HIV IS NOT A DIRTY WORD

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: june 2014 :: RMTnews 26 "WHY CAN'T GAY MEN GIVE BLOOD?" This was the question my 18- year-old self asked the nurse as she was pricking my finger and preparing me for my first blood donation, "THEY'RE MORE PROMISCUOUS, SO THEY GET AIDS," I was shocked and angered by her response. She was a medical professional - an expert - and her ignorant comment did nothing but cement in my mind how little people still knew about HIV and AIDS. Blood had always been an important part of my life. My dad died from leukaemia in 2003 and I'd always promised to become a blood donor, so I could help people like him and everyone else I'd met over the years on the haematology ward. Lots of them had HIV or AIDS and some of them were gay. Most of them were not. In the 1980s, AIDS was seen as a death sentence and people were scared. Often when people are scared, they look for someone to blame and in this case, it was gay men who were blamed. Growing up in the 90s when people were meant to be more educated on the causes of HIV and when treatments were becoming more effective, many of the adults around me still thought that HIV and homosexuality went hand-in- hand. Today there are almost 100,000 people in the UK living with HIV and it is estimated that up to a quarter of those do not know that they have the virus. About 40,000 of the people living today with HIV are men who have sex with men. Most of the remaining people have become infected through heterosexual sex. Through fear or lack of knowledge many people think 'it won't happen to me,' but it could. HIV can affect anybody. Thanks to advancements in HIV drugs, if you are diagnosed with the virus, your chances of living a normal life are greatly improved. But it is fundamental that you receive your diagnosis as soon as possible to ensure you get the most effective care. If you have had any type of sex with a new partner or someone whose HIV status you are unsure of, go for a test. Having HIV is not something to feel ashamed about. HIV is not something that should be seen as taboo and people who have HIV do not deserve to be stigmatised, especially if they happen to be a gay man. It is likely that you know someone with HIV, at work, in your social life, in the RMT. Having HIV should be seen as no different from having any other medical condition. The only way that we can beat the stigma, is to talk about HIV, to educate ourselves and others and to no longer be afraid. And as for gay men donating blood, the rules have changed and are moving in the right direction. So my homophobic nurse is now pricking the fingers of gay men too. HIV IS NOT A DIRTY WORD LBGT RMT advisory committee member Lorna Tooley explodes myths about HIV MYTHS ABOUT HIV “ONLY GAY MEN GET HIV” Anyone from any sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender and age can contract HIV and pass it on too "I CAN GET HIV BY SHARING A TOILET SEAT" HIV is passed between blood or bodily fluids only. You cannot catch HIV from touching, kissing, hugging, holding hands, sharing cutlery, gym equipment or a toilet with someone with HIV. It cannot be passed by spitting or biting either "I DON'T FEEL ILL, SO I CAN'T HAVE HIV" People can go for years without experiencing HIV symptoms. The initial symptoms are very similar to the flu and then you can go for years without displaying any symptoms. That's why prevention and early detection are so important