Michael tells how his questioning about having the last appointment of the day at his dentist’s surgery leads to new understanding of the current guidelines on treating patients living with HIV in that practice. Continue reading Dentist reviews HIV guidance – and health trust is giving training too
Over 3000 young people are infected with HIV every day. Only 1 in 3 young people have full knowledge of how HIV is transmitted.
from What about HIV?
With world leaders meeting on the subject of AIDS at the United Nations headquarters in New York on 10 June 2011. The global youth movement, What about HIV? founded in Mali at the Global Youth Summit on HIV/AIDS is calling for world leaders and heads of government to implement their Call to Action.
As a relatively young person living with HIV right here in the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland, I feel it is important for me to have joined their call – so I have signed up here. Please consider doing so yourself.
Don’t forget that here in Belfast you can make a difference to people right across Northern Ireland who live with HIV by donating to The HIV Support Centre which is now in its 25th year here in the city of Belfast
The full text of the Call to Action is below.
Continue reading “Call to action: from Mali, across the world, and on to the United Nations”
Positive results from the clinic on how Andrew has helped change how I am coping with living with HIV. Continue reading a mark of 8% is good news, and next to zero is even better…
While a recent surveys suggests that one in five in the UK doesn’t know that unprotected gay sex can spread HIV, a television show in the US shows that discrimination on the grounds of HIV is very much still alive. Continue reading too much misinformation out there – education on HIV is much needed
My name is Andrew, and I am living with HIV. You might think that I am HIV positive – I am not. I am living with HIV because my boyfriend*, Michael, the man I love, is HIV positive. I am living with HIV because HIV has a direct impact on my life. I am also, to some extent, living with PVL-MRSA, because Michael has that too. Today Michael had an appointment at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, and his doctor took the opportunity to screen me for MRSA, because there was a chance that I was an asymptomatic carrier. It … Continue reading my name is Andrew
This morning Andrew and I toddled up to Belfast‘s Royal Victoria Hospital once more, after last night’s abscess burst, and sat around whilst the normal business of the CUM glinic went on about us. Eventually, Dr Killian Quinn, called for me – and off I went. He didn’t take any swabs from the abscess which I had thought was the principal reason for attending the clinic. That is to ensure that it was just (the now normal) PVL-MRSA. However he did prescribe the usual special wash and Bactroban nasal spray – for the next five days. What fun! And of … Continue reading another day, the RVH again
The latest news from the Coalition Government in Westminster is a scheme whereby customers using bank cards could give money to charity. As a trustee of The HIV Support Centre, a local charity, this sounds like it could be a source of welcome money. But I have quite a number of questions. How would such money be distributed? How would the charity/charities be chosen? Is this to eliminate charity boxes in corner shops/bars etc.? I cannot see how this could be done in a fair way to help those charities that are reasonably small – yet are vital to local … Continue reading the big society: does it apply to Northern Ireland?
I am HIV positive.
Just saying that brief sentence or its alternative
I am living with HIV.
gives people the opportunity to do and say the most remarkable things. Continue reading “each time you tell, you’ve no idea what you risk unleashing”
I’m writing because when you are first diagnosed as living with HIV, many people think that life is over; that there is no future. When I was first diagnosed I was one of those. So many people told me that HIV is not a death sentence Life is for living You must remain positive. And I tried to believe them – it is not always easy. But I can tell you that if you hang in there, life will bring new surprises, new friends, and new joys. It is not possible to look into the future and to know what … Continue reading The best is yet to come…. hang in there
Amidst the stories surrounding the founder of WikLeaks, Julian Assange, today’s Mail on Sunday, the headline appears
Accusers went to police after he refused AIDS test
It has to be said that the text of the story refers to an HIV test – but the headlines that which grabs the readers’ attention is using incorrect language. Moreover, it is offensive to the many people throughout the world living with HIV – and as has been said before, I am one of them.
By sensationalising the story, the Editor of the Mail on Sunday breaches the the Guidelines for reporting HIV published by NAT, Continue reading “Mail on Sunday continues to show prejudice: why am I surprised?”
Gyronny Herald 