GAY MEN’S HEALTH
WE NEED TO TALK Over half a million free condoms and sachets of water based lube are distributed every year across Greater Manchester to gay and bisexual men.
Over Manchester Pride alone The Lesbian & Gay Foundation distributes around 80,000 condoms and sachets of lube throughout the ten day festival. Sexual health information continues to be provided by health organisations, including LGB&T organisations and HIV support organisations. However last year The Health Protection Agency released figures showing that in 2010 there were 3,000 gay and bisexual men diagnosed with HIV in the UK, the highest yearly figure since records began.
what more can be done to stop gay and bisexual men community becoming HIV+? We’ve been asking men online and in Manchester’s gay village for their thoughts. Here are some of their views....
“With people that are well educated about HIV, there seems to be a growing ‘I’m not that worried about getting it’ attitude. It seems that as negative people start seeing positive people ‘coming out’ and living what appear to be normal lives with very limited side-effects, it makes HIV seem less threatening and less of a worry.” • “Education on the subject needs to start younger and be a part of the schools syllabus. Perhaps include a section on sexually transmitted infections in the biology/chemistry GCSE curriculum.” • “If people don’t have protection in the heat of the moment, they are likely to continue without it. Sex doesn’t always have to include anal sex, especially if there is no condom involved.”
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“People’s need for a sexual encounter is often really high and overpowers conscious decisions about using protection at that particular moment, especially if they are under the influence of drugs/alcohol.” • “People are ignorant to the messages. They think it won’t happen to them.” • “There are not enough campaign messages out there. The ones that are out are in places that people may miss them. They should be more prominent in bars, clubs or even on Canal Street itself.” • “The campaigns need to be more brutal with the statistics. People don’t know that infection/transmission rates are increasing in the local area, or exactly how many people are infected.”