HIV Stigma Conference

posted: 20/12/2010

'It's time to have an honest conversation about the bad attitudes that spread HIV, stigma'. This was the reason for the first international HIV stigma conference, held on World AIDS Day, 1 December, in Washington, DC, USA.

The conference was organised by the Coalition for Elimination of AIDS-related Stigma (CEAS) who believe we need to include HIV stigma in every conversation, prevention method and piece of research about HIV.
 

The conference was held to

• Explain what stigma is
• Describe how stigma spreads HIV
• Understand the interaction of religion, race, and nationality on stigma
• Advocate for those affected with HIV to eliminate stigma
• Develop policies and social marketing to eliminate stigma

Conference sessions 

• What is HIV- related stigma?
• How does stigma impact people living with HIV?
• How stigma and lack of disclosure fuel HIV
• HIV-related stigma in health care and its impact on families
• Double stigma: being both gay and at risk for HIV
• Lessons learned in the global effort to reduce HIV stigma
• Faith, spirituality, and HIV: barriers and facilitators to HIV prevention
• HIV Stigma: effect on youth and families
• Criminalisation of HIV
• Reducing the stigma of HIV and STD testing in healthcare
• Moving Forward: Center for Stigma and Cultural Competency

Conference website

Ideas Meeting to End Harassment

posted: 13/12/2010

What should the council, NHS and other public bodies be doing to stop HIV abuse and harassment? People with HIV, their partners and friends can put forward ideas and have a say at a meeting in Manchester in late January. 

The Equalities and Human Rights Commission are holding a meeting for the families, friends and survivors of disability-related harassment (including HIV abuse).

Legal duty to end harassment

Public bodies all have a legal duty to ‘eliminate’ disability-related harassment and its causes. HIV abuse, threats and violence are all examples of disability-related harassment.

Most public bodies are doing nothing effective to ‘eliminate’ HIV and other forms of disability harassment. Because of the stigma associated with HIV public bodies should be prioritising the ending of HIV stigma and its causes.

What should public bodies be doing?
There is almost no limit to the creative (and cheap) ways public bodies could promote better public attitudes to people with HIV.

• The Local Government Improvement and Development website has top tips and case studies on improving ‘ community cohesion’
• The Institute for Community Cohesion also has resources, toolkits and case studies  

Ask to take part 

If you have been directly affected by disability-related harassment for example because of HIV, or someone you know has, and you would like to attend the meeting, please tell them as soon as possible. They will then invite you and send you the details of the meeting. There are only a limited number of seats so please book early. Email or telephone the Equality and Human Rights Commission: 0161 829 8174

This Manchester meeting will begin on Monday 24 January at 1pm and end by 5pm.
 

Please note this meeting is only for people who have experience of disability-related harassment.

Campaigning actions

During 2010 George House Trust has been encouraging people with HIV and HIV organisations to take part in this Disability Harassment Inquiry.

The commission has powers to order public bodies to take action and expects to publish its report and recommendations in the first part of 2011.

Find out more about the commission’s Inquiry into disability related harassment

Life Insurers Discriminating

posted: 07/12/2010

Many life insurers discriminate against people living with HIV by refusing to offer any life insurance, or by charging unaffordable premiums, it was claimed this week.
 

8 out of 12 won't insure

Compass, a firm of financial advisers that offers specialist advice to gay and HIV-positive communities, said that eight of the top 12 UK insurers say they do not accept applications from HIV-positive people.
 

The 4 that will insure

When Compass put forward a test application to the four insurers that say they will insure people with HIV, two – Scottish Provident and Fortis – refused to offer any life insurance, said Chris Morgan, marketing manager of the Devon-based firm.
 

The other two companies were little better. Zurich wanted to charge so much extra for HIV that the customer would have to pay around £220 per month, almost double the £116 that Prudential would charge, he added.
 

Testing Insurers
They wanted to find out what life insurance would cost for a 30-year-old non-smoker with HIV, who wanted £250,000 of life cover for 10 years. He was chosen because he has one of the best blood cell counts and "viral loads" – a measure of the severity of a viral infection – of any person with HIV that Compass has tried to insure.
 

Prudential  leads, others left behind
Chris Morgan said Prudential had increased the premiums because of HIV like Zurich, but at least it was offering "useful cover at a realistic price". Early last year, Prudential became the first mainstream insurer to offer life cover to people with HIV. Since then, a few other companies have started to offer this too.
 

Stigma and in the dark ages

Morgan said: "Some of our findings and answers received from insurers are completely worrying. It is apparent the majority are still in the dark ages and attaching a stigma to HIV." In fact it is likely to be evidence of illegal discrimination.
 

He added that his firm recognised insurers had the right to decline applicants on medical grounds, but it felt they were not dedicating enough attention to this developing market, and taking the needs of HIV-positive people seriously enough.

"Either companies are avoiding the issue by not offering cover, or offering completely inadequate, overpriced products and services."
 

Paul Ward, deputy Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust told BBC Radio 4 this week: "If you are positive, you can start treatment and it's very effective. For someone in their 30s, diagnosed today, there is every likelihood they are going to live into their 70s."
 

Excuses

In a statement, Phil Brown, Zurich UK's life, underwriting and claims director, said that while it would be inappropriate to comment on individual cases, "of decisions made on HIV positives this year, approximately 85% have been offered terms". He added: "We assess each applicant on their own merits, considering the many aspects of risk involved including treatment, response to treatment and the applicant's compliance with treatment."
 

Scottish Provident said it was happy to assess applications from HIV-positive customers on an individual basis, and is most likely to offer terms where the customer has an "undetectably low" viral load, and a consistently high white cell count, has shown good compliance with anti-viral treatment, and needs cover for 10 years or less.
 

But Chris Morgan said: "We have submitted 10 pre-sales enquiries over the past three months and it eventually told us to stop sending any because it was not in the position to offer any terms."
 

Fortis commented: "We do not automatically exclude cover for customers with any pre-existing conditions. However, we assess every case on a wide range of factors in arriving at decisions on whether terms can be offered."
 

HIV and Insurance - links to Compass, insurers and more information

Source
 

Beating HIV Hate Neighbours

posted: 07/12/2010

Tom faced a four year campaign of HIV hate from his neighbours before he finally moved away. Tom (not his real name) is gay and HIV positive and his sexuality and having HIV made him a target for one of his neighbours in a block of flats in Manchester.

• They made inappropriate and abusive comments to him and his partner
• Then they accused him of playing loud music in the early hours
• They accused him of threatening them, so he was arrested.
• They also told other people in the block about his HIV
• Tom was assaulted twice
• His landlord, a housing association, went to court and got an injuction against him
• His landlord tried to evict him.

"This neighbour kept diaries about me, recording who was visiting my flat, and she claimed I was bullying her. The housing association that owned the flat issued an injunction against me. She got me arrested for allegedly threatening to kill her."
Earlier this year Tom’s housing association tried to end his tenancy, by sending him a court summons to repossess his flat .
 

Breakthrough Help

That was when he asked Breakthrough UK to help. Breakthrough are a Manchester-based national charity which supports disabled people who are victims of hate crime. Tom said "They advised me to give up the flat and get out. They gave me support, and now I'm in private accommodation. This neighbour made my life hell. She was making stuff up about me. I couldn't stand to be in the flat. I started drinking and would stay out as late as possible.
 

Police Say - Not a Hate Crime
"I told the police but they didn't see it as a hate crime – just anti-social behaviour.

I am a lot happier now. I have no stress and I'm free from all the hatred and homophobia. Without the support of Breakthrough I would probably have finished up in prison. The neighbour had claimed I had breached the injunction, but that was untrue, she just wanted to get me locked up."
 

Stamping out HIV hate
Lorraine Gradwell, Chief Executive of Breakthrough UK, said: "Our service sends out a clear message that any kind of hate crime against disabled people must be stamped out." Hate crime can be a physical attack or verbal attack towards a person because of their disability. Last year Greater Manchester Police recorded 74 incidents of hate crime against disabled people, but not this one.
 

The police are now working closely with disabled people and disability organisations including Breakthrough UK, to raise awareness of the crime and encourage victims to come forward.
 

Sergeant Kate Crompton, Greater Manchester Police, said: "Some disabled people are subject to appalling crimes because of their disability. Many are unaware that incidents such as name calling, harassment and intimidation can be criminal offences and should be reported to the police straight away. We are working hard to catch offenders and support victims and would ask anyone who has been subject to this crime to come forward. This type of behaviour is entirely unacceptable and will not be tolerated and those responsible will be brought to justice."
 

HIV Hate Too?

If you have been a victim of HIV or disability hate crime, you can contact

• George House Trust services team by email or by phone 0161 274 4499
• Breakthrough UK
• The Working It Through Together Project at Breakthrough UK runs a Disability Hate Crime Helpline for Greater Manchester     0161 882 2213        on Wednesdays between 2pm - 6pm, and you can leave a message on the ansaphone outside this time.
• your local neighbourhood policing team at www.gmp.police.uk or by calling 0161 872 5050
   

Working It Through Together  staff are also available on the main Breakthrough UK phone number       0161 273 5412       on Monday - Friday between 9 and 5, or by e-mail.
 

Source

YouTube - Criminalise Hate not HIV

posted: 03/12/2010

Criminalise HATE not HIV is a new vid on YouTube, from the people at the UK HIV Stigma Index.

This film was shot by an incredible bunch of creative people including many from the UK HIV Stigma Index and something magical happened. We hope you enjoy it.
It has already had over 3000 hits.

Please share the vid
The Criminalise Hate not HIV video is part of the work by people involved with the UK HIV Stigma Index over the last 18 months. Please help promote this by putting it on your own facebook page, tweeting the link, emailing it to friends, or putting it on your website. All you have to do is visit the YouTube video and then click the Share button below the video and this lets you to add it to facebook, Twitter or send emails.

Working on next video – Verdict on a Virus
They are already working on a a short documentary 'Verdict on a Virus', to highlight the prosecution of people with HIV - editing this next video is already underway and it will be out soon.
 

UK HIV Stigma Index