Health

UNICEF has highlighted that insufficient attention is being given to preventing the transmission of HIV among young people under the age of 25 in the UK.

New fiugres show Britain has almost twice as many new HIV cases diagnosed in a year as any other west European country. There were 7,734 new cases of the virus recorded in 2007, nearly double the figure reported at the turn of the millennium, according to Unicef.

In a new report, ‘HIV prevention with young people: The key to tackling the epidemic’, the world’s leading children’s rights organisation called for urgent action, stressing that prevention of HIV among young people is key to tackling the global epidemic.

The report marks the launch of UNICEF UK’s ‘We want to live free from HIV’ campaign, which aims to raise £2 million for HIV prevention and remind governments of the importance of effective HIV prevention amongst young people.

Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) is looking for gay men living with HIV to share their experiences online on its ‘What next?’ website, www.tht.org.uk/whatnext which provides information and support specifically for newly diagnosed gay men.
 
Part of the website is written from the perspective of men already living with HIV and includes diaries describing their personal experiences and offering tips and advice. 

THT hopes to find more men willing to contribute to this section.

Read more: Wanted: Gay men with HIV to share experiences online

Gay men living with HIV remain banned from travelling to the USA unless they have specifically applied for a visa to do so.

Despite the recent introduction of an online visa waiver system (ESTA), people with HIV still need to attend an interview at the American Embassy in London before they can travel legally, the Terrence Higgins Trust has warned.

THT’s telephone helpline, THT Direct, has recently received calls from people living with HIV who have tried to enter the country by using the online ESTA system, which is an electronic version of the visa waiver process. In some cases, these people have reached the US border only to be refused entry by immigration control and turned back to the UK, incurring substantial travel costs.

Read more: People living with HIV still refused entry to USA

Fear of having to reveal their sexual orientation deters some women who are abused in lesbian relationships from seeking help, new research shows.
 
The study, presented to the British Sociological Association’s annual conference in Cardiff, reports that abusive lesbian relationships can involve physical assaults, sexual coercion and emotional cruelty, just as abusive heterosexual relationships can.
 
But fear of their colleagues or family finding out their concealed sexuality can deter some women from speaking to those closest to them or approaching the police, the research found. In one of the most detailed studies to date of abuse in lesbian relationships, Dr Rebecca Barnes interviewed 40 women aged between 21 and 70. The women were chosen because all had suffered some form of abuse.

Read more: Lesbians in Abusive Relationships Fear Seeking Help

After a successful pilot in London and Brighton, Terrence Higgins Trust is working with a range of regional HIV and sexual health organisations to launch Play Zone across England and Wales.

Play Zone is a code of good practice which aims to create a safer environment in venues where sex between men might occur.
 
Play Zone: Code of Good Practice is funded through the national HIV prevention programme. Venues which sign up to the Code pledge to ensure that sexual health, hygiene and health and safety standards are being met.  The Code also aims to raise awareness around sexual health and help to reduce the number of new STI and HIV infections. Saunas and other venues voluntarily participate in the Code giving a clear message that they recognise the importance of providing a safe, clean environment for customers and staff.  The scheme was developed in partnership with a number of organisations including the Department of Health, the Health Protection Agency and the Police.
 

Read more: Play Zone Success