Justice Edwin Cameron | We must fight stigma
This year we mark the world’s thirtieth World AIDS Day. From 1 December 1988, every year, the world has observed a special day for this terrible, potentially deadly, deeply stigmatised disease that afflicts some 40 million people across the world, mainly on our continent, Africa. World AIDS Day 1988 was marked in deepest gloom. Just […]
Stigma, silence & stress | MSM couples & HIV in Southern Africa
A new study has explored the complexities of same-sex relationships between men in Southern Africa and how this impacts on the fight against HIV. Researchers used focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and online surveys to access the experiences of more than 600 men who have sex with men (MSM) who are in some form of […]
Hairdresser found guilty of deliberately infecting men with HIV
A British man has been found guilty of setting out to deliberately infect 10 men he met on the gay dating app Grindr with HIV. On Wednesday, Daryll Rowe, 27, (pictured) was convicted of five counts of grievous bodily harm with intent, and five counts of attempted grievous bodily harm, in the Lewes crown court. […]
China | Horror of “gay cure” conversion therapy revealed
Lesbian, gay and bisexual adults and young people in China are being subjected to cruel procedures, including shock therapy, in a misguided attempt to “cure” them of their homosexuality. In a new report, Human Rights Watch called on the Chinese government to take immediate steps to stop public hospitals and private clinics from offering so-called conversion […]
Your health | Undetectable? You can’t pass it on
Did you know that if an HIV-positive guy is on ARV treatment and the virus is undetectable, he cannot infect someone else? Undetectable equals untransmittable. In other words, treatment stops transmission! Therefore, treatment is a huge priority. That’s why WeTheBrave’s Call4Care want you to call them if you need any help gaining access to care. Thousands […]
Is Johannesburg Pride #BraveEnough to Get Tested?
The challenge is on! At Johannesburg Pride on 28 October, WeTheBrave – a large-scale, national sexual health campaign that specifically addresses gay, bi and other men who have sex with men (MSM) – will be trying to beat the number of MSM tested for HIV at Cape Town Pride held earlier this year. “Research has […]
UK | Doctors ordered to ask if patients are gay or lesbian
A move towards better health care or an invasion of privacy? Doctors and nurses in England have been told to ask patients about their sexual orientation. In a new policy document titled “Sexual Orientation Monitoring”, NHS England has ordered staff to “record sexual orientation at every face to face contact” with patients over the age […]
UK | Reversal of HIV epidemic among gay men
For the first time ever there has been a decline in HIV diagnoses among gay and bisexual men in the UK. According to Public Health England (PHE), there was an overall decrease in new HIV diagnoses by 18% in 2016. HIV diagnoses among gay and bisexual men dropped further, by 21%, with this decline particularly […]
#Oktobertest: Are you doing it? (sponsored)
Take control of your sexual health this October. BioSURE, the only legally approved HIV Self Test in South Africa recently launched #OktoberTest, a global movement aimed at generating and normalising the conversation around sex, HIV and testing – and letting everyone know that now they are able to test themselves easily and accurately wherever they […]
American tragedy | College student gets 10 years in jail for not disclosing HIV status
A 25-year-old American student has accepted a plea deal of 10 years in prison for not telling his sexual partners that he was HIV positive. Michael Johnson was first sentenced in 2015 to 30 years in prison for the offence before an appeals court threw out the conviction due to prosecutorial misconduct. The original trial, […]