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HIV Ireland
NewsDesk Weekly
7 September - 25 September 2015



 

HIV

HPSC - Weekly HIV & STI Report - Week 37, 2015
Latest data from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre show 18 new cases for week 37-2015, bringing the total to 329 HIV new notifications for 2015 to date.

Britain is to have its first radio show about HIV and it’s called “HIV Happy Hour”
Buzzfeed, 23 September 2015
Host Paul Thorn - diagnosed with HIV in 1990 - hopes to tackle stigma, ignorance and negative attitudes with his new show.

Leo Varadkar has called for an increase in HIV testing in Ireland
The Journal, 4 September 2015
The Health Minister has spoken at a Health Sector Consultation event in Dublin Castle. Niall Mulligan, executive director of HIV Ireland, has welcomed Varadkar’s call highlighting the importance of getting as many people as possible tested.

Having HIV isn’t the problem — it’s the negativity around it that stops people getting tested
Evening Standard, 7 September 2015
Rob Sherrard’s name was on the HIV patients’ list leaked by mistake by the London clinic— but he tells why coming out as positive has been actually a relief.

I rejected a date for being HIV positive. Now I regret it.
Fusion, 17 September 2015
Despite the numerous advancements in HIV treatment and prevention, HIV positive gay men looking for a date still experience stigma and rejection.

HIV-positive British tourist is told to leave his hotel in Cyprus after medical centre tipped off management about his condition and advised them to burn his bedsheets and disinfect the room
Daily Mail, 22 September 2015
Cyprus’ Commissioner for Administration and Human Rights, Eliza Savvidou, said the behaviour of the health professionals revealed prejudice and complete ignorance about the virus.

Lambda Legal: HIV Positive Helicopter Paramedic Lost Job; Sues
I’m Still Josh, 13 September 2015
Lambda Legal has filed a federal lawsuit behalf of Clinton Moore, who has been removed from his job as a flight paramedic and demoted to a lower-paying post in the company after informing company management that he had been diagnosed with HIV.

You can't contract HIV from a traffic stop, officer
Detroit Free Press, 24 September 2015
A woman took legal action against the city of Dearborn in January last year after an officer berated her and gave her a ticket for not telling him that she was HIV-positive. She has then been awarded $40,000.

Secrets And Lies Kept Me Normal
Huffington Post, 10 September 2015
“Tell people when you're ready. You don't have to wear HIV on your sleeve so people will accept you.”

Relentless Adversaries: HIV & Depression
Positive Hope, 13 September 2015
People living with HIV are three times more likely to suffer from depression. The percentage of depression in HIV patients it is believed to be as high as 60 %.

These Men Reminded Me That HIV is Still Very Real and Very Complex
HIV Plus Mag, 10 September 2015
The author of this article talks about the death of one friend and the suffering of another.

GRINDR fatigue and the dehumanization of gay men
HIV Equal, 17 September 2015
Gay hook-up sites such as Grindr are based on anonymity and crude speech that can destroy self-esteem and fuel stigma and discrimination.
 
‘Undetectable’ is both a milestone and an identity for gay men recently diagnosed with HIV
Aidsmap, 4 September 2015
Qualitative interviews with HIV positive gay men in regard of their treatment and viral load control. Nearly all participants reported that having an undetectable viral load was an important milestone that increased comfort and possibilities for negotiating sex as a gay man living with HIV.

Hedge funder Martin Shkreli buys rights to drug used by HIV patients and raises price from $13.50 to $750 per pill
UK Independent, 22 September 2015
Shkreli's company Turing Pharmaceuticals has caused an outcry after acquiring the antibiotic drug Daraprim and raising the price from $13.50 to $750 a pill . The drug is commonly used for treating HIV positive patients.

Why it's Time to Deconstruct the Mythical 'Bisexual Bridge' to HIV Infection
HIV Plus Mag, 21 September 2015
Bisexual men have long been considered as a source of HIV infection for women, but a recent research shows that this fear may be based on false assumptions.

What taking PrEP has meant for me
HIV Scotland, September 2015
Greg Mitchell lives in England, and took part as a HIV-negative man in the PROUD study, assessing PrEP. Here he talks in his own words about taking PrEP, the effects it had on him and how other people reacted.

Why aren't gay and bisexual teens getting tested for HIV?
HIV Equal, 8 September 2015
A new research shows that a demographic at great risk for contracting HIV -- teen men who have sex with men -- are not getting tested. The main reasons are lack of information, fear to be seen at the testing site and not wanting to ask their parents to take them to the doctor.

Implementing Comprehensive HIV and STI Programmes with Men Who Have Sex with Men
UNFPA, September 2015
This document contains practical advice on implementing HIV and STIs programmes with MSM. It is based on recommendations contained within the Consolidated guidelines published in 2014 by the World Health Organization. 

French Pharmacies Begin Selling HIV/AIDS Home Testing Kits
Vice News, 16 September 2015
France is the third country to approve self-testing for HIV. The United States introduced an oral testing kit in 2012; while self-test kits went on sale in Britain in April.

Family physician HIV experience associated with HIV patients' receipt of antiretroviral therapy
Medical News Today, 15 September 2015
A recent study shows that family doctors who take care of more HIV positive patients in their regular practice are more likely to adhere to antiretroviral therapy protocols than those who care for fewer.

Europe’s response to HIV: ECDC reports identify key areas for action
ECDC, 8 September 2015
In a set of recently published reports, ECDC gives an overview on how European countries have been responding to the HIV epidemic since 2004 based on the commitments outlined in the Dublin Declaration on Partnership to Fight HIV/AIDS in Europe and Central Asia.

Scientists awarded $6M to develop alternative HIV/AIDS vaccine
RD Magazine, 23 September 2015
Scientists from The Scripps Research Institute have been awarded nearly $6 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a vaccine that has demonstrated great potential in animal models.

 


Drugs

International experts back Irish drug injection centre plan
The Journal, 21 September 2015
An international group of experts has welcomed plans to introduce medically supervised injection centres in Ireland, saying the move will help to tackle the problem of public injecting as well as facilitating access to treatment.
See also:
London School of Economics to hold workshop on current Irish approach to drug policy
Drugs.ie, 21 September 2015

Richard Branson praise for O Riordain's policy on drugs
The Herald, 21 September 2015
Drugs Minister Aodhan O Riordain has attracted international attention - including from billionaire businessman Richard Branson - for his radical plans to decriminalise drugs in Ireland.

Should drug users have a safe space to inject?
The Irish Times, 15 September 2015
It’s looking increasingly likely that medically supervised injection centres will open within the next year. What will they mean for addicts and communities affected by drug use?
See also:
Terry Prone: Injection centres are needed now – but they must be mobile
The Herald, 8 September 2015
 
 

STIs

Sharp rise in sexually transmitted diseases in Ireland in past decade
The Irish Times, 22 September 2015
According to the report from the European Centre for Disease Control, the incidence of gonorrhoea in Ireland has increased fourfold while the rate of infection with syphilis and chlamydia has doubled.
See also:
ECDC Surveillance Report - Annual epidemiological report: Sexually transmitted infections, including HIV and blood-borne viruses 2014

Dating with an STI: How to manage the conversation
Chicago Tribune, 15 September 2015
STIs can be difficult to discuss when starting a new relationship. Experts advise you to keep the conversation straightforward and drama-free.

'Super gonorrhoea' outbreak sparks national alert: Experts warn 'many people could be infected by' drug-resistant STI
Daily Mail, 18 September 2015
The outbreak, first detected in Leeds in March, has now spread and experts warn of undetected cases.

 

Sex Work

Law criminalising those who buy sex approved by Cabinet
The Irish Times, 16 September 2015
The new bill, introduced by Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald, contains also a new range of offences aimed at child protection, especially on internet and social-media platforms.

SWAI letter to Irish Deputies
Laura Lee, 24 September 2015
Activist and sex worker Laura Lee asks TDs to oppose Section 20 of the Sexual Offences Bill 2015 that criminalise the purchase of sex.

MSP in move to introduce legal brothels in bid to protect sex workers
Herald Scotland, 8 September 2015
Radical proposals that would decriminalise prostitution in Scotland and pave the way for legal brothels have been put forward. Under the plans, up to four sex workers would be permitted to work together in the same premises, while larger brothels would be licensed.

Decriminalisation consultation launch
Scot PEP, September 2015
Sex worker rights charity SCOTPEP has welcomed the launch of a consultation on a set of proposals for a Bill on prostitution law reform.

GNP+ supports the decriminalisation of consensual adult sex work
GNP Plus, 4 September 2015
The Global Network of People Living with HIV condemns the targeting of sexual minorities and the ongoing criminalisation of sex work.
 
Like http://www.facebook.com/hivireland.ie on Facebook
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FREE HIV
TESTING
SERVICES

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Free HIV testing
clinic at HIV Ireland

 
The next HIV and STI testing clinic at HIV Ireland takes place on Wednesday 14th October.  This is a free, walk-in service.  For more details and further testing dates see www.hivireland.ie

GMHS Outreach Clinic
 
The Gay Men’s Health Service outreach testing clinic takes place in Outhouse LGBT Community Centre on the third Saturday of every month.  The next clinic date is Saturday 17th October. Doors open 1:30pm.

GUIDE Clinic

Free HIV and STI testing at the GUIDE Clinic, St. James’s Hospital every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.  See more at www.guideclinic.ie

GMHS Clinic
 
Free HIV and STI testing at the Gay Men’s Health Service Clinic (GMHS) every Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.  See more at www.gmhs.ie

Online Testing Locator Map
 
Find your nearest HIV and STI testing clinic with this handy locator map at www.hivireland.ie.  All testing services at these clinics are free of charge.
 
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FREE CONDOMS
SERVICE

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Free Condoms @ HIV Ireland
 
HIV Ireland offers a free condoms service.  Drop into our offices during opening hours for your free condoms, and follow our social media STIs prevention campaign at www.facebook.com/justcarryone
 
 
 
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TRAINING
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HIV and STIs: a one-day Workshop
 
Our next one-day workshop on HIV and STIs takes place on Tuesday 3rd November.  More information and booking forms at www.hivireland.ie.

 Personal Development Course
 
Brought to you by the Gay Health Network, the next Personal Development Course for gay and bisexual men commences on Tuesday 3rd November for six weeks.  For more info and bookings email pdc@ghn.ie
 
 
 
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CAMPAIGNS
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#JustCarryOne
 
Join the Just Carry One campaign and promote safer sex at www.facebook.com/justcarryone
 
 
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EVENTS
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World Contraception Day 26th September

This annual worldwide campaign centres around a vision where every pregnancy is wanted and aims to improve awareness of contraception and safer sex to enable youth people to make informed choices about their sexual and reproductive health.  View our handy infographic for contraception and safer sex options - http://www.dublinaidsalliance.ie/index.php?page=had-unprotected-sex

The Outing LGBT Music
& Matchmaking Festival
 
The Outing LGBT Festival takes place from 2nd to 4th October in Lisdoonvarna.  Get your free man2man.ie condoms and lube at the event.  More info on the festival at www.theouting.ie
 
 
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RESEARCH
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Stigma Experiences:
Gay Men living with HIV

Queens University Belfast are conducting a study that aims to explore stigma in gay men living with HIV, and how this influences well-being and management of HIV medication.  Participation in the study is in the form of an online questionnaire available here: http://qubpsych.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_cCl3qIDXxQ4DJXf

 
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MORE
SERVICES

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HepInfo.ie  

An information website on Hepatitis C including information on testing, services and resources: www.hepinfo.ie

HIV and Sexual Health Helpline

Freephone or email the HIV and sexual health helpline for confidential support and information.

Gay Switchboard Ireland
 
Gay Switchboard Ireland volunteers are trained to take your calls on HIV and sexual health.  Lines open 7 days a week.  See more at www.gayswitchboard.ie

 

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