Sexual Health Birmingham

February 3rd, 2010

From Wednesday 3rd February a new extra Hawthorn House@Brook session starts. Time: 2.30-4.30pm every Wednesday.

January 9th, 2010

New walk in clinics now available every morning 9.30-11.30 at Hawthorn House , Heartlands Hospital, B9 5SS (click here) and the Drake Unit, Birmingham Chest Clinic, City Centre, B3 3HX (click here)

December 4th

Birminghams, Positively Red Fashion show images now online click here to see.

December 3rd - David Cameron releases a message in support of World Aids Day

In his message, he talks of the need for an effective global AIDS strategy to tackle the global burden of the disease, and the importance of widening the availability of HIV testing, whilst reducing stigma, to reduce HIV diagnoses in the UK. Conservative policies to tackle the spread of HIV includes ring fencing public health spending and increasing public health education. Here are two extracts from his speech:

HIV Testing
“It should be as easy as possible for people to be tested for all sexually transmitted diseases - including HIV. In America, people often get their STI tests at local pharmacists, which often have more convenient locations and opening hours than sexual health clinics. Similarly in the UK, pharmacies play a key role in diagnosing STIs, but we need to look at how this can be extended so that more people who contract HIV can be diagnosed quickly and easily.

Anti-Stigma
“We need to get rid of the myths and the stigmas and the discrimination which all too often are associated with HIV. And through our plans to ring-fence public health spending, and to lead, educate and inform people about the health choices they make, we can really focus on fighting the big public health challenges this country faces and stop the spread of HIV.

December 3rd - The Isle of Wight has become the first place in the country to offer HIV blood spot testing in its pharmacies.

From today (Tuesday), which is World Aids Day, eight pharmacies on the Island will offer testing to anyone who thinks they may be at risk. The test requires a simple finger prick of blood, taken in a private consultation room. Felicity Young, consultant nurse for the sexual health service at St. Mary’s Hospital, said: "HIV is a virus which attacks and damages the immune system over a period of time. People with the virus may become susceptible to illnesses that a healthy immune system would be able to fight off. If you have never taken an HIV test it is very important to get tested now. Anyone who tests positive for HIV will be offered a fast track referral to the sexual health service at St Mary’s Hospital for further testing and treatment, if required.”

December 2nd, 2009

Read an opinion piece, written by Dr Steve Taylor of the Hearlands HIV Service, as part of the Don't Die of Ignorance in 2010 campaign. Click here.

December 1st, 2009

Today is World AIDS Day .

November 26th, 2009

Our latest podcast, from Dr Steve Taylor, can be viewed in the video section to the right, beneath the World AIDS Day diary. You can view our related Managing HIV In Primary Care document here.

November 25th, 2009

You can view the latest HIV statistics in our HIV pages here.

WORLD AIDSDAY 2009
Birmingham Events

From Wed 25th Nov,
Selfridges, Bullring

RETAIL FASHION
INSTALLATIONS
Fashion students from
South Birmingham College,
working in collaboration
with artists Garry Jones
will design costumes to be
displayed throughout
Selfridges, Bullring,
Birmingham City Centre.

Sat 28th Nov, Aston Villa FC
Birmingham Heartlands Hospital promoting Sexual Health in the Community
Dept of Sexual Health and Heartlands HIV Service will ticketing the fans outside the ground prior to the Aston Villa V Tottenham game.

Mon 30th Nov
5.30pm, Birmingham Library
Theatre, Paradise Place

Theatre - Who’s Breaking
Who’s Breaking? is a moving yet humorous and accessible exploration of HIV, relationships, masculinity and sexuality for young people. FREE ENTRY

Mon 30th Nov,
Doors open 7pm,
Birmingham Town Hall

POSITIVELYRED FREE GALA CONCERT
A FREE gala concert hosted by everyone’s favourite Kings Heath housewife, Mrs Barbara Nice & Heart FM’s Steve Denaer.

30th Nov-1st Dec,
Wall of love,
Birmingham Cathedral
Time will be given for people to visit the ‘wall of love’ and
refreshments will be served. The ‘Wall of Love’ in Birmingham Cathedral will be open on 30th Nov/1st Dec to leave messages and light candles for loved ones and those lost to HIV/AIDS in Birmingham and Worldwide.

Tuesday 1st Dec
World AIDS Day
10am - 6pm, Birmingham
Health Bus
Sexual Health promotion Bus, manned by Sexual Health organisations.

Centenary Square,
Birmingham City Centre.

BIG RED MUSCIAL BUS,
All around Birmingham
Volunteers will be travelling
around Birmingham
throughout the day raising
HIV awareness and
encouraging TESTING, the Big Red Musical Bus will be
arriving at St Martin Church
which is at the back of
Birmingham’s Bullring at
5.00pm.

7pm Selfridges,
Bullring, City Centre

POSITIVELYRED FASHION
SHOW
South Birmingham fashion
students will also produce a
spectacular fashion show
featuring a capsule of their
own designs.

7.30pm Rotunda Square,
outside the Pavilions,
City Centre

POSITIVELYRED LANTERN
PARADE & LANTERN RELEASE
The route will take place in
Birmingham Cathedral where special floating lanterns will
be released to commemorate those lost to AIDS worldwide. Lanterns will released at 8.00pm.

For further information,
re-events please visit here.

November 17th, 2009

HIV tests for everyone may become routine

Testing for HIV could be introduced routinely in GPs’ surgeries and hospitals under government plans to screen the population for the condition. Ministers are concerned that more than a quarter of people with HIV do not know they are carrying the virus and are passing it on to their sexual partners. A pilot screening programme, which is expected to be extended across the country if it is a success, will target gay men and black Africans who have a higher than average chance of carrying HIV. The pilot, to be held at GPs’ surgeries and hospitals in Leicester, in Brighton, where there is a large gay population, and in Lewisham, southeast London, which has a large black African community, will begin in the next few weeks. Testing is carried out mainly in sexual health clinics at the instigation of the patient. But ministers want it to become more routine and to be subject to an opt-out for those who do not want to be tested. Gillian Merron, the public health minister, will examine the results of the tests to gauge public reaction. “We estimate that around one quarter of HIV cases are undiagnosed - so it’s important we reduce this so people can get the treatment they need,” she said. Hospitals will ask patients, including those with serious illnesses or brought into accident and emergency rooms, to be tested for HIV.

The Times Online

November 16th, 2009

AIDS is the biggest killer for women worldwide, says WHO

HIV is the leading cause of death and disease in young women, the World Health Organisation said. More women aged between 15 and 44 die or fall ill due to human immunodeficiency virus, the virus that causes AIDS, than any other pathogen, WHO’s first worldwide study of women’s health revealed. Unsafe sex is the greatest risk factor for HIV among women of childbearing age in the developing world, causing one in five deaths among women in this age group, the U.N. agency said. Other important contributers include a lack of access to contraceptives and a shortage of iron, the WHO said. ‘Women who do not know how to protect themselves from such infections, or who are unable to do so, face increased risks of death or illness,’ WHO said in the 91-page report. ‘So do those who cannot protect themselves from unwanted pregnancy or control their fertility because of lack of access to contraception.’

November 9th, 2009

Sex education lessons for five-year-olds
Children as young as five are to get sex lessons in a bid to cut the soaring number of teen pregnancies. Schools Secretary Ed Balls said from 2011 all primaries and secondaries would have to offer Personal, Social and Health Education classes under the tough new proposals. Five-year-olds are to get lessons on the differences between boys and girls. Secondary school pupils will be taught about pregnancy, contraception, HIV and gay relationships. And parents will lose the right to take children out of sex education classes after they are 15. Mr Balls said: "This means every young person will receive at least one year of sex education before they are 16."

November 5th, 2009

US lifts ban on HIV+ travellers

President Obama has lifted a ban on HIV positive individuals entering the United States. “If we want to be a global leader in combating HIV-AIDS, we need to act like it,” said Obama on Friday. “That’s why on Monday my administration will publish a final rule that eliminates the travel ban.” United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged other nations which impose travel restrictions on those with HIV to follow America’s lead. According to the UN over 50 countries impose travel restrictions of some kind on HIV positive individuals. “Placing travel restrictions on people living with HIV has no public health justification. It is also a violation of human rights,” says Michel Sidibé, executive director of UNAIDS. “We hope that other countries that still have travel restrictions will remove them at the earliest.” The US rule change comes into force 4 January, 2010. “Today a discriminatory travel and immigration ban has gone the way of the dinosaur and we’re glad it’s finally extinct. It sure took too long to get here,” said Senator John Kerry on Friday.

Source: Nature.com

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