talk Because ..." is almost free because all the videos are user-generated. And it provides dozens of individual meaningful messages.
 

We should have more campaigns like this because it helps people realise that it's OK to talk about HIV. Talking encourages testing, and cuts HIV stigma and blame.
 

Upload vids to I talk because here

Manchester Art Gallery World AIDS Day Events

posted: 19/11/2010

George House Trust and Manchester Art Gallery are working together on two events to raise awareness about HIV and challenge HIV related stigma.

The first event is a Family Art Day on Saturday 4th December from 1pm-3pm. This event is open to all families with children aged 6-11 years old and is free. The event is themed around World AIDS Day and using the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt to raise awareness about HIV. The event is completely free. Please arrive at 12:30pm to sign up for activities at Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3JL.

The second event is an Imagine Weekend on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th December, 12noon-4pm open to adults and to families with children of any age. The event will focus on making a work of art from Red Ribbons. This event is completely free. No need to book - just drop in.

Please note that both these events are open to the general public and all activities will be delivered by Manchester Art Gallery staff, not staff from George House Trust. We therefore cannot guarantee confidentiality, if you choose to share personal information at these events.

You can find further information at: http://www.manchestergalleries.org/