PEP TALK
PETER BOYLE SEX TALK
SPLENDID CHAPS!
It happens to lots of us. You get carried away in the heat of the moment, or a condom splits, or comes off, and you then you have the next day of worrying about whether you might have been exposed to HIV. It used to be the case that there was nothing that you could do but hope you were ok, and then wait 12 weeks for an HIV test. Post Exposure Prophylaxis (bit of a mouthful, so PEP for short) is a course of anti HIV medication that can prevent someone from becoming HIV positive if taken early enough. It is a four week long course of drugs, and it can have (sometimes quite severe) side effects. If taken within 72 hours, it can prevent someone from becoming HIV positive, but it should only be thought of as something to take in an emergency, and never thought of as part of your safer sex behaviour. It is unlikely to be given out after 72 hours because it probably won’t be effective after this time has passed. If something does happen, such as you having unprotected anal sex, or an accident with a condom, then you should go to a sexual health clinic, or an A&E department as soon as possible, and ask if you are eligible for PEP. You will have to complete a risk assessment, and the health professional will only be able to prescribe it if you meet the criteria, i.e. the incident was classed as high risk for HIV exposure. It is important to remember that it is not guaranteed to work in all cases, and can have side effects that can be quite severe. For this reason, it should not be thought of as a morning after pill for HIV, and the NHS is unlikely to give it out except in isolated incidents, where accidental exposure to HIV may have occurred. PEP is not a cure for HIV, and using condoms and lube are the most effective way of preventing HIV when having anal sex, but it is something that can be considered for those times when you make a mistake or accidents happen. To find out more about PEP www.pep.chapsonline.org.uk
I would hazard a guess that there are some people reading this who have never heard of CHAPS (and no I’m not talking about leather trousers with the arse missing).
At the end of February there is the annual CHAPS conference where different agencies, and healthcare providers come together to share best practice and learning, as well as look for new and innovative ways to try and make sure that we are all doing our best to serve gay and bisexual men across England.
CHAPS is the name of the England wide partnership of agencies that are all working in the field of HIV prevention amongst men who have sex with men. The partnership is funded by the Department of Health, and was introduced in 1996 by the then Conservative government in response to what to do about the HIV crisis amongst gay and bisexual men.
We will be covering this in the next issue of outnorthwest, and sharing with you up to date activities, and different ways in which we can all help each other to prevent the spread of HIV further and best help those who are living with HIV. The LGF is currently involved in a project that is looking to help people who have concerns that the sex that they are having is not as safe as they would like, maybe also in relation to drug and alcohol use.
You may have seen some of the campaigns over the years, the ‘THIVK’ campaign, ‘Go For It’, the current ‘Smart Arse/Clever Dick’ campaign (see page 3). All of these campaigns have had input from The Lesbian & Gay Foundation working with the other partners to try and influence behaviour, and reduce the numbers of new infections of HIV. Obviously there is still a lot of work to do and the LGF is working on your behalf on a local level in Greater Manchester and the North West, and also on a national level as part of CHAPS.
If you feel that this issue is a concern for you, drop us an email to: sexualhealth@ lgf.org.uk or call: 0845 3 30 30 30 and ask for Peter Boyle. You can speak to someone in confidence about your concerns, and explore ways in which we can help you. We are here if you need us, locally or nationally. Keep an eye out too for the current Smart Arse/Clever Dick campaign, and look out for our reports about the CHAPS conference in the next issue. www.chapsonline.org.uk
Peter Boyle is the Sexual Health Co-ordinator at The Lesbian & Gay Foundation www.lgf.org.uk OUTNORTHWEST 29