City and Guilds in HIV and AIDS

posted: 14/04/2010

Terrence Higgins Trust runs an accredited City and Guilds HIV course. The award in understanding HIV and AIDS is a formal qualification to help people improve their own knowledge of HIV to be able to talk confidently with people about HIV. The qualification

• Is for people who want to work within the HIV sector (paid or voluntary)
• Helps people challenge misunderstandings and inaccuracies
• Improves HIV knowledge and supports delivering HIV information to young people in school.

Course content

The qualification is at level 2 of the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) is awarded on successful completion of three units:

• Unit 001 Transmission and Prevention of HIV (3 credits)
• Unit 002 Stigma and discrimination in HIV and AIDS (3 credits)
• Unit 003 Managing HIV and AIDS (4 credits)

Distance learning

This is a distance learning course, spread over three months and involving attendance at a training centre for two days, one at the start of the course and one at the start of month two.The distance learning course has three units with two face to face study days held in eg central Brighton and 44 hours of study time for all units.

• Day 1 Participants will attend a training centre for Induction and Introduction to Unit 001.
• Month 1 During the first month, participants will work remotely with phone support on course work. The deadline for remote learning on Unit 001 is one month after Day 1.
• Day 2 The second day of attendance at the training centre will take place shortly after completion of unit 001. Day 2 will give an introduction to Unit 002 and Unit 003.
• Months 2 and 3 The deadline for coursework for Unit 002 and Unit 003 is two months after Day 2.

Cost
The cost for ordinary customers is £350 + VAT, but for public and voluntary sector customers £250 + VAT, with the possibility of reductions in cases of hardship.
 

Next courses

• Cardiff: 13th May Day 1 and 17th June Day 2
  
• Brighton: 25th May Day 1 and 23rd June Day 2

Courses are also held in Manchester, Leeds and London - ask when the next local course is planned.

Download an application form, or email,  or ring Justin Barrett on 020 7812 1727

Past students say:
‘The course is a must do for all working in social care or sexual education, no-matter the level.’

‘I would recommend the course to anyone non-medically trained working, or hoping to work, in the field of HIV.’

No Compulsory Sex Education

posted: 08/04/2010

A string of key education reforms – including compulsory sex education that deals with HIV and sexuality for 15 and 16 year-olds – were dropped after the Conservatives refused to back them.
 

Ministers tried to push as much of the Children, Schools and Families bill as they could through parliament before the general election. But most of the proposals were cut out because the two political parties could not agree.
 

The shelved reforms include a move to make sex education compulsory for pupils aged 15 and 16, even if their parents objected.  

Sex, relationships and HIV
Schools would have had to teach about contraception and the importance of stable relationships, including marriage and civil partnerships. Faith schools would have been free, as now, to express their religious views, but would have had to teach the national sex and relationships curriculum.
Mandatory sex education in schools would have helped reduce unwanted pregnancies and infections. It would also have corrected misleading notions about sex that teenagers sometimes pick up.
 

"There was massive support for its implementation from health professionals, teachers, parents and young people themselves. The loss of these subjects as core parts of the curriculum is catastrophic," said Andrew Copson, chief executive of the British Humanist Association. 

A Conservative spokesman said: "We supported having better sex education, but the government insisted on removing parents' rights to withdraw their children from classes they thought damaging. We think parents must have such a right". 
 

Disgraceful betrayal of young
Charities went further and said it was a "disgraceful betrayal of the next generation".
 

Lisa Power, policy director of the Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "The government does not have an excuse that they did not know the date that the election was coming. We will see the impact on young people who haven't had decent sex and relationships education: the girl who gets pregnant because the only education she got was in the playground, the people who use the word 'gay' as an insult. It's a disgraceful betrayal of the next generation. There's been very widespread agreement that young people need better sex and relationships education."
 

Julie Bentley, chief executive of the Family Planning Association, said: "We were on the verge of witnessing a historic breakthrough in the sexual health education of children and young people in England.
 

Balls said: "There is now widespread agreement that statutory PSHE (personal, social, health, and economic education) is essential to prepare young people for adult life, and our reforms would ensure that by reducing the age of parental opt-out to 15, all children receive at least one year of compulsory sex and relationship education. This is a very significant setback, which will deny many young people proper and balanced sex and relationship education."
 

Source - Sex and Relationship Education proposals dropped
Source - Sexual health charities' dismay at loss of compulsory sex and relationship education 

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African HIV Prevention Training

posted: 08/12/2009

Free training for workers delivering the National African HIV Prevention Programme (NAHIP) starts in Manchester in January (and London). The course is accredited by Open College Network (OCN). After successfully completing the course students will receive OCN or NAHIP certificates.
 

Training
There are four course units - and a total of thirteen training Mondays - from mid January to mid May.

These provide comprehensive knowledge, understanding and skills for community workers supporting African communities in HIV prevention.
 

A range of interactive learning techniques, from group work to learning from practice, will be used in all the units, giving participants a chance to share their experiences and learn from others.

NAHIP will try to identify suitable work placements needed for some course units so you can put into practice what you have learned.
 

Aims
This training programme aims to enhance knowledge, understanding and develop skills that community based HIV and AIDS service providers working with African communities need to deliver successful and effective prevention interventions in community settings.

In addition the training programme will build skills for using research-based knowledge and written NAHIP health education resources.
 

No Cost
The training is free. There is a £50 administration fee if you do not attend.
 

Training Timetable
The 200/10 training course will be provided in Manchester on Mondays from 11 January to 10 May 2010.

Make sure you tick the box for Manchester OR London.

More course information

• Unit 1: The African communities and the role of sexual health services in HIV prevention strategies Day 1 Understanding African Communities in UK Monday 11 January in Manchester
  Day 2 role of sexual health services in prevention strategies Monday 18 January in Manchester
• Unit 2: Africans living with HIV – Treatment and Prevention.
  Day 1 HIV treatments and transmission implications Monday 1 February in Manchester
  Day 2 People living with HIV and prevention Monday 8 February in Manchester
• Unit 3: Evidence based HIV prevention intervention for African communities in the UK
  4 Days Understanding HIV prevention interventions and resources
  Mondays: 22 February, 1 March, 8 March, 15 March in Manchester
• Unit 4: Designing, implementing and evaluating HIV interventions for African communities in the UK: Using research, needs assessments, data and evaluation; Planning prevention programmes; Evaluating. Mondays: 29 March, 12 April, 19 April, 26 April, 10 May in Manchester
  

Forms, details, bookings

Download the full programme & schedule  pdf
Download application form  Word
Book online here

OR email the booking form to Fletcher Phiri

OR post it to Fletcher Phiri, Naz Project, 30 Blacks Rd, London, W6 9DT
020 8741 1879

Northern contacts for more information
In Manchester: Syson Namaganda, Black Health Agency, Zion Community Resource Centre, 339 Stretford Road, Hulme, Manchester, M15 4ZY 0161 232 5386
In Leeds: Jeni Hirst, Black Health Agency, Leeds Skyline, 4th Floor, Gallery House, The Headrow, Leeds, LS1 5RD 0113 2449767
 

Will MPs Protect Young Gay Men?

posted: 24/11/2009

You can help protect young gay men from the risks of HIV by asking your MP to sign an Early Day Motion. National AIDS Trust is pushing for MPs to sign across the country.

A motion is a petition for MPs, and this one calls for action so that young gay men get the sex education and information they need about HIV, to take care of their sexual health. It also asks for the new national strategy for HIV to include meeting the needs of young gay men.

Young gay men are much more likely to get HIV because they missed out on early prevention campaigns and decent gay-friendly sex education.
 

It's easy

It's really easy to get your MP to sign an Early Day Motion

1. find out who your MP is online
2. check if they have already signed online
3. email a letter we have written as a help, to ask the MP to sign

The motion is partly raising HIV awareness for World AIDS Day, on December 1st. Early Day Motions are a way to publicise something in Parliament – while they almost never lead to debates, government and opposition sit up and take notice of these barometers of public and MP opinion. MPs are often keen to sign motions constituents which press them to support.
 

Young gay men at higher risk

Deborah Jack, chief executive of NAT, said: “Young gay men missed out on the widespread health promotion messages of the 1980s, and they are now the group of young people most at risk of getting HIV. New diagnoses amongst young gay men have doubled in the last ten years. We hope every MP will sign this important motion, and if an MP doesn’t sign we will want to know why they are not prioritising HIV prevention for young gay men.”
 

In NW England young men between the ages of 15 and 29 now make up 29% of all gay men diagnosed with HIV.

All party support

David Borrow MP, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on AIDS, supports the motion.
He said: “Good sex and relationships education in schools is critical to good health, and schools should know how to respond to the learning needs of young gay men. This is an area which some teachers may find difficult, and they will need support and guidance. However, if we ignore the educational needs of young gay men we will see rates of HIV continue to rise and that would be indefensible.”
 

Supporting campaign

The campaign is also being supported by Channel 4’s Dr Christian Jessen, and writer Paul Burston.
Jessen said: "I'm supporting NAT's campaign – education about HIV is so important for protecting young people's sexual health. I'll be writing to my MP about it and hope other people do the same."
Burston added: “It's vital that young gay men are educated about HIV. Awareness about HIV is lower than ever but infections continue. We each have a responsibility to equip young men with the knowledge they need so they can avoid HIV infection, and MPs must make this a priority. I will be writing to my MP to get them to sign up.”
 

The motion asks:
That this House notes the importance of World AIDS Day;

recognises that the number of people living with HIV in the UK continues to increase, with over 80,000 people now living with HIV, and that young gay men remain the group of young people most at risk of acquiring HIV, with new diagnoses amongst this group doubling in the last ten years;

acknowledges the need for sensitive and sensible messages on sexual health to young people in schools and calls on the government to ensure teachers have support and information to be able to talk confidently and sensitively about sexual health in order to meet the needs of young gay men;

and to further ensure a new national strategy for HIV beyond 2011 includes specific actions to address the needs of young gay men.

NAT’s campaigns page for HIV protection for young gay men 

1. To find out who your MP is click here and enter your postcode.
2. Find out whether your MP has already signed the EDM click here and check the list of signatures. On 24 November few MPS had signed yet.
3. Copy and paste the text below into an email or letter, and ask your MP to sign. You can email your MP by clicking here, or write a letter to them at: House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA.
4. NAT would like to hear from you, especially if you hear from your MP.

__________________________________

Dear [name of MP]

I am writing asking you to sign EDM number 47 which was tabled on 18 November. Please see the text of the EDM below.

1 December is World AIDS Day, when the world unites in support of people living with HIV. In the UK, young gay men are now the group of young people most at risk of getting HIV. In fact, new HIV diagnoses in this group have doubled in the last ten years. Young gay men missed out on the widespread health promotion messages of the 1980s, and we need to ensure that more is done to protect this group from HIV.

I would be grateful if you could sign this EDM – by signing it you will show your commitment to World AIDS Day and to ensuring that the needs of the young group most at risk of HIV are not ignored.

If you do not intend to sign it, please could you write back to let me know why.

Yours sincerely,

[your name]

[your address and postcode]

EDM 47 - World AIDS Day 2009

That this House notes the importance of World AIDS Day; recognises that the number of people living with HIV in the UK continues to increase, with over 80,000 people now living with HIV, and that young gay men remain the group of young people most at risk of acquiring HIV, with new diagnoses amongst this group doubling in the last 10 years; acknowledges the need for sensitive and sensible messages on sexual health to young people in schools; calls on the Government to ensure teachers have support and information to be able to talk confidently and sensitively about sexual health in order to meet the needs of all including young gay men; and further calls on the Government to ensure that a new national strategy for HIV beyond 2011 includes specific actions to address the needs of young gay men.

Source
NAT’s campaign page 

image credit from Seattle, Washington, USA
 

Compulsory Sex / HIV Education

posted: 06/11/2009

The government has announced that sex education will become compulsory for all schools, including lessons on gay relationships, and sexually transmitted infections such as HIV. But this will only be compulsory from age 15. Before that age, parents can stop their child attending any sex education lessons.

From September 2011, the law will change to make it compulsory for all young people in England to learn about sex between the ages of 15 and 16, even if their parents object. In religious schools the sex education the state requires to be taught to all can be contradicted by the religious teaching.

Learn from 5

Sex education will start from the age of five. Primary school children will learn about their bodies and puberty, along with marriages, divorces and civil partnerships. Pupils in secondary schools will learn about contraception, gay and lesbian relationships and HIV, as well as the emotional implications of having sex. Faith schools, like other schools, will be forced to teach about homosexuality, civil partnerships, divorce and abortion.

Religious spin and opt outs

However, faith schools, mainly Roman Catholic and Church of England, can teach this sex education in line with their beliefs and teachings. They are required to educate pupils about issues such as abortion and the tolerance of homosexuality, but may present them in congruity with religious teachings. Teachers in religious schools will still be free to tell pupils that sex outside marriage, homosexuality or using contraception are 'wrong', because the legislation will include a clause allowing schools to apply their "context" "values" and "ethos" to lessons.
 

One-third of schools in England are faith schools and this means pupils could be taught about same-sex relationships, while learning that they are against their religion. About 0.04% of pupils are withdrawn from sex education classes, usually on religious grounds.

Opt-out until 15
Currently, parents are allowed to withdraw children from sex education lesson up to the age of 19. This will now change to 15 to ensure that pupils have at least one year of sex education before they reach the age of consent.
 

Ed Balls, the schools secretary, said: “You can teach the promotion of marriage, you can teach that you shouldn't have sex outside of marriage, what you can't do is deny young people information about contraception outside of marriage. The same arises in homosexuality. Some faiths have a view about what in religious terms is right and wrong – what they can’t do though is not teach the importance of tolerance.”

HIV - welcome and disappointment

The National AIDS Trust welcomed the plans, saying that all young people have a right to information about sexual issues.
Chief executive Deborah Jack said: "We are pleased that discussion of same sex relationships and HIV is included in the PSHE education programme of study. HIV is a serious long-term condition and young gay men remain the group of young people most at risk. In the past young gay men have often been ignored in sex and relationships lessons in schools and the result has been a rise in young gay men being diagnosed with HIV.”

George House Trust is very disappointed that all young people will not have an equal right to high quality accurate sex education. Some young people will have two-faced lessons (the national sex education curriculum, and their church’s teachings against this), and a minority will get nothing until they are 15, if their parents withdraw them from sex education. By that age much of the damage caused by ignorance and misinformation will have already been done.

The changes, due in autumn 2011, are better than patchwork mess we have now. The state believes sex education is serious enough to be a compulsory part of the national curriculum, but has allowed religious schools to contradict points being taught and pupils to be kept away until they are 15. This isn't an evidence-based sex education policy.

As a result of this half-hearted change, young people with religious backgrounds, especially teenage males, will continue to be far more vulnerable to HIV, STIs, and females will also face unwanted pregnancies.

Catholics respond

A spokesman from the the Catholic Education Service for England and Wales said PSHE was "vital". He said: "It enables factual information from reliable sources to be communicated and misinformation from peers or street culture or exploitation to be avoided. While disappointed that legal encumbrances mean that a blanket right of withdrawal can no longer apply, we are pleased that the government has recognised that the right of withdrawal in formative years is most critical and is therefore providing for the ability of parents to opt out of SRE up to the age of 15. We will continue to firmly uphold the position that parental rights remain vital, particularly but not exclusively in those most formative and critical years up until the age of 15. As age and growing independence brings young people ever closer to pressures, advertising and coercion to behaviour that can undermine the healthy life of young people, we are comforted in the knowledge that our schools and colleges will do an exceptional job in providing sex and relationships education, set within the teachings of the Catholic Church."

Poll backed compulsion

The review was followed by a government-commissioned poll of 1,791 adults and 1,661 parents into whether all pupils should be taught about sex, and consultations with faith groups. A fifth of the parents said parents should never be able to withdraw their children from sex education lessons, whatever age the children were. A third said parents should be allowed to exclude their children from sex education classes if they were aged 11 or under. As part of the legislation, children will also be taught about drugs and alcohol, how to tackle cyber-bullying, resist pressure to join gangs and manage their bank accounts.

The new sex education lessons will not begin for another TWO years.

Source 2
 

Joe Galliano, a gay man, talks about how these new sex education rules will help all children feel comfortable with their sexuality – except gay lads and lasses in faith schools.