NW Gay HIV Stigma and Risks
posted: 04/01/2010
The NW England results of the annual Gay Men’s Sex Survey are now out. ‘Vital Statistics 2008’ gives us the latest information on the prevention needs of gay and bisexual men in the UK and our region.
It also tells us some useful things about HIV stigma across the region, the numbers of men who have never taken a HIV test, and about the numbers who take significant HIV risks.
Blackpool – gay hotspot missing
There had to be 20 or more men in a NHS district (Manchester, Liverpool etc) fill in a survey for results from that district to appear in this report. Unfortunately the gay hotspot of Blackpool only had 17 men fill in the survey, so we can’t say much about gay and bisexual men’s needs there.
Stigma and rejecting men with HIV
This survey asked questions about what undiagnosed men say they would do if a potential sex partner told them he had HIV. Would they change their mind and turn down sex, have sex but be extra careful, have sex just as they planned, or do something else?
Men who said they’d reject positive men are showing strong signs of HIV stigma and discrimination. Across NW England half the men said they would reject any HIV positive man for sex. This really discourages diagnosed men from talking and telling any sex partners about HIV.
Things look best for positive men in Manchester and Stockport, but not much better – in Manchester 39% of undiagnosed men say they would reject any positive man for sex.
Are George House Trust’s anti-stigma campaigns at Pride helping to cut stigma by rejection locally? It’s difficult to say – in next door Salford the rejection rate is higher – with rejection by almost half the men, like the regional average. HIV rejection is worst of all in Cumbria and Sefton (Merseyside) at 61%, and 56% of undiagnosed men would reject any positive man in Liverpool. [See 19 in the report].
Mixed HIV status relationships
The number of men who have regular partners of a different HIV status is another way of trying to measure how much HIV stigma is about. Sadly it is almost impossible to reach a clear answer from the survey report. In Manchester around 1 in 10 do have a regular partner of a different HIV status. Another 1 in 4 have a partner of the same HIV status, which could be where both men are HIV positive, or both are HIV negative – we just don’t know.
Another 1 in 10 have a regular partner and the man has no idea whether they have the same HIV status or not – a recipe for risking HIV transmission. [See 10 in the report].
Testing or not?
Last year the Health Protection Agency advised that the amount of HIV in Manchester, Salford and Blackpool meant special measures to increase HIV testing are needed and that gay and bisexual men living there should test at least once a year.
1 in 5 gay and bisexual men in Manchester have still not tested, ever. Almost as many didn’t test last year but have tested at least once before.
However 28% of Manchester men in the survey have tested HIV positive. That does NOT mean 28% of gay men in Manchester have HIV – just that more men with HIV took part in the survey. A previous study shows the real HIV rate on the scene in the city is about 1 in 10. [See 13 in the report]
Risk taking evidence
When men were asked how they rated their chances of passing on or picking up HIV in the next year, 6% think HIV transmission is very or quite likely for them within 12 months.
77% think it is very or quite unlikely, which just shows how many men really are deluding themselves. 63% had also told the survey they had at least one partner with whom they had unprotected sex that year. And 1 in 10 Manchester men reported they had 5 or more partners a year with whom they had anal sex without condoms. [See 14 and 16 in report].
We thank all the men who completed either a booklet or the website survey that George House Trust promoted.
NW England 2008 ‘Vital Statistics’ report
Survey questions
UK and English regions reports (including for past years)
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