Gay Men - Count Me In

posted: 03/12/2010

HIV affects gay men’s lives and thinking in some odd and complex ways. To stop the spread of HIV amiong gay and bi men, we must be serious about tackling the common wrong-headed ideas and actions that lead to HIV transmissions.

Count Me In is a community campaign from GMFA (Gay Men Fighting AIDS).

GMFA are asking gay men to make five simple pledges and for gay men’s health organisations, the gay media and community leaders to join GMFA in tackling these issues head on. The work may not be easy or straightforward, and some messages can be be difficult to hear. However, if we want a change in the health of the gay male community, this is what we need to do.

Our five steps to heaven?
The campaign asks gay men to join the campaign and commit to stop the spread of HIV by agreeing this simple five-point personal action plan:

• I will know my HIV status
• I will not assume I know anyone else’s HIV status
• I will take personal responsibility for using condoms
• I will value myself and my health
• I will stay informed about HIV and how it’s spread

If every gay man in the UK commits to each of these, we can significantly reduce the spread of HIV in our community.

• GMFA’s goal for ‘Count Me In’ campaign is
  
• for all gay men to be confident and empowered to take responsibility for our own health
• to support each other,
•  to openly discuss issues such as HIV status and safer sex without fear or stigma and
• where the barriers to effective condom use are overcome.

By working together we can prevent new infections and make a real difference to the wellbeing of gay and bi men.

GMFA Count Me In

Facebook Count Me In

Email MP for World AIDS Day

posted: 22/11/2010

One in 4 people living with HIV in the UK don’t know they have HIV. That means that about 22,000 people are not getting the treatment they need to stay well. Untested people are also much more likely to pass HIV on to others.
 

Undiagnosed people - halve by 2015

We, and Terrence Higgins Trust, wants to halve undiagnosed HIV within five years. By increasing testing and reaching those most at risk, we can improve the health and life expectancy of people with HIV, reduce new HIV infections, improve public health and save the state money.
 

There is a strong case for government action. What we need is the political will to deal with the problem head on. This is where you, as a valued campaigner, can help.
In Parliament for World AIDS Day (1 December) there is an event to inform and persuade MPs, organised by Terrence Higgins Trust. We want your MP to be there.
 

Take two minutes to email

Please take 2 minutes to email your own MP to ask them to attend this. Your postcode on the online form produces an instant email to your MP, which you just click to send. Thank You.

HIV Pledge for Gay Men

posted: 15/11/2010

Gay men’s health charity GMFA has a new HIV awareness campaign. Count Me In asks gay men to make a five-point pledge to look after their own health, and not to assume they know the HIV status of other men. GMFA say that if every gay man in the UK kept the pledge, rates of HIV would fall dramatically.
 

Knowing about HIV and how condoms can stop transmission are key parts of any prevention strategy. However, knowing is not enough. We must also deal with the things that help spread HIV and discourage effective and consistent condom use. GMFA believes that three of the main causes of HIV infection among gay men in the UK are:

1. Mistaken stereotypes of gay men with HIV and taking sex risks based on those mistaken stereotypes
2. Men not knowing their own HIV status because of not testing regularly
3. Poor mental and emotional wellbeing affecting sexual risk-taking.

For more information on these, visit the campaign at the GMFA blog OutSpokenOnHealth.com

It is these three things that discourage men from using condoms consistently and taking responsibility for their sexual health and behaviour.
 

Matthew Hodson at GMFA, said: “This isn’t just about what we can do around World AIDS Day – it’s what we can all do on an ongoing basis to stop the spread of HIV in our community.
“We’re delighted that so many have recognised the importance of what we’re trying to achieve and have joined us in the campaign. With their support, we hope to encourage gay men to re-commit to tackling the virus and to make a real difference.”
 

Gay Men's HIV Pledge:

• I will know my HIV status
• I will not assume I know someone else’s HIV status
• I will take personal responsibility for using condoms
• I will value myself and my health
• I will stay informed about HIV and how it is spread

Sign the Pledge

To sign the pledge and find out more please visit the gmfa Count Me In campaign blog

HIV An Agenda for Action

posted: 09/11/2010

Would you please sign the HIV Agenda for Action and encourage others to join in? The Agenda for Action  is six aims that will make a major difference to HIV in the UK. The Agenda for Action is for everyone – Government, business, trade unions, healthcare workers, MPs, the voluntary sector, individuals. NAT (National AIDS Trust) are encouraging all to sign up and pledge to help achieve the aims and practical steps.

The weight of your support is invaluable in campaigning work.

The Agenda for Action Aims are:
 

• To ensure that there is a national strategic approach across the UK to tackling HIV
• To reduce rates of HIV transmission through effective prevention
• To significantly reduce the number of people with HIV who are diagnosed late
• To address the current failings in treatment, care and support for people living with HIV
• To make rights, equality and respect a reality for people with HIV in the UK
• To deliver effective commissioning of HIV that addresses local need.

More information about the Agenda and the practical steps to achieve it (and pictures from its launch).

Add your support

Please show your support by emailing NAT

NAT want all organisations and individuals to sign up to the Agenda for Action and its aims.
 

download Agenda for Action 

Don’t Put Up With HIV Hate

posted: 27/10/2010

HIV hate and abuse are a problem for some people with HIV – but almost no-one complains. Now national charity Citizens Advice are urging people to go to their local bureau and report hate incidents, and hate crimes, whether people saw these or were the target themselves.

A hate incident is when someone is targeted because of their disability, gender identity, race, religion or sexual orientation. Hate incidents include verbal or physical attacks and can happen to anyone. Where the incident is a crime it is known as a hate crime.

HIV hate and abuse - our pages on HIV prejudice and stigma

People can also contact HIV community and other organisations for information, support and advice.

Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice said:

“We all have the right to live free from violence, harassment or hostility, but over the years, we have seen cases how devastating hate incidents and discrimination can be on individuals, families and the wider community. Hate incidents target people because of who they are.
“We want people to feel able to come in and tell us about any form of discrimination whether experiencing or witnessing hate incidents, and no matter how minor they might seem. Hate incidents are a form of discrimination.”
 

YouTube: Tackle Hate Crime
Advice Week 2010 put the spotlight on discrimination and Citizens Advice Bureaux are raising awareness about hate incidents and how to tackle them. Advice podcasts and a film show possible ways of coping with hate incidents. The tackling hate film clip is here on YouTube. The advice podcast is here 

2 in 3 want help after discrimination
Discrimination is the problem people are least likely to seek help with, says the Working Together for Advice Coalition (Advice Services Alliance, Advice-UK, Age UK, Citizens Advice, Law Centres Federation and Youth Access).
 

One in three people experiencing discrimination do nothing about it. Of these, two thirds say they wanted to act, but felt unable to. The YouTube film highlights people’s new anti-discrimination rights and information about where to seek free support and advice. It shows people who have suffered discrimination and how advice has helped them take action and turn a bad situation round. The film clip is here on YouTube

Four times more hate
People with disabilities (such as HIV) are four times more likely to experience a hate crime than people without disabilities, reports the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
One example
A man with learning disabilities was bullied using online social networks. The person’s private details were published with mobile phone videos. Hundreds of people joined as members to mock and harass him. The local Citizens Advice Bureau worked with the police, the social network site and others to find those responsible, remove the site, support the person and take action against those responsible.
 

England and Wales Citizens Advice Chief Executive Gillian Guy, said:
“Citizens Advice Bureaux in England and Wales helped with over 28,000 discrimination enquiries last year yet far too many people still aren’t aware of their rights or how to challenge it. Discrimination is a distressing experience, which can leave people feeling isolated and helpless. But Citizens Advice bureaux and other agencies can explain the law and help you take action if you want to. Don’t put up with it. Get advice.”

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