This year’s theme for World AIDS Day 2010 is ‘Act Aware: Protect yourself & others’

HIV Prevention Service (part of Hampshire Community Healthcare) are about and about supporting events at local FE Colleges, Winchester University & at the Myths & Misconceptions event at The Lights in Andover tonight to raise awareness and promote safer sex as part of their World AIDS Day campaign.

Positive Action is a Hampshire based charity providing emotional & practical support to people affected by HIV.

Donna Bone, Chief Executive of the charity, said: “It is concerning that out of the 90,000 people in the UK that are HIV positive, 23,000 of them are unaware that they have the virus. Today, simple tests can be taken in minutes with the results given the same day, so there is no longer any need for people to be living in ignorance. Whilst late diagnosis can seriously impact on the quality and longevity of life.”

To highlight the issue Positive Action are trying to encourage 23,000 people in Hampshire and Surrey to wear a red ribbon – one for each person unaware that they are infected. To help raise awareness in Portsmouth the Spinnaker Tower will be lit up in red and the Civic Centre in Southampton will be flying a Red Ribbon flag on December 1st “We want the residents of Surrey and Hampshire to wear a red ribbon to show their support. We would also like to encourage people to send us photos of them wearing ribbons which we will post on our new website,” she said.

Positive Action will be collecting pictures of individuals wearing red ribbons to upload onto the website, email pictures to wad@positiveaction.org.uk or visit www.positiveaction.org.uk for more information.

How much do you know about HIV?

If you’re having unprotected sex then you may find out more than you want to know.

HIV can be passed on through:

•  unprotected sex (sex without a condom); through infected blood, semen, vaginal fluid)
• sharing infected needles and works
• from an HIV positive mother to her child during pregnancy, child birth or breastfeeding 

Anybody can become infected with HIV however men who have sex with men and people who have sexual partners from sub-Saharan Africa are most at risk and are encouraged to be tested for HIV on a regular basis.

There is no cure for HIV and no vaccine to prevent you from getting it.

More than a quarter of people with HIV in the UK don’t know they have it and many people diagnosed with this virus will be diagnosed late – AFTER the point at which they should have started treatment.

However, if you have had unprotected sex and are worried about HIV then a quick and simple test can be done at any of Hampshire’s sexual health clinics (GUM) and you can also request a test at your GP surgery.

REMEMBER – the earlier the diagnosis, the greater chance you have of living a longer and healthier life. 

The only way to find out if you’ve got HIV is to be tested for it. You can ask your GP for an HIV test or attend a local GUM / sexual health clinic. Use the GET IT ON website to find out more information about sexual health and to find out where your nearest clinic is.

Alternatively, you can either call ‘THT Direct’ on 0845 12 21 200 Monday to Friday 10am – 10pm, Saturday and Sunday 12pm – 6pm or go to their website – www.tht.org.uk for information, support and advice on HIV and sexual health.

Popularity: 38% [?]

Sexual Health Week 2010

Hampshire Community Health Care (HCHC) has issued the following press release in support of sexual health week:

“This year Sexual Health Week, between the 13 -19 September, is focussing on sexual health in the over 40’s. We know that Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI’s) are rising in this group faster than in young people.

With a changing world and changing relationships many people Over 40 are starting new relationships, coming out of long term relationships and changing the way in which they meet people through use of the Internet and international travel. Many of these people had little or no sexual health education when they were younger and have little knowledge about the risks of sexually transmitted infections or condom use. We know that many in this group are disinterested in condom use because of the low risk of pregnancy.

Recent health promotion messages have been focused on young people and we want to redress the balance with this campaign. It is important that older people feel confident about accessing good quality sexual health information and do not feel embarrassed to talk about sex and their sexual health.

We would like you to promote sexual health services for older people by putting up these posters in your building and making sure that they are accessible for all.

If you think that your staff would benefit from some free training about sexual health or would like posters please contact the HIV Prevention Service Team on 0845 643 9399.

We thank you for your help in our campaign”

Andrew Smith

On Behalf of the HIV Prevention Service Team

Email: hivprevention@hchc.nhs.uk

Tel: 0845 643 9399

www.hivprevention.org.uk

 Sex and the Over 40’s

Information Sheet

 Key Points

• Information is lacking, difficult to find or non-existent for this age group
• Condom use is poor
• Risk perception is low
• Signs and Symptoms are often ignored, misdiagnosed or unrecognised

 Challenges and barriers for healthcare providers

• The signs and symptoms of STI’s may look like the normal signs of ageing, for example irregular periods and vaginal soreness.
• Older people are perceived as being less sexually active, so we also perceive them to be lower risk.
• Older people are less likely to be aware of signs and symptoms of STI’s
• Older people are less confident or consistent about condom use
• Older people are less likely to ask for help about sex and sexual health due to embarrassment

 Challenges and barriers for people over 40

• Sex and sexual health information is often designed for young people, it therefore seems irrelevant
• Previous sex and sexual health education was poor or non-existent, there is therefore a knowledge/skills gap
• They are unsure where to access free support, advice and information
• This group may misunderstand their risk or be unable to relate risk to their experiences
• This group may lack the skills of confident and consistent condom use

Popularity: 54% [?]

New base for CASH clinics

The Contraception and Sexual Health Service in Aldershot has moved its main base from the Aldershot Institute to the Aldershot Centre for Health from Monday 14 June 2010

CASH service is now located at:

Contraception & Sexual Health Clinic, Level 2, Aldershot Centre for Health, Hospital Hill, Aldershot GU11 1AY Tel No: 01252 335075

Once inside the Aldershot Centre for Health turn left at the main reception and go down the corridor signposted Dental

www.hampshirecash.org.uk

Monday 4.00-6.00pm

Wednesday 4.00-6.00pm

Thursday 3.00-5.00pm

Friday 11.00- 1.00pm

For further information on clinics in the North and East of Hampshire visit – www.hampshirecash.org.uk

Popularity: 48% [?]

Unwanted sexual attention covers a huge range of behaviours from being touched without permission causing fear, alarm or distress, sexual name calling, harassment to rape and sexual assault.

Unwanted sexual attention can happen to both women and men and happen between people of the same and opposite sex.

If  you want to find out about local services that can offer support, advice and a listening ear visit page on unwanted sexual attention.

Popularity: 46% [?]

The Hampshire Healthcare Centre in Basingstoke offers the following FREE sexual health services to registered & non-registered population in Hampshire:

• emergency hormonal contraception
• chlamydia screening to 15-24 year olds
• walk-in service (no appointment neccessary)
• information & advice on sexual health matters
• signposting to other local sexual health services

The Centre is open from 8am to 8pm 365 days a year and offers a range of services to both registered and non-registered patients, with or without an appointment. For further information please contact:

Hampshire Healthcare Centre (Basingstoke)
Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital,
Aldermaston Road,
BASINGSTOKE,
RG24 9NA
Tel: 01256 477 720
www.hampshirehealthcarecentre.nhs.uk

Popularity: 40% [?]

There is a national campaign promoting contraception called ‘contraception worth talking about.’ The campaign comprises of a TV advert were conversations take place between invisible people represented only by voices and speech bubbles. If you haven’t already seen the advert watch out for it on TV and if you have seen it contact us and it let us know what you think of it. Does it encourage young people to think and more importantly talk about the range of methods of contraception available?

Click on the national logo above to find out more each method of contraception.

Local LARC campaign

There is also a local campaign in Hampshire to promote knowledge and use of Lasting & Reliable Contraception (also known as Long Acting Reversible Contraception) or LARC for short.  The local LARC campaign is being promoted on facebook, inside buses and at Bus Stops across the county. Below are copies of the campaign materials to watch out for:

 Get it on A4 Poster LARC

LARC info card v2

To find out more visit the LARC page where you will also find contact telephone numbers for local contraception services. 

To find a clinic in your area then use the map to navigate round Hampshire.

Popularity: 45% [?]

Since the website launch in April 2008 the number of unique visitors to the site has increased from 600 to over 5000 per month in Februray 2010. The site now gets nearly 300,000 hits per month, however the number of unique hits lets us know many different users access the site each month.

We continue to promote the site across Hampshire and are currently promoting the site through a series of local sexual health campaigns. Promotional materials are currently being used on facebook, inside buses and at bus stops outside or near to local FE Colleges.

People are visiting for a variety of reasons but the most popular subject pages visited in Feb 10 are:

• free condoms
• chlamydia screening
• pregnancy testing
• unplanned pregnancy

Winchester, Fareham  & Basingstoke pages are the most often visited district pages.

New publicity promoting the website is available from the Resource & Campaign Centre. See the professional page for the Resource Centre contact details.

The professional’s page is also growing in popularity with some downloading the Comprehensive Sexual Health Needs Aseesment Report (Nov 2009).

 If you have any ideas on how to promote or improve the site please get in touch, just complete the form below.

Popularity: 61% [?]

World AIDS Day – 1 December

How much do you know about HIV? If you’re having unprotected sex then you may find out more than you want to know.

The fight against HIV and AIDS has come a long way since the first ‘World AIDS Day’ in 1988 thanks to better prevention, treatment and education. However, HIV is increasing in every region in the world, including here in the UK. 

There are currently just over 600 people who are known to be living with HIV in Hampshire and it is estimated that up to 30 per cent of all people with HIV do not know that they already have the infection.

HIV can be passed on through:

•  unprotected sex (sex without a condom); through infected blood, semen, vaginal fluid)
• sharing infected needles and works
• from an HIV positive mother to her child during pregnancy, child birth or breastfeeding 

Anybody can become infected with HIV however men who have sex with men and people who have sexual partners from sub-Saharan Africa are most at risk and are encouraged to be tested for HIV on a regular basis.

There is no cure for HIV and no vaccine to prevent you from getting it.

Rob Carroll, Health Improvement Manager at NHS Hampshire says if you want to steer clear of HIV then you need to arm yourself with the facts and take simple steps to keep yourself HIV-free; “We would encourage everyone to find out everything they can about HIV as this will help to protect those who have it and their partners, and also encourage respect for those living with HIV. There is still no cure for HIV but you can protect yourself against it by always using a condom and using clean needles to prevent the risk of infection through injecting drug use. Using a condom will also help to protect you against other sexually transmitted Infections (STIs).”

More than a quarter of people with HIV in the UK don’t know they have it and many people diagnosed with this virus will be diagnosed late – AFTER the point at which they should have started treatment.

However, if you have had unprotected sex and are worried about HIV then a quick and simple test can be done at any of Hampshire’s sexual health clinics (GUM) and you can also request a test at your GP surgery.

REMEMBER – the earlier the diagnosis, the greater chance you have of living a longer and healthier life. 

The only way to find out if you’ve got HIV is to be tested for it. You can ask your GP for an HIV test or attend a local GUM / sexual health clinic. Use the GET IT ON website to find out more information about sexual health and to find out where your nearest clinic is.

Alternatively, you can either call ‘THT Direct’ on 0845 12 21 200 Monday to Friday 10am – 10pm, Saturday and Sunday 12pm – 6pm or go to their website – www.tht.org.uk for information, support and advice on HIV and sexual health. 

Popularity: 25% [?]

Please take a look at the information page for professionals. On this page you will find information on:

• Local contraception & sexual health training courses for Health Care staff
• Sex & Relationship Education training for all staff working with young people in Hampshire
• Hampshire PCT Resource Library & Information Service
• Health Improvement, NHS Hampshire 
• Hampshire Teenage Pregnancy Partnership

You can contact Health Improvement (sexual health) call 023 80747431 or email us via the feedback form.

Popularity: 46% [?]