Study finds mini-epidemics of HIV

You may find this of interest.

From the BBC News website,Study finds mini-epidemics of HIV

"Study finds mini-epidemics of HIV

HIV is spreading among gay men in mini-epidemics, a study has found.
Data collected from more than 2,000 infected men showed there were distinct clusters or "bursts" of the disease.

Researchers now believe targeted local campaigns in bars and nightclubs could be the most effective way of curbing the spread of HIV by sexual contact.

The Edinburgh University study was carried out with Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, using data collected between 1997 and 2003.

It found many men who became infected with the virus passed it on within a few months, often before they themselves had been diagnosed as HIV positive.

'Drug-resistant'

Prof Andrew Leigh Brown, of Edinburgh University's school of biological sciences, said: "By studying changes in the virus over time, we have been able to pinpoint its progress in stages through the groups of men affected, which until now has not been done effectively.

"What we have discovered is that some of the spread occurred in bursts, with groups of people becoming infected within a short period of time."

Prof Leigh Brown said such a pattern had been seen occasionally among HIV-infected drug users but had not been identified in sexual transmission until now.

"The tightness of clusters that we have found is frightening. The results raise concerns that a drug-resistant version of the virus could spread quickly, causing a mini-epidemic which is hard to treat."

The findings indicate that the safe sex message was not having a significant impact according to researchers.

The study is suggesting that specific bars and nightclubs could be targeted to get the message across.

"It is important that information on the virus is available to gay men in the local areas where they are known to meet, to try to arrest the spread of HIV and Aids," he added.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7302474.stm

Published: 2008/03/18 13:08:50 GMT

© BBC MMVIII"

Work ...

I wanted to add this for the benefit of those who may encounter this site to get an impression of what it is like for some. This is my personal view. I would like to hear, please comment, on yours. Your experience & view will be different. For balance I welcome more positive comments.

Some have reported that they feel like they are being labelled "scroungers" with respect to claiming benefit.

Most of us, me included, worked. We had to give up for many reasons. In the early days it was the fatality of the illness. Latterly, it can be illness progression leading to being physically & mentally unfit for any work. Years of living with HIV, the stresses of day to day life & trying to maintain a career. Pressure from employers for you to leave your job, prejudice or the time you have to take off to attend to your health etc. Or a combination.

Some of us were professionals. Had a career path. Paid well and paid higher rate taxes. Myself included. Having to give up work for medical reasons wasn't a choice. Clearly your standard of living is affected. Of those I have spoken to. They would have liked to pursue there careers for the "well being" it gave them and the high standard of living it afforded them.

Having no choice but to claim benefits is an income cut for many.

Now with many out of their respective professions for some time. All other barriers to one side. Many feel "they have fallen behind". They would have to start again from the begining. With the added issues of health & in some cases age. Ruling this out.

Professional or othewise. Most worked and would love to be able to work for these reasons.

Though the general PR over HIV is that the drugs make for a "normal life". This doesn't consider the side effects and toll taken by some of us. On our health through taking earlier drugs.

Resistance to one drug can also rule out the options of several drugs that people are able to take in the future.

So some have breaks in treatment forced upon them for health reasons. This allowing the virus to re-take its hold & cause harm.

Also these drugs are not without there own side effects. Many can bring more difficulties and in turn more medication to alieviate medication.

You also have to take some medications at certain times. The right number of hours apart. Sometimes with food. Taking you medication at work can be difficult. People may ask questions. You also may have to change meetings etc. to ensure adherence to your therapy. The Disability Discrimination Act does cover making "suitable adjustments". However this relies on you telling your employer about your illness. With all the issues that brings over disclosure.

Insisting on your rights can be taken as adversarial. Having a negative impact on the employee/employer relationship.

Most of us don't like to ask for these concessions. Being seen as being treated more favorablly than our workmates raises questions as to "why?". If your privacy is being observed by your employer the lack of an answer can cause resentment amongst your peers. "We cannot have a meeting at this time because x is busy". When this happens with frequency the question is asked "why is x always busy at this time?" x is usually at their desk. They may not notice you have nipped to a private place for 10 minutes to take your medication.

Some employers are good and are willing to help & understand. Every day more efforts are taken to improve this understanding. However in my view their is still so much work to be done in this area.

In an ideal world. Being HIV+ and the efforts that need to be taken to control it. Would not be a problem in the workplace. However, aside from being unfit for work to begin with. You can see that there are also many hidden hurdles. If you were in fact able to work in the first place.

Friday 14th March ...

Been a good week all and all. Some progress. The Budget added some idea of what the EAS will be like.

I have heard some heart felt stories. Not all are posted as people want to remain private. Which I fully understand & respect.

There seems again to be no clear picture yet as to how the review is going. Or how DLA is being awarded at the moment. It seems very "pot luck".

Being public has brought some negative and personal criticism. However I hope that in the fullness of time those that are cynical will understand that my actions are based on trying to do something positive. For me, yes , but by sharing, for others. A channel for my own frustrations & worries.

Constructive criticism is always welcome.

Thanks to YOU for your continued good will. I really appreciate it.

So have a good weekend. Try and put your worries to one side & enjoy.

John.

Why I decided to use the internet...

The internet is a great tool to exploit for us.

• It reaches a wide audience.
• It allows me to contribute when I can. Around the life & medical conditions I deal with on a day-to-day basis.
• It allows you to contribute for the same reasons.
• It supplements the print media availible.
• It is national & global.
• I can do it from the safety of home.

Tcell.

The issues on DLA has met my personal goal with regard to the "why" I started the blog.

It was to inspire and empower my HIV+ peers. It was to come together as a community to create a unifed independent voice. Raising issues that we all face. Holding those that need to be, to account. Constructive in nature. To set the foundation of a "movement" that passes on to the next generation. To create a "safe environment" for the quieter voices to channel their views.

This has been a rollercoaster ride.

There is now a core group of us. Doing our best to push our common agenda forward.

You must participate and not allow it to just be us and our voices here. It may take time to develop in you - trust in us. Time for you to feel comfortable to contribute more directly. This is always going to be an aim and will just take time.

If you don't use us, I am worried that, as with organisations of this type in the past. You might loose us. I would hate for that to happen.

However it is early days yet, so don't worry unduly.

As a group we have decided to call ourselves Tcell as in T-Cell. I like the orgainic implications of this name. As our group with grow organically. "You need to plant a seed and feed it, in order to grow the tree." I like the fact it is heavily related to HIV, it is a common term we may all be familiar with. I like the fact that T helper Cells encompass what we are trying to achive. To provide, as best we can. The information to empower and help us take more control over our HIV.

I like the fact it is catchy and easy to remember.

To that end over the next few weeks & months we will develop a website http://www.tcell.org.uk.

I will post more to the main blog as it arises.

hivbenefits.co.uk will be our first campaign.

The group will take time to grow. We as a team are mindful not to be distracted unduly from the main campaign at the moment.

I am really grateful that those in the team have given there time & support to grow something for us all in the longer term.

The kindness, skill support, offered, time given freely and passion has been pleasantly overwhelming.

Of course. YOU. Reading this have had the most affect on my life this year. You have taken it down a path I never imagined. What energies I have left, that my HIV affords. Have a very worthwhile direction. I have grown personally so much and still continue to to do. Thank you.

Thank you for passing the word around. It may seem a little thing to so. But believe me it is the best way to contribute.

Thank you for sharing your experiences. This helps us gain a clearer picture. It starts to break down the barriers and demonstrates the stirring of empowerment at the grass roots level. Which is encouraging and leads by example.

This blog is personal. I make no apology for repeating this common theme.

One person can make a difference. I am a lay person like you. We are as a community standing up now and being counted. If this inspires just one person take that courageous first, difficult step, to being more open about their HIV. Personally I have achieved my goal. I want to support you.

I very much would like to hear your experiences on this front.

Sorry for the specific GAY community take on this but ..

From the HammersmithToday.co.uk website

"Hammersmith & Fulham Police are investigating a number of criminal offences and are appealing for information to help trace a man.

Inquiries are underway into a series of thefts and frauds within the borough and Central London.

The suspect has frequented various gay bars and stolen various items of property from people he has befriended - including credit cards, which are then used fraudulently.

Officers would like the public’s assistance in helping to trace Ivan Stefancik in connection with this inquiry.

If anyone can assist with the current whereabouts of this person, they are asked to contact PC Chesters based in the Beat Crimes Unit at Fulham Police Station on 0208 246 2982.

If you wish to remain anonymous please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."

There is a picture of the gentleman on this story.

I put this here in the spirit that awareness will hopefully lead to members of the gay community not being taken in & he will be caught.

To those who are not gay & not in London. I hope you will not mind the inclusion of this entry.

One voice can make a difference.

Setting up this blog. Raising my head above the parapit. Being very public. I am aware does place certain duties & responsiblites on me. I am just a lay person. The learning curve has been huge. But is has been, and continues to be, more pleasure than pain.

I started this blog at home. Not particularly difficult. I manage it around my health issues.

One person, with one voice & I believe this voice has made a positive difference here & is heard.

You are also one person, with one voice. Use it.

Now we are two people, with two voices, louder. And making a difference.

Comming out +

I cannot help but see. That given the concern and issues relating to confidentiality & disclosure. Based of course and understandably on the stimga of having HIV and the fear it brings.

That this is very much a weapon that is used against us as a community to ensure we keep quiet. Don't rock the boat. Won't create a fuss if we are picked on or bullied. Will lie back and just accept what the powers that be dish out to us.

I do understand personally why people feel the way they do.

However there is "safety in numbers".

From my experience as a gay man. Over the years coming out of the closet has become much easier than it was for me some 20 odd years ago. When I came out it was easier for me compare to those that came before.

Activism, people taking the lead. Challenge the established prejudices and correcting assumptions. Encourage people, over the years. Not to fear who they were in there "heart & soul". I am not saying that issues are not still there. Just that by comming together as a community progress was made. So much so that it has been fashionable from time to time to have a "gay friend".

The HIV community and the issues faced. Are not that dissimilar to the struggles of the Gay community over the years.

We should learn from this.

So very much in the back of my mind is another challange. To encourage people to "Come out +". To create the right atmosphere and understanding within society to facilitate this.

Many people have raised the issue that they feel "institutionalised" by their experience of HIV. That this sucks and feeling of empowerment out of them.

Yes there is alot of pity. "Poor you" scenario.

This merely reinforces all of the issues in this post. It feeds them. It is in the interests of the powers that be. To keep this idea alive. It serves them in their funding and decision making. Because we are too scared to speak up.

I WANT TO CHANGE THIS.

I want people to be able to empower themselves. Fight the stigmatism. Be able to be open about HIV.

Since the early days and the early campaigners in the HIV field. We as a community have contributed positively to health care delivery, the relationships we form with those that support us etc. Some continue to do so. More power to there elbow.

In 1999 I started the year with pnuemonia. Thank fully it wasn't PCP. But I was hospitalised and isolated in a room. A hiv test was requested by the medics to rule out HIV PCP.

I remember it well. My mum sat on my bed. When the doctor came in. She didn't need to say anything. Her face said it all. Before she spoke. I said I knew the result. She apologised. I really feel for Doctors who have to deliver bad news. The doctor & staff was very respectful and supportive.

Then I was told I would be lucky to last out the next six months.

So in the fullness of time I started HAART.

Every day is a blessing. I love getting older.

As time has gone on I have become more and more open about my HIV. I hope to post some of my experience of that here.

its been 2 months

Since starting my inital blog. Things have gone from strength to strength. I never envisaged that this issue and the website would prove so popular.

Don't get me wrong. I am very pleased it has.

I have been overwhelmed by the support we are all prepared to give each other. That as well as the support the web facilitates amongst ourselves. The people that have come "out of the woodwork" never ceases to surprise and I am grateful.

When I first received my DBD551. As I spend much of my time at home. For reasons of my own personal medical cirumstances. I tried to empower myself. By searching the internet to find information on this review & if anyone had taken the lead and had placed their own personal experience.

I found information all over the place & no personal experience.

Like many I have kept my head "under the radar" as far as my HIV was concerned. Mainly because of the impact to my family.

I was always happy for someone else to deal with the issues I faced.

In my minds eye. I pictured someone at home. In the same situation. Feeling alone, isolated & scared. Not knowing what was going on. What the review meant. Being turned away from existing agencies.

That this person is not as extrovert or has the strength of character that I do. Thats not a criticism by the way. I understand we are all different. That our own experiences & medical cirumstances also have an impact.

That this person wanted to speak up but was to afraid to. That I was willing.

I decided to make the process I was undertaking to empower myself here to empower my wider HIV Community.

I wanted one place. Where the information could be found. But more importantly wanted people to realise that they were not alone. That even if we could do nothing to change the way the process was going to affect us. We could provide support to each other. Give the silent majority a voice. With me as the channel for that voice. Allowing them the security of anonymity. Whilst making them heard. We are all in the same boat hear.

That as I have HIV I can directly relate to the issues.

So, I had the conversations with my family. That I could not sit quiet anymore and had to channel my anger & frustation to produce something positive.

Of course they were worried. But they understood why. I think they were bowled over with the passion the saw that I had for this issue.

So I took the leap and started the blog. I haven't looked back. And over time my passion for the cause. My passion to provide an independent voice for my HIV community has grown.

Though I am affected by this DLA review myself. As is my partner. That this excerise will help with that.

It is not about me, personally. It has always been about the "bigger picture". It has always been about the person in my "mind's eye". It is this that motivates me.

Regardless of how my review affects me. Understand that I will continue to be a voice.

Now that I have raised my head up. I am in this for the long haul.

Why another blog....

I thought it would be a good idea to share my more personal experience and the effect that starting the http://www.hivbenefits.co.uk website.

A place to share the lessons I have learn't and the experience in the background.

I will always post my experience with DLA & DWP to the main blog.