Library
HIV Prevention
Read the following report Forth Valley Confidentiality Guide Needs Assessement Report
Scotland's Sexual Health Information
The fourth annual report produced by the Sexually Trasmitted Infection Epidemiology Advisory Group (STIEGAG), for Scotland is now published.
MSM Sub Group - NSHAC 11 : HIV Prevention
There were 147 new cases of HIV diagnosed in men who have sex with men (MSM) in Scotland in 2006. Apart from the mortality and psychological and physical morbidity that this figure represents, the lifetime treatment costs alone for these men are unlikely to be less than £25M. High risk sexual activity among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Scotland has increased since the late 1990s and more men are newly infected with HIV each year.
“I want to be like the others”
A cross-sector needs assessment of children infected and affected by HIV in Scotland – Viviene Cree and Dina Sidhva © 2009 The University of Edinburgh
In getting the prevention of HIV to the forefront of public attention, leadership is the key writes Roy Kilpatrick. Like activism at local and community levels however, leadership changes and adapts according to times and circumstances. The one thing that will make the biggest difference in tackling HIV is leadership.
World AIDS Day celebrates its 20th birthday this 1st December.
To add ‘celebration’ to the reflective and commemorative tone of the day indicates the mix of emotions that accompany the various events held throughout Scotland and internationally. That’s because the reality of the most recent global epidemic has been in itself a mix of shock, shame, grief, discovery, and success. On a 20th birthday, however, perhaps celebration is an appropriate mood to strike.
As a condition driven globally by prejudice and poverty at all levels, HIV has benefitted from strong leadership, yet at other times suffering from a lack of urgency. Highest profile speakers at the XVII World AIDS Conference have urged leadership as the key in achieving the demand of the conference theme ‘Universal Access Now’.
Many of the HIV prevention priorities have has in the past focussed upon HIV testing and upon protecting HIV negative people from the virus. Whilst understandable and appropriate has the potential effect of denying the expertise of the very people equipped to be part of the solution in HIV prevention.
The theme of Positive Prevention indicates a lack of concensus on terminology. One presentation at the XVII World AIDS Conference highlighted the centrality of relationships in positive health, regardless of HIV status. Learn more about this modular approach to this peer support programme.
2.1 million children are estimated to be living with HIV in 2007, 90% who are in Sub –Saharan Africa. “Too small to count and to minor to matter” argued Linda Richter in her plenary address to the XVII World AIDS Conference stating that although affected children are highly visible in photo opportunities and headlines about AIDS their real needs have been consistently overlooked. Read Ricther’s call for the development of family centred approaches.
Activism in its boldest and most familiar faces was evident right across the XVII World AIDS Conference. However the nature of activism has changed as it adapts to meet new needs and contexts. Reflect here on Strengthening Health Systems throughGreater Involvement of PLHIV; Challenge of Activism; A New Covenant to Make Health Care a Basic Human Right and AIDS Ambassadors as Activists. |
