Collective Thinking 64 by New Zealand AIDS Foundation

Fuzeon Appoved By Pharmac XVI International Aids Conference, Toronto: Snapshots HIV No Barrier For Zimbabwean Migrants

Collective Thinking The Newsletter for HIV+ people, their carers and supporters New Zealand ISSN 1170-2354

Issue 64 September 06

Positive Policing Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s afraid of the boys in blue?

Contents NZAF Community Forums 2006: HIV-positive role models.....................4 Wellington’s tree of remembrance for AIDS......................6 Fuzeon approved by Pharmac........7 News........................................................8 Cover Story: Positive Policing........ 10 XVI International AIDS Conference, Toronto: Snapshots........................... 14 HIV no barrier for Zimbabwean migrants...................... 18

Living a happier life with HIV: Purpose And Passion...................... 20 Opinion: Seeking a brand new label........... 22 Opinion: Should I Tell?..................... 24 Quotes of the month........................ 26 “Men Seeking Men” website proves popular................................... 27

The contact directory is available online at www.nzaf.org.nz It can be accessed via information for HIV+ people under groups.

COLLECTIVE THINKING issue 64 H September 06

Letter from the editor

he HIV and AIDS epidemic has been typified by homophobia, xenophobia, and ‘otherising’ - it “only happens” to people who have multiple sexual partners, sex workers, gay men, people from high risk countries and so on. The New Zealand media’s coverage following the announcement of an HIV amnesty for Zimbabweans here on a Special Residency Policy played directly into this typical response. HIV and AIDS presents us with one of the greatest challenges of our times. In the absence of a vaccine or cure, our attention has to be focused largely on preventative measures. This means modification of behaviours, particularly sexual, that place people at risk for infection. However, a number of factors ‘conspire’ against us. These include the association of sex and life-affirming pleasure with infection and death, a climate where open discussion on sex is often considered taboo, sex education is minimal and often misinformed, condoms are unevenly accessible and the risk of violence from partners makes it almost impossible for many women and girls to negotiate safer sex. Fear of the disease has led to coping mechanisms characterised by denial. These range from denial of the disease’s existence, to acceptance of its existence but denial of personal risk. A false sense of security, as generated by the media coverage of the Zimbabwean decision, cushions one’s feelings of personal vulnerability and risk. The long period of invisibility before HIV and the onset of AIDS have facilitated denial. Social dislocation and inequality all fuel the spread of the epidemic. These factors, together with the complex information necessary to understand the problem – such as the difference between HIV and AIDS, the mechanisms of the immune system, and reproductive biology – makes communication around the disease a Herculean task. Clearly media cannot be perceived as a magic bullet that can solve this complex problem alone. Media needs to be part of broader strategies for change that address structural barriers including inequality, ensuring lifeskills education is available in all schools, and addressing issues of testing, counselling, treatment, care and support for people living with HIV and AIDS. However, media can achieve much within a broader strategy. It has a powerful role to play in informing the public and creating awareness about HIV. But health promotion experience has also shown us that the transfer of knowledge and awareness raising is not enough. Awareness of AIDS in New Zealand is already high, but deep-seated attitudes and beliefs present major barriers to behaviour change. Media strategies need to go beyond knowledge and awareness raising, to shifting social norms and attitudes that help create an environment more conducive to change. These include nurturing a climate in which AIDS and sexual issues are more openly discussed, creating a more caring society in which people with AIDS are supported not discriminated against, and promoting safer sex. It also has a critical role to play in advocating for public policy to create an environment that is more conducive to change. Aaron McDonald Editor c/o NZAF PO Box 13618 Armagh, CHCH www.c.thinking@nzaf.org.nz

Collective Thinking, the Newsletter for HIV+ people, their carers and supporters,is published quarterly, by the New Zealand AIDS Foundation. The NZAF registered office is located at: 31-35 Hargreaves St., College Hill, Ponsonby. PO Box 6663 Wellesley St. Auckland. Telephone (09) 303-3124 Ideas expressed, and information given here are not necessarily representative of the opinions, nor endorsed by, the New Zealand AIDS Foundation, nor the Board of Editors. Publication of the name or photograph or likeness of any person in Collective Thinking is not to be construed as any indication of sexual orientation, or presence in their body of organisms capable of causing illness. Any similarity between individuals named or described in fiction articles and actual person living is purely coincidental. Publication of any letters, articles, photographs is at the discretion of the publishers and the right is reserved to withhold, alter, edit and comment on any article, letter, advertisement published. The list of subscribers is confidential and is not, sold, rented or leased out to anyone at any time.

“As a gay community, we’ve got to look at ourselves. We are one of the most bigoted, biased minorities there is.”

NZAF Community Forums 2006:

HIV- positive role models

here are just under one thousand gay and bisexual men living with HIV in New Zealand right now, but you wouldn’t know it by looking around your average gay gathering. While the side effects of new medications can wreak havoc for a positive person internally, externally there are often no signs they are living with the virus.

None of this has made disclosure any easier, and as a result we have an invisible population of positive men, and a new generation of negative gay and bisexual men who know nothing about the realities of HIV.

As part of its continual re-evaluation of strategies for dealing with the now-soaring HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men (MSM) in our country, NZAF held a round of community forums for gay and bisexual men around the country in late June 2006 – two in Auckland (one for Takatāpui tane), Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington and Christchurch. Key stakeholders were also invited. Several of these forums highlighted a need for more visible “HIV-positive role models”.“We need to utilise our leaders in the positive communities to do the leg work and humanise the experience,”said a group in Wellington. “We need to acknowledge these leaders and celebrate who they are. It’s again, a self-esteem issue.” Positive role models were also identified as important at the Tauranga forum, and the idea of mentoring – or tuakana/teina relationships – was raised at the Takatapui hui. A youth worker at the Christchurch forum was keen to dispel the myth that young people are not interested in older people. “Young people don’t think that old people are past their use by date,” he said. “We need to engage communities. Older men know people that have died from AIDS – I don’t. I don’t know anything about homosexual law reform, or that history. Hearing those experiences tonight has motivated me. We need to strengthen relationships between younger and older people, effectively and safely.” Some positive men expressed a willingness to do this, seeing it as a better alternative to “shock” campaigns. “We should instead invite positive people to go along and talk with young people in person. They can tell them their story – that’s more realistic.”

COLLECTIVE THINKING issue 64 H September 06

I’m not in the closet as a positive person – I’ve been positive for 21 years – but I don’t stand on the street corner proclaiming it because I don’t like the reaction of people treating me like a leper. That is still going on after 25 years.” - Forum participant, Christchurch

However, as indicated by the boxed comment above, this came with a caveat. “It’s not easy to stand up and talk about being HIV+, especially in a small community like Christchurch,” said one HIV+ participant. “People are not always supportive or friendly, it’s a hard ask. For a positive person to talk, you need to thank them and realise it’s a big deal. HIV stops with all of us here and now, regardless of whether you’re negative or positive. It only takes one person to turn an act of unsafe sex into safe.” In Auckland, questions were raised over how much support is being given by NZAF services to help men who become HIV+ remain committed to safe sex. “I’ve always assumed that Positive Health has been about supporting the health of people with HIV, but if there is a component that says these people are an increasing pool of infection, how much of the time and resources are spent in stopping them from passing on their infection?” asked one participant. NZAF Positive Health Manager Eamonn Smythe answered that a huge amount of time is spent on emphasising safe sex and stopping risk behaviour with clients. The Auckland forum was also told that none of the 26 men diagnosed with HIV in 2005 and known to have been infected in the last two years had tested at an NZAF centre. An increasing amount of HIV diagnoses are coming via GP’s offices, something which Smythe says highlights the need to increase testing via NZAF centres. “It seems to me the inferences we can draw from that is the specialist organisation is a lot better at reinforcing safe sex behaviour, even after a negative test,” said another forum participant. “I have found that GPs and sexual health clinics pat you on the back and send you out the door after a negative test, they do very little post-test counselling. I always get that at NZAF.” However, positive men at the Auckland forum warned against targeting HIV+ people solely with prevention messages. “Those who know themselves to be positive are not usually the cause of transmission,” said one participant. “Those who are HIV+ and know their status are more likely to practise safe sex.” For the full report on the NZAF Community Forums, visit www.nzaf.org.nz

Wellington’s tree of remembrance for AIDS

hose lost to AIDS in Wellington were remembered on September 2 with a tree planting ceremony at Charles Plimmer Park on Mt Victoria. Around twenty people attended the ceremony, conducted by Sister Paula Brett Kelly. Sister Paula is a New Zealand AIDS Foundation life member and volunteer at the Awhina Centre in Wellington since its inception, and a strong advocate in NZAF’s campaign for the Human Rights Act 1993, which outlawed discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation as well as providing protections for those living with HIV. Awhina Centre Regional Manager Daniel Eakins said the tree-planting ceremony was a time for Wellingtonians to reflect on themes of remembrance highlighted at the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial in May, which included a commitment to stop HIV by practising safe sex, as well as remembering those who have gone before.

“As part of the memorial, a tree of remembrance was donated by the Wellington City Council,” he said. “People in attendance filled out the names of friends, family, and whanau on remembrance cards which were to be burned. The ashes from these cards were scattered at the base of the tree when it was planted on Saturday.” There have since been discussions about installing a bench at the site for people to sit and reflect, although there are concerns in the gay community about how visible to make the site. “Some people are scared that the tree of remembrance might get chopped down, or vandalised,” he told Collective Thinking. The ceremony was attended by “a good mixture” of Awhina Centre clients, community members, staff and volunteers, and the atmosphere was “very moving”, Eakins reported.

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Fuzeon approved by Pharmac

revolutionary new treatment against HIV will be funded for New Zealanders from September 1st by Pharmac, and the New Zealand AIDS Foundation is welcoming the decision.

Fuzeon (AKA enfuvirtide or T20) is a new type of drug called an entry inhibitor, which blocks the HIV virus outside the body’s cells, rather than attempting to treat it once it is already inside. It will be of most benefit to HIV-positive people who are failing their current treatment regimes. “A significant number of the 1700 people living with HIV in New Zealand today are receiving antiretroviral medications, and will need access to new treatments as their virus develops resistance,” says NZAF Positive Health Manager Eamonn Smythe. “The ability to have alternative medications available is one that can mean the difference between life and death for some.” NZAF is also pleased that the approval process for Fuzeon through Pharmac has taken only half the time of the last anti-HIV drug, Kaletra, which took almost three years to become fully available. “This hopefully bodes well for two other medications awaiting funding, Atazanavir and Tenofovir, which have been available in Australia for two and four years respectively,” Smythe says. “Both these medications are needed by people living today here in New Zealand, and are widely used elsewhere in the world.”

How does Fuzeon work? FUZEON is the first in a class of anti-HIV medicines known as fusion inhibitors. FUZEON fights HIV outside CD4 cells — blocking HIV before it can enter and infect healthy CD4 cells. Other anti-HIV medications work inside CD4 cells — after HIV has entered and infected the CD4 cells and begun to replicate, or make copies of itself. The unique way FUZEON works means that FUZEON, in combination with other anti-HIV medicines, may be an option for patients who have become resistant to some other anti-HIV medicines. As with other anti-HIV medicines, it is possible to develop resistance to FUZEON. Important points about FUZEON: l FUZEON is always used in combination with other anti-HIV medicines for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in patients with prior use of anti-retroviral (anti-HIV) therapy l When used with other anti-HIV drugs, FUZEON can reduce the amount of HIV in the blood (viral load) and increase the number of CD4 cells l FUZEON is taken two times a day as an injection under the skin Taken from Fuzeon.com

news Church of England Assistant Bishop Appoints First HIV-Positive, Gay Priest

A Church of England assistant bishop has appointed the first HIVpositive gay priest to head a congregation in the United Kingdom, London’s Times reports. According to the Times, about 25 to 30 of the church’s clergy members have died from AIDS-related illnesses in the past 15 years; however, this marks the first time a bishop knowingly appointed a priest who is HIV-positive. The appointment has “caused concern locally” because church wardens were not informed that the priest was forced to retire from a previous parish when he became aware of his HIV status, the Times reports. Some opponents of gay and lesbian clergy see the appointment as “provocative” and a “threa[t]” to the unity of the worldwide Anglican community, according to the Times. However, one church bishop said, “This appointment is a sign of the church being grown up and living in the real world. The priest has a ministry to offer and clearly there is a welcome for him in his parish.” The unnamed priest said he is adhering to church rules that prohibit gay priests from sexual activity. Little opposition is expected from parishioners, the Times reports (Morgan, Times, 9/10).

Research to eradicate virus from body gets cash boost The US Foundation for Aids Research (amfAR) has awarded 12 grants and fellowships to investigate eradicating HIV from the body. The awards total almost NZ$2.3 million and will fund scientific studies that may reveal how to eliminate the virus altogether. Many consider research focused on viral reservoirs, latent virus and acute HIV infection to be the first step toward the elusive cure for HIV infection. Research that led to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in 1996 remains one of the key scientific success stories in the 25-year-old epidemic. But although HAART prolongs life by suppressing viral reproduction, reservoirs of latent virus remain throughout the body. Because these reservoirs are beyond the reach of HAART, it creates an impediment to eliminating HIV from the body altogether. amfAR is one of the world’s leading non-profit organisations supporting HIV research, prevention, treatment and education.

COLLECTIVE THINKING issue 64 H September 06

Exercise trims waists in women with lipo Women living with HIV can become stronger, fitter and trimmer by following a supervised, home-based aerobic and resistance training programme, according to latest research. Research led by Dr Steven K Grinspoon evaluated the effects of a 16-week course in 40 women living with HIV. Before starting the women had seen a thickening of their waists and reported body fat changes related to lipodystrophy. After 16 weeks their aerobic capacity and endurance increased while these decreased in the control group, the authors report. Women in the exercise group were found to be stronger all round than in the control group and their waists became smaller. But there were no differences in abdominal or total fat between the groups. The researcher concluded: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The programme made patients feel better about their health, which may improve [treatment] compliance as well.â&#x20AC;? Arch Intern Med 2006;166:1225-1231.

Positive

Who’s afraid of the

few months ago, Paul (*) was arrested by police in Christchurch, and found himself being held in the cells for questioning. Any apprehension he felt at the time around his alleged crime was no doubt heightened by the fact that Paul was HIV-positive, and knew that if he was to get access to his medication during his overnight stay, he’d have to disclose his status. Unfortunately, even when Paul did disclose, he was reportedly twice refused his medication, first by the officers on duty and second – incredibly – by the on-duty GP whom officers called to check Paul over. The police GP said it wouldn’t do Paul any harm to miss his dosage. “Obviously that’s not correct,” says Eamonn Smythe, NZAF Positive Health Manager. “If you talk to any infectious disease specialist in the country, they’ll tell you that it’s important HIV-positive people take their medication as and when stated, so they don’t develop any form of resistance.” Smythe received a call from Paul to ask for assistance in proceeding with a complaint. However, by the time he was (*) Name changed for privacy reasons

referred higher up the food chain to police authorities in Wellington, Paul decided to drop the whole thing. A similar incident which took place in Auckland ended up not being investigated, again because the person involved was afraid to take it any further. “It’s very difficult to progress these things if the person involved wants to forget the whole incident ever happened,” Smythe says. “It makes it hard to push forward and advocate on their behalf.” It’s incidents like these, coupled with a vast increase in the number of inquiries police have received from fearful members of the HIV-negative public in the wake of last year’s Justin Dalley case, that have prompted one area of the police to take action. The Police Diversity Liaison Officer (DLO) scheme was set up in 2001 in order to enhance the police’s relationship both with GLBT communities and staff within the police itself. “We have not historically had a good relationship with the GLBT communties, so we needed to work on that,” says Carol Train, the Police’s Equal Employment Opportunities & Diversity Manager.

COLLECTIVE THINKING issue 64 H September 06

Policing boys in blue? The list of DLOs has grown over the last few years to 32, with officers all over the country. All were volunteers, drawn from within the ranks. They range from constables to senior sergeants, as well as non-sworn staff like dispatchers. It’s hardly surprising that a group of people like this, committed to countering stigma and discrimination against GLBT communities are now spearheading moves to make the police more sensitive to issues around HIV. But there’s a long way to go. Bruce Kilmister of Body Positive says positive people have a natural suspicion of officialdom. “Certainly the international trend has increasingly been to criminalise or alienate the HIVpositive person,” he says. “Ten years ago, we saw as few as ten countries in the world with regulations prohibiting the free movement of positive people. Today we have more than 120.” Positive support groups in New Zealand all cite sensitivity around disclosure as the number one issue of concern for positive people in general everyday life, let alone with the police. “Why would you want to tell the police when in fact its nobody’s business but your

By Chris Banks

own?” asks Kilmister. Positive Women’s Jane Bruning says that although specific concerns about the police aren’t on the radar for women, issues around disclosure in everyday life make women “absolutely paranoid. They would be paranoid if the police came in – it’s like going to a pharmacy to collect a prescription and having your name shouted out,” she says. “The biggest thing is to make sure that when discussing anything to do with HIV that it’s in a confidential environment. Be sensitive. Don’t come across as judgmental or condescending.” The key here is in helping police understand just how sensitive HIV status information is to a positive person, and clarifying who has ownership of such information when a criminal investigation is in progress. “I’ve been getting a few emails through about what we can do with the information we collect, particularly HIV status,” says Matt Creamer, one of the Aucklandbased DLOs. “We ask people when they’re put through the cells if there’s anything in their medical history we should know about. At that time they might volunteer

that they’re epileptic, or have hepatitis. Sometimes they’ll volunteer that they’re HIV-positive.” Disclosure of HIV is a complicating factor for the police, Creamer says, because sometimes it is used as a weapon by people who are in fact HIV-negative. “Some people use it to frighten us or scare us, to see if they can receive different treatment. In a violent situation, officers have sometimes been threatened with blood-filled syringes.” Ignorance around HIV in the community creates multiple problems for positive people. Within the police, it’s a vulnerability that criminals can exploit. However, there is a recognition developing that good training and information can take the heat out of situations like those described above, as well as enhancing police relationships with positive communities.

“It’s important to get this information through to our staff so they have an understanding of what they’re dealing with, rather than an emotional response which is the norm with HIV and AIDS,” Creamer says. “Most people have an emotive response rather than an intelligent one.” Police currently have a policy which incorporates HIV as one of the conditions officers may come across during their work, and say the guidelines are very clear. But are these specific enough in allowing for the unique nature of HIV and the prejudicial baggage that comes with it? Creamer is lobbying for an HIV task force to be set up

within the police to revise and enhance current policy, not only for the sake of public relations, but to ensure that the police can cope with positive staff within the ranks. “We don’t want to be caught out by a police officer that comes to us and says they’re HIV-positive,” he says. “In an organisation of 10,000 people it’s naïve to think that’s not going to happen at some stage.” At the moment, the burden of dealing with potentially tricky HIV-related questions within police seems to fall largely on the desks of DLOs, who – contrary to misinformation spread by social conservatives – aren’t full-time. Being a DLO is what’s known as a portfolio role, which means that DLOs fit in this work in addition to their other duties. Creamer, who works as a dispatcher at the police call centre in Auckland, is one of the exceptions to this, having recently had his superintendent allocate half his time purely for DLO duties. It’s a timely decision, given the increased amount of HIV-related inquiries he now receives. At NZAF, Eamonn Smythe’s phone has also been ringing more of late. “I used to get maybe two calls in a year. Since the Dalley case, I’ve been getting 1 or 2 per month,” he says. “They’re usually gay men ringing to say that their partner is positive, they’ve just found out, and that he hasn’t disclosed or used a condom. They want advice on how to take their case forward for prosecution.”

COLLECTIVE THINKING issue 64 H September 06

Smythe says that, in addition to providing referrals to their nearest DLO, these callers are automatically referred to their local NZAF clinic for counselling as well. Matt Creamer agrees that counselling is essential in such cases. “I’d hope that fronting up at the police station with a complaint like this is the last stage in a long process,” he says. “They need to see a counsellor to make them understand what’s involved and what they’ll have to go through, and it’s not nice – sitting down with a detective and sharing your whole sexual history. They have to ask the hard questions, like can you prove you were HIV-negative at the beginning of the relationship?” Some of these complaints can be vexatious, says Bruce Kilmister of Body Positive. “At one stage, before the Dalley decision, positive people felt particularly vulnerable to anybody out there who might bring a complaint against them. We were receiving, on average, one call per month just simply saying, I’m very worried that my relationship has broken up and my ex-partner is threatening to complain to the police.” To the best of Smythe’s knowledge, none of the complaints he’s received have ever progressed to the point of charges being laid. “People usually want to take this forward because they’re angry, there’s a lot of anger,” he says. “Once they’ve had counselling, they can understand the reasons behind it, and it might be that the partner isn’t even positive. Sometimes they get this information from a third party.”

It all comes back to fear. The greater the consequences of disclosure, perceived or actual, the less likely a positive person will feel comfortable with being open, and silence fuels stigma. Bruce Kilmister goes further in saying Body Positive would like to have some input into any review of the police’s HIV policy. “The human rights legislation specifically prohibits discrimination against anybody carrying an infectious organism in the body, and that specifically spells out HIV/AIDS,” he says. “I don’t see why the police should be exempted from that. In fact, there’s more of a need for police to demonstrate sensitivity around an issue which most members of the public do not, as yet, understand or have.” In the meantime, should you find yourself dealing with the police as a positive person, the DLOs are available for you to call on at any time should you feel uncomfortable. Diversity Manager Carol Train says she regularly rings up watch-houses to make sure the service level is maintained. With the number of officers on board, the willingness to make a difference seems to be at its strongest level to date. “The DLOs are on every phone list in the country, so there shouldn’t be any problems,” she says. “They’re all great people, and we’ve already got a list for more training in December, so we’re just going to be building on this all the time.”

XVI International Aids Conference, Toronto

oronto AIDS conference focuses on prevention As the 26,000 delegates who attended the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto, Canada, prepared to head home on Friday 22nd of August 2006, the pervading mood was one of guarded optimism. The conference theme, ‘Time To Deliver’, set the tone for a week of reflection on lessons learned from the past 25 years of the AIDS epidemic. UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa Stephen Lewis used it as a rallying call in his closing speech to define the needs of the next 25 years, with a special focus on prevention. At the previous conference, two years ago in Bangkok, the issue of prevention was largely eclipsed by the push for treatment access. In Toronto there was consensus that the goal of universal access to treatment would remain beyond reach as long as new HIV infections outpaced the ability of governments to deliver treatment and care. According to UNAIDS, new HIV infections every year are outrunning AIDS-related deaths. In Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, there were 2.7 million new infections in 2005 compared to 2 million deaths, but less than one in five people at risk of becoming infected has access to basic prevention services.

Lewis echoed the view of many speakers in Toronto who criticised abstinence-only prevention programmes as both ineffective and dictated by the ideological bias of funders. Others argued that behaviour-based prevention programmes could work when they were based on evidence rather than ideology, but were overshadowed by the nearly unanimous bashing of the ‘ABC’ approach - ‘Abstinence, Be faithful, Condom use’ - advocated by President Bush’s Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The UN envoy added his voice to those of Bill Gates and former US President Bill Clinton who put their considerable weight behind the delivery of an effective female-controlled microbicide, and the rapid rollout of male circumcision that initial data suggested could be 60 percent effective in reducing HIV transmissions among men. Lewis also pointed out that existing prevention methods, such as the use of combination antiretroviral (ARV) therapy for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission, were being severely underutilised in the developing world,

where most countries were still giving HIV-positive pregnant women less effective single-dose nevirapine, if anything at all. “This means that hundreds of thousands of babies continue to be born HIV-positive rather than reducing the transmission rate virtually to zero,” he said. Earlier in the week, delegates learned that ARV treatment itself has a role to play in prevention. Efficacy trials of an approach called pre-exposure prophylaxis (PREP), in which ARV drugs are administered to prevent infection, are underway in three countries and could produce results as early as 2007. Julio Montaner, the director of British Columbia’s AIDS Centre in Vancouver, presented a mathematical model showing that if all identified cases of HIV were treated, prevalence would drop to virtually zero by 2050 because treated people were much less infectious. The likelihood of achieving universal access anytime soon looks remote at current rollout rates. Lewis said the number of people on treatment only rose by 350,000 in the last six months, bringing the total to 1.65 million of an estimated 6.5 million people in immediate need of the drugs. According to Lewis, “a huge financial crisis” threatens closing of the treatment gap - commitments by G8 leaders in Gleneagles last year are already unravelling and no one is sure where the billions of dollars needed to achieve universal access, prevention and care will come from. The focus on prevention and treatment was not popular with everyone at the conference. Several delegates from organisations working in Africa pointed out that ARVs and new prevention methods were beside the point when the real drivers of the pandemic in developing countries were economic and gender inequality. “We need to go far, far beyond the technologies that are being highlighted here,” said Stuart Gillespie of the Regional Network on HIV/AIDS, Rural Livelihoods and Food Security (RENEWAL). “We need to go beyond even food aid; we need to look at livelihood security.” On the final day of the conference, Lois Chingandu, executive director of the Southern Africa HIV/AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAFAIDS), expressed

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Voices from Toronto: NZAF National Positive Health Manager, Eamonn Smythe I was present at the International AIDS Vigil, held on the Thursday evening of the conference in Yonge-Dundas Square, an event which he describes as “very emotional” and the highlight of the Toronto conference. “It was a lovely ceremony, which showed a huge commitment to the continuing fight against HIV,” he told Collective Thinking. “It was also a good opportunity to talk to people outside of the conference setting, and have some one-on-one conversations with positive people.” The world’s largest AIDS candlelight vigil began at dusk with a symbolic candle lighting ceremony and concluded with the illumination of thousands of glow sticks. Along with music and readings, the hour-long memorial featured the “naming of names”, a poignant moment where the names of the deceased were called aloud from the stage, and from the audience. Organisers say the International AIDS Vigil acknowledges the profound devastation HIV/AIDS has wrought within the gay and lesbian community and salutes the leadership role played by that community in the fight to overcome this deadly disease. At the same time, it recognizes the impact of HIV/AIDS on people all over the world. To that end, organizers of the vigil welcome anyone who may have experienced a personal loss or losses due to HIV/AIDS.

disappointment that governments had not used the conference as an opportunity to set long-term financial targets for combating the epidemic. She told journalists that community-based organisations and health workers were already well-positioned to deliver treatment, prevention and care, but needed political leaders to make good on promises of “sustainable, predictable and flexible financing that allows us to respond in our own way”. Lewis agreed that the key to capitalising on the cautious optimism of the conference lay at country-level. “If the next 25 years are to link, inseparably, poverty and disease ... then it has to happen in-country, on the ground organised and orchestrated by the countries themselves.” Source: AEGIS.org

Voices from Toronto: NZAF Policy Analyst Carolyn Macaltao The Law, Human Rights and Disclosure A Satellite Meeting for Law and Policy Makers The Justin Dalley case was the center of attention at a satellite meeting for law and policy makers at the AIDS 2006 Conference, reports NZAF Policy Analyst Carolyn Macaltao. A recent ruling by the Supreme Court in the US state of California, which held that people can be held responsible for transmitting HIV to a sexual partner even if they’re unaware of their status, has caused great concern. Participants at a workshop discussion on HIV testing and criminalisation of HIV expressed disappointment with the Court’s opinion, which allowed lawsuits on the basis of “constructive knowledge”. The argument that people will avoid testing just to avoid being sued is unsound, it was agreed.

In considering a situation where an HIV-positive person before the courts had actual knowledge of their status, interest was redirected to the Dalley case. NZAF said that is was important for us to safeguard the current position in New Zealand law of HIVpositive people who are either unwilling or unable to disclose their HIV status to their sexual partners, but who use condoms. Prior to the Dalley case, there had been six successful prosecutions in New Zealand involving persons with confirmed HIV-positive status. The sexual conduct in question was universally high risk – a mix of anal and vaginal intercourse, sometimes with more than one partner over a period of time. In each case, the defendant did not disclose his HIV status and did not use a condom. The statute in New Zealand required Dalley to take “reasonable precaution” to prevent the transmission of HIV. In the charge against Dalley relating to

vaginal intercourse, the judge had acknowledged expert opinion that condom use greatly reduced the risk of HIV transmission, and that transmission can be prevented without the requirement to disclose. Condom use equates to reasonable precaution, and therefore criminal liability can be avoided. It will always be important for HIV-positive persons to know the possible legal consequences associated with particular sexual behaviours, but due to the complexity of HIV disclosure and criminal law, we may not always find it easy to provide definitive responses to issues that often must be taken in context. We have to wonder what decision a judge might hand down in future cases where a condom was used during sex but transmission of HIV occurred anyway, through incorrect or improper use. Hence, the need to safeguard the current position in New Zealand law around preventing transmission of HIV through condom use – the duty is to take reasonable precaution, not “failsafe” precaution. Many agreed with the view that the use of condoms, while a cornerstone of HIV prevention interventions, does not preclude disclosure as a worthy goal. However, this requires the right circumstances to make disclosure of one’s HIV status easier (e.g. development of a “relationship”). It was also said that HIV-positive persons should not carry the burden to prevent transmission on their own – HIV transmission is everyone’s responsibility. Finally, it was recognised that this area required further study, and that the precedent set by the Dalley case may be an important starting point. Requests for the case’s transcripts and 2005 judgment plus future resources from NZAF on HIV disclosure were made.

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Voices from Toronto: Preaching in the desert? Douglas Jenkin of Gay Men’s Health reports on the 2006 World AIDS Conference in Toronto. A man with a pierced nipple and wearing only a towel welcomed gay and bisexual men attending the 2006 World AIDS Conference in Toronto. The gay and menwho-have-sex-with-men (MSM) Networking Zone in the vast Global Village had become a sauna for the day. A small pool that was part of the event was later transformed into a memorial to gay and HIV positive men from non-Western countries around the globe that had recently been murdered. Three gay men from the New Zealand AIDS Foundation went to the conference including Jordon Harris, a member of the Hau Ora Takataapui (HOT) Team (pictured). The resources produced by HOT were extremely popular in the Aboriginal/Indigenous Networking Zone, particularly the “Warriors For Safe Sex” poster which at one stage sparked an impromptu autograph session! The conference, the biggest of its kind ever, attracted 26,000 people from 170 countries. However just 350 gay men were at a pre-conference forum to demand the ‘re-gaying’ of the fight against HIV around the globe. Gay, bisexual and other men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) – the first and most vocal group to be infected and affected by HIV – have never had a plenary (a fullhouse opening) session devoted to them at any of the world conferences. The forum, “MSM & HIV: Advancing a Global Agenda for Gay and Other Men who have Sex with Men”, was a response to the fact that, globally, one in 10 MSM have access to basic HIV prevention services and even fewer have access to HIV/AIDS care and support. The global forum brought together, for the first time, gay and MSM groups from both the industrialised and developing world so that they could work together The forum was guided by six principles that include a sex positive approach: “All MSM and other sexual and gender minorities have the right to healthy and fulfilling sex lives, free from judgment and persecution. We believe that negative attitudes and narrow views about sex, sexuality and sexual expression are counter-productive and have deleterious effects on the health and wellness of MSM and other sexual and gender minorities.”

British gay activist Peter Tatchell, who opened the forum, emphasised one of the other principles: human rights and social justice. He said that the fight for human rights for gay men was central to the fight against HIV. “Without human rights for MSM we can never win the battle against HIV. It’s a no-brainer,” he said. “Large parts of the world force people to hide their sexuality. Vigilante death squads pursue gay men. Globally speaking, varying degrees of state-sponsored homophobia are the norm.” Tatchell and other delegates also pointed to signs of hope. Gay men from Latin America, the Caribbean and India were present at the meeting. Countries such as Ecuador and Fiji followed the lead of South Africa in having anti-gay discrimination outlawed in their constitutions and India is considering repealing its colonial area anti-sodomy laws. He added that although some African countries such as Kenya had taken tentative steps toward including gay men in their HIV preventions plan, in neighbouring Uganda anti-gay prejudice and violence recently became worse. UNAIDS chief and United Nations Assistant Secretary General Peter Piot told the forum that he had been frustrated by the resistance he encountered at the recent UN General Assembly on AIDS to even have gay men mentioned in the final statement, and that anti-gay prejudice was alive even in the global fight against AIDS. “I got unpleasant emails from AIDS activists in Africa saying why do you bother with these people, why waste your time? The evil – and I call it this – is in our own midst as AIDS activists, in our own midst as prejudices,” he said. “Coming from Belgium, a country where same-sex marriage is legal, I can see that things can change suddenly when the time becomes right, but we can’t just wait till the time becomes right - changes like this take a lot of hard work.” He appealed to gay communities to conduct their own research into what, in many countries, is still by far the most invisible and stigmatised group of people affected by AIDS. “What you don’t look for, you don’t find,” he said, “and then you get the response, ‘Oh, gay men don’t exist here.’ If you don’t have data you are preaching in the desert.”

Zimbabwe decision a positive humanitarian move text to come

he government’s decision to grant residency to Zimbabweans in New Zealand who fled the brutal Mugabe regime is a positive humanitarian move, as well as working in the best interests of public health, says the New Zealand AIDS Foundation.

“The HIV epidemic worldwide is fuelled by silence, stigma and discrimination,” says NZAF Executive Director Rachael Le Mesurier. “Granting residency to the minority of Zimbabweans now in New Zealand who may be HIV-positive is the best way to ensure those affected receive the treatment, care and support they need – something they sadly would not have received under the oppressive Mugabe regime.” The African community in New Zealand has been leading HIV prevention efforts amongst new migrants from highprevalence countries for several years, and since 2005 has been working directly in partnership with the New Zealand AIDS Foundation to consolidate these efforts. “Building strong communities is essential to stopping the spread of HIV, as well as supporting those living with the virus,” Le Mesurier says. “Our twenty years of experience with the HIV epidemic amongst gay men in New Zealand has shown us that community-led initiatives work best in resolving this.” These community partnerships supported by successive governments since 1985 have helped keep New Zealand a low-prevalence country for HIV amongst the general population, Le Mesurier says.

“We believe New Zealanders will act with compassion and humanity to ensure the discrimination and stigma occurring in other parts of the world toward minority groups do not take hold here. This is all we’re asking of the wider community, in order to ensure that our country’s most at-risk groups for HIV can continue prevention efforts in a supportive, humanitarian environment. ”The potential costs to the taxpayer in treating Zimbabwean migrants for HIV need to be put into perspective, says the New Zealand AIDS Foundation. Concerns have been raised about the potential drain on the health service following the Government’s announcement that a number of Zimbabwean migrants in New Zealand under a Special Residency Policy will not be forced to leave the country should they test positive for HIV. “Firstly, we’re talking about people who are already in New Zealand – working, paying taxes, contributing to the economy and helping to build strong communities,” says NZAF Executive Director Rachael Le Mesurier. “There are 800 Zimbabweans in this group who are yet to apply for residency, and not all of them are going to test positive for HIV.” In the extremely unlikely event that this occurs, the projected costs of antiretroviral treatment are being overestimated. “Not all people who test positive for HIV require immediate antiretroviral treatment,” Le Mesurier says. “The $2.9 million figure being quoted for annual

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The New Zealand AIDS Foundation recommends that people applying for residency know their HIV status before applying. The Foundation has skilled staff who can provide support and advice throughout the process of applying for residency. Contact NZAF Centre Regional Coordinators in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington or Christchurch.

treatment for this group is a worst case scenario. Even then, it pales in comparison to the estimated $250 million annual cost to the taxpayer caused by smoking.” The political situation in Zimbabwe has essentially made HIV-positive migrants into refugees, and to send them back would be inhumane. “New Zealanders are caring and generous when it comes to supplying humanitarian aid overseas, and this situation is no different,” Le Mesurier says. “HIV is now an unavoidable, global problem. The extreme reactions and stigma we have seen being generated from some political quarters only work to fuel this. Our commitment to creating supportive environments for communities most at risk of contracting the virus will keep this epidemic under control.”

Special Zimbabwe Residence Policy Recent changes to immigration rules: What you need to know! The New Zealand government has a Special Zimbabwe Residence Policy (SZRP) to help some Zimbabwean nationals gain residence in New Zealand. The residence policy recognises the humanitarian situation of Zimbabwe nationals in New Zealand who are unable to return to their home country given its instability. To be granted New Zealand residence under this policy Zimbabwean nationals must meet immigration requirements which include that: they must have arrived in New Zealand on or before 23 September 2004 on a Zimbabwean passport; and be ineligible for residence under any other policies.

Health policy changes made on 30 August 2006 Recently immigration policy was amended to exempt SZRP applicants in New Zealand from the requirement to be of an “acceptable standard of health”. This means that the medical status of SZRP applicants already in New Zealand will not affect whether they are granted residence. They must still submit medical information to the Department of Labour’s immigration staff, but this will be used for recording purposes only. Under the previous SZRP anyone found to be HIV positive would have been considered as having an “unacceptable standard of health” for residence. Previously immigration officers would assess whether there were grounds for a medical waiver to allow an HIV positive person to be granted residence on a case by case basis. All eligible SZRP applicants should apply as soon as possible. The policy closes on 28 February 2007 and all applications must be received by the Department on or before this date. To allow time for SZRP residence applications to be determined, Zimbabweans on temporary permits can apply for further permits allowing a stay until 1 November 2007.

Making an application If you think you might be eligible for residence under the SZRP you can request an application form and medical forms by calling immigration staff on freephone (0508) 558 855 or visiting www.immigration.govt.nz

Purpose and Passion In this, our third installment in the series on living a happier life with HIV, Dr Rupert Whitaker looks at skills for sucessful survival. The series of four articles orginally appeared in the Positive Nation Magazine from the United Kingdom, beginning in issue 113 June 2005. Lie back and think hard about what lights your fire or presses your button; this passion might just save your life!

Purpose and passion make life better; making good times wonderful and hard times bearable. They give us a reason for going on; getting up in the morning with enthusiasm or getting through the next bout of chemotherapy. Purpose fills life with meaning, pulling you onward and creating passion in how you live. Having a passion is like having an intense enthusiasm for something; it isn’t simply ‘being emotional’ or having sexual lust, but it may be expressed in the love you have for your partner, your child, your job, your community, or your collection of Japanese comics.

Smaller passions Finding purpose and passion isn’t just for us with HIV; it’s a challenge many of us face during a ‘mid-life crisis’. But because living with HIV is often hard, it can force us to face the ‘why?’ and ‘how?’ questions much earlier. People who thrive despite HIV have purpose and passion. They aren’t necessarily ‘jolly’ people but they live with hope and drive. Smaller passions help us through smaller things. A friend of mine is a passionate collector of England rugby memorabilia; it helps make the day job less tedious but it probably wouldn’t help him through chemotherapy (unless Lawrence Dallaglio were to swing by and give him a back-rub).

Deep purpose If your passion helps you through hard times then it has what I call ‘deep purpose’; it fills and guides your

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whole life. This can help keep you alive when you’re not expected to be. If you’re lucky, your job may be the vehicle of your purpose and passion; but a deep purpose is something you would follow even if you weren’t paid for it. You may discover a thing you’re passionate about without knowing why; it may not make sense to other people and you may even be very ‘good’ at it. It doesn’t matter, it’s yours and only you can do it that way.

A quest for purpose So, how do you find your purpose and passion? If it were simple, it wouldn’t be so meaningful. It takes effort, like all the best things. It’s a journey and has to be done several times as you grow older. Let’s work backwards with some questions, some serious and some fun. Get a pen and paper, put the lights down low and stick on some calming, relaxing music, and think. When you’ve done this one, go for the more fun one. These will help you understand what is important to you in life and why.

1) Regression and regrets Imagine you’re in bed, close to death. You have oxygen tubes in your nose, you’re weak and can barely open your eyes. There are people around your bed, some alive, some dead; they represent your life. As you look at these people, you look back on all the things you have done. Are there regrets? What do you wish you had done instead? Why? Who are these people around your bed? Are they there to make sure you really are dead or to ease your death with their love? Why? Do they have anything to say to you? If so, what? Don’t limit yourself. If there’s one word that is likely to be on your gravestone, what would it be today? What would you like it to be eventually?

2) Help through heroes Think of all the people you admire. They can be real or characters. Risk thinking outrageously. Who are they? Why do you admire them? If you possessed those same characteristics, what kind of person would you be? What would you do? How would it help you get through hard times? Do your heroes have anything in common? If you could mush all those characters/people into one person, what would they be like? That person is the ideal you. Don’t get too hung-up on designing the costume or the theme tune, but enjoy exploring. If you can look back on a life filled with purpose and passion, you’ll see fewer regrets and a life well-lived. Passion and purpose make life more worth living. In the good times, they help make life great. Find your purpose and passion will follow. Dr Rupert Whitaker is co-founder of Terrence Higgins Trust and has a clinical practice in psychological medicine. He has lived with HIV for 25 years and is currently writing a reference book and creating workshops called “Life Medicine for HIV”.

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Seeking A Brand New Label By Brian West

e all live with names, but how much influence do we have over them? We have no choice about the names we are given at birth. If I’d been born female, I was going to be Gloria... Anyone of similarly advanced years like me will recall the horrific image this represents of Laura Brannigan belting out a disco classic in the early 80s. No male name was prepared for me as it was assumed this restless foetus was going to be a girl. “Brian” was chosen hurriedly, and I’m named after a footballer. But other names and titles catch on. We might be able to influence them, but regularly others get in first. How about some words used to describe those of us living with HIV? How are our relationships described? If your partner is HIV negative and you are HIV positive, you are in a ‘serodiscordant relationship’. Thanks a bunch for creating tension right there at the start. Living with HIV can make it difficult enough to develop or sustain a relationship anyway without someone coming along and implying that there is an inevitable battle on the horizon.

The word discordant implies there is jarring, a conflict going on. Maybe I’m unusual, but most of the conflict that goes on in my relationships has nothing to do with HIV. It generally relates to the other man not being considerate/thoughtful enough. Of course, that’s never a problem with me. I’m a saint. If you are both positive, you are ‘sero-concordant’. I personally have had some pretty turbulent relationships with men who are also HIV positive. The same HIV status is certainly no guarantee of happiness. The overall implication of all this is that HIV positive and HIV negative do not mix. Of course, the term came into use from a medical perspective; we aren’t the ones who started using it, we had it applied to us, and took it on board. The UK Community Advisory Board of HIV positive people and community advocates has had a discussion recently about moving over to using the terms sero-same and sero-different to describe our relationships, and I agree. It describes what is going on and sets the record straight about what the issue is. It’s about people having a different HIV status. It doesn’t imply there is a conflict going on. These would also be names that we had chosen to use, and a sense of ownership is an important part of connecting with language.

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AIDS

itive

s HIV po Sero-sorting has become popular lately both as a term, and a practice. It’s what people living with HIV can do if they only want to have sex with other people who are HIV positive. I feel happy with that. It’s not morally loaded and doesn’t send out a message that sero-sorting is right or wrong. It’s just something that I might want to do. Did we come up with that term? I don’t know. Presumably someone from an advertising background could have come up with something like ‘sero-branding’. Suitably labelled, yes. Please don’t anyone even think about it... Why don’t we define our language more? Are we scared or powerless? I know very few gay men who like to be referred to as ‘men who have sex with men,’ far less MSM, but it has caught on as a term. Actually, I don’t know anyone who likes it. This is supposedly the catchall term for men who do not define themselves as gay or bisexual, but does it keep anyone happy? Or is it just that by now we all know what it means, so we live with it? Does language really matter? I think it does. The other week I was chatting to someone from a Scottish

newspaper. They wanted to know whether I was “just” HIV positive, or whether I had AIDS. The term AIDS clearly makes for a juicier story. I was slightly taken aback and didn’t really know the answer because I hadn’t thought about it for ages. I’ve been living with HIV for 22 years and had an AIDS-defining illness in the early 90s, but that was before the Ark in HIV terms. But statistically I will forever be in the databanks as one of Scotland’s people with ‘AIDS’. Perhaps I’m even a ‘long-term survivor’. But these are not my terms and it’s not my language. I’m not surviving, I’m doing very well. And if the truth be known, I don’t think the term ‘having AIDS’ really applies to me any more. Not because I find it too severe or insulting, but because I associate it with a time when I had real trouble living with HIV and was very ill. Maybe it’s different for others, but this is the way I feel. Should we be doing more to define the words used to describe us? Or are we happy with it? Let me know. I’m not going to leave it to others to decide what I’m called. This article has been reprinted with the permission of Positive Nation Magazine.

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is something that isclosure of status here in the pages of d sse has been discu e to before, but disclosur Collective Thinking alt de ly ful en be s never a sexual partner ha ve looked at what the ha we ile Wh th. wi a more personal are, the following is legal requirements – should I tell? take on the question that I am HIVen tested and told So now that I’ve be partner, the tely tell my long-term positive, I immedia rs, and every yea on and off for a few guy I’ve been seeing just not that It’s ht. partner…yeah, rig subsequent sexual simple. ing open about u might consider be Of all the people yo s, friends – none ate th – family, workm your HIV status wi of sexual n the intimate world is more complex tha ed through sexual se HIV is transmitt relationships. Becau ing disclosure plex issues surround contact, there are com sire to be de e Th other situations. that do not occur in of possible rs fea e sid ng often sits alo open and truthful just easier to say rtner. For many, it is rejection from a pa nothing. to do is tell a guy all you would have In a perfect world, k beyond the tus and he would loo of your positive sta

at his friends aside thoughts of wh stigma of HIV, brush the negative of f He would rid himsel might think or say. ated with oci ass ly ect of being so dir thoughts and fears it doesn’t matter.” d say – “it’s alright, HIV through me, an re, there would world, is it? If it we But it isn’t a perfect ce. pla t out in the firs be no HIV to fret ab sure to a lover to approach disclo There are two ways n’t. Not telling do r tell them or you or partner. You eithe le – but think sib on esp face, to be irr may seem, on the sur law, people like rrent New Zealand about it. Under cu to disclose to all t have an obligation me with HIV do no om, provided a ss through our bedro and sundry that pa condom is used. ly guide in such t the law is our on That’s not to say tha to safeguard y lit moral responsibi matters. We have a – but the ble ssi po as much as our sexual partners takes two to it as st Ju al. individu onus rests with the the health of the responsibility for tango, the ultimate n rests with that rso an HIV positive pe sexual partner of person. e of the most ips are perhaps som Sexual relationsh er people, oth ips we have with illogical relationsh

COLLECTIVE THINKING issue 64 H September 06

? l l e T I emotion. Is the iven by desire and because they’re dr of your HIV er rtn pa informed a fact that you have e sex? Does an you practice saf status going to me your status y not have disclosed the fact that you ma d act an es tic ac n safer sex pr mean you’ll abando irresponsibly?

ous encounters a series of anonym relationships and , the question nas. In these places in cruise sites or sau equate with t r arises, but does tha of disclosure neve of self gs lin fee and enhanced sexual satisfaction t. esteem? Maybe no

sure is both a le I feel that disclo Like many HIV peop ation that might orm inf werful piece of label and also a po re is still stigma by others. While the be used as a weapon -one could blame surrounding HIV, no and discrimination ry person he for not informing eve someone with HIV sex with. might have causal drugs prolong t effective anti-HIV Despite the fact tha of having HIV, sen the visible signs good health and les they are positive. t tha to tell partners many people choose might be, can be , however fraught it Disclosure of status the security and ng. It can provide an empowering thi ive person may er that an HIV posit support from a lov need. n can also guilt and deceptio Erasing feelings of er love of a intimacy and deep enhance feelings of ople, it is the pe ny rsons. For ma special person or pe long-term sexual ful ing an having me difference between

to tell someone your of course, is when The hardest thing, comes a main yfriend gradually be status. As a new bo p do you tell ge in the relationshi partner, at what sta longer you put doesn’t get easier the him? Obviously it usually through are parting the news it off. Delays in im you want to if so , ion fear of reject the understandable se to tell the guy status, it makes sen be open about your ation. If you are him with the inform as soon as you trust better to know it’s ll rstand. If not, we lucky, he will unde later. sooner rather than you have, ers your status once It is easier telling lov having HIV. If th wi terms emotionally yourself, comes to , it will come across being HIV positive you are ashamed of elf as ‘damaged , if you present yours that way. Similarly person you the , that’s exactly how goods’ or as a victim l anyone of tel to e you. The best tim are telling will view . When you elf urs yo in y pp you feel ha your status is when , you can convey with being positive have come to terms others. that confidence to

he law still bars any HIV positive foreigner from visiting the US, whether it is to play quotes basketball, attend a business meeting or stand up in a family wedding.” The law still bars any HIV positive foreigner from visiting the US, whether it is to play basketball, attend a business meeting or stand up in a family wedding.” Bonnie Miller Rubin, in the Chicago Tribune

Bonnie Miller Rubin, in the Chicago Tribune “The HIV epidemic worldwide is fuelled by silence, stigma and discrimination,” NZAF Executive Director Rachael Le Mesurier

“The HIV epidemic worldwide is fuelled by silence, stigma and discrimination,” “Our earlier approach to fighting AIDS was misplaced, since we likened it to a disease for sinners and a curse from God” Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi,

of Kenya’s Anglican Church, from BBC news

“The International Labour Organisation estimates the total loss due to HIV/AIDS, which hits people of working age hardest, is expected to be $270 billion by the year 2020 in the 41 countries hardest hit by the epidemic”

NZAF Executive Director Rachael Le Mesurier

Our earlier approach to fighting AIDS was misplaced, since we likened it to a disease for sinners and a curse from God” 26 Julian Taiwo, from ‘This Day’ newspaper, Lagos, Nigeria

“It’s now pretty obvious that the Internet has started something of a new sexual revolution, for straight and gay alike,”

Gay Men’s Health Team Co-ordinator Douglas Jenkin.

“HIV positive people have not been involved nearly enough (in fighting the pandemic) and the international community has not made full use of their expertise and commitment. Too often, attempts to engage them have looked like tokenism”

Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi, of Kenya’s Anglican Church, from BBC news Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General, addressing UNGASS

“I think as long as Winston’s lying sick with an unknown disease in Rarotonga he shouldn’t say too much about keeping sick people from entering the country. It might be too tempting for us to not let him back in.”

“The International Labour Organisation estimates the total loss due to HIV/AIDS, which hits people of working age hardest, is Jon Bridges’ tongue-in-cheek response to Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters’ views on HIV+ Zimbabwean migrants

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MenSeekingMen.co.nz proves popular

new website offering safe sex information and free condoms for men hooking up with other men on the Internet looks set to be a popular resource, collecting nearly ten thousand hits in its first month online.

MenSeekingMen.co.nz was launched in August by the New Zealand AIDS Foundation’s Gay Men’s Health Team in response to the substantial increase over the last few years in the number of gay, bisexual and bi-curious men who meet via dating websites, particularly in Auckland where three-quarters of last year’s HIV diagnoses among gay and bisexual men occurred. “It’s now pretty obvious that the Internet has started something of a new sexual revolution, for straight and gay alike,” says Gay Men’s Health Team Co-ordinator Douglas Jenkin. “Gay, bisexual and even bi-curious men who previously had no way of contacting each other can now hook up on the Internet at any time or day of the week. It’s ‘open all hours’, basically.” In addition to providing safe sex information and free condoms, another feature of the site proving popular is a “virtual nurse” service*, where men can email through questions about safe sex, HIV, sexually transmitted infections and other gay and bisexual men’s health issues. This service provides information about safe sex, HIV, sexually transmitted infections and other health issues for gay, bisexual and bicurious men, with user questions being answered by an NZAF health promoter.

“The substantial online community of men who have sex with men aren’t being targeted with safe sex messages,” says Douglas Jenkin. “A lot of these men aren’t going to or live in areas where they don’t have access to gay venues, where condoms and safe sex information are provided.”

be play a key part in our prevention strategies for the future.”

Although 94% of last year’s HIV infections among gay and bisexual men were in the North Island, Jenkin says the message is important for men all over the country. “New Zealanders are a highly mobile population, and with rates of HIV among men who have sex with men in New Zealand now at record levels, the launch of this website is timely,” Jenkin says. “Initiatives like this will

* The “Virtual Nurse” is designed to provide information about safe sex, HIV, sexually transmitted infections and other health issues for gay, bisexual and bicurious men. Your questions will be answered by an NZAF health promoter and not a registred nurse. This feature is not intended as a substitute for an actual consultation with a health professional.