Where We Speak Fo
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Where we speak fo "What HIV means to negative guys has changed_. They're not hearing stories about what it's like to live with HIV" . _ Bernard October 2005 What does HIV look like? Visibility campaign 2006 z <{ :::i ~ W ililJl:l:l,I, 'I l!:f:It:JL1\~'f 111 \' ,, I U l' 1 P • 1 1 •• 1 ~~ (j) ~ C!Jmlm' CTfl :j Hill~fi'B i-'J ;J;j fq't,) I I'/I l'll'' ~t;.r: 111 'El, Fj bl!.l:.l,;;W I (j) _j ~ l1F\'At~[;1:.1iiil1001irt1~ 0 [ ~~ [L <{ w (j) w ~ ~~~~~~ :J 01• <{=- :J I~ f-- I• ~(m~m~~ Q'. ~ ~~nPililii!i~ . 'frij)B 0 [L <{ z 0 I (j) ~ li'il•>::(4Wl!fjl:ffiJ I~ OJ Q'. .. ~ ~•hbiW®®:N..•l!Mlth no.146 August - September 2006 2 This issue 3 Health Alert LGV and Hep C Letters 4 What does HIV look like? Visibility campaign 5 Bernard: Remembering where I have been ., 8 Graeme Miller Apollo New Directions 10 Love loss and mind control 12 Straight Talk 14 Confessions of a PEP User Living with tomorrow 16 Cover photo: Jamie Dunbar 18 All stations to waterfall 20 Safe sex and be damned 21 Setting the rules and sticking to them Contributors: Sex work and being HIV+ Geoff Honnor, Kathy Triffitt, Bernard, Jamie Dunbar, Graeme Miller, Michael, 22 Introducing Trentan Paul, Matt, H·ugo Balthazar, Brae:! . Johnston, Gabe McCarthy, Trentan 23 Treatments website Jurkans, Ross Duffin, Rick Knight, David Menadue, Colin Batrouney, Nandini Ray, 24 Old, still HIV+ but not gay anymore Tim Alderman, Ingrid Cullen 25 PO&JO Cartoon 26 My STI shame 28 Sex, lies and communities 30 I've travelled a long way 34 Vaccines 35 Quick News for women 36 So can you cook? no. 19 Kids' Parties 38 Ask Ingrid Healthy Weight loss 38 Services 39 Olga's Personals 40 Membership of PLWHA NSW / Talkabout subscription ~ PEOPLE LIVING iMWITH HIV/AIDS This issue CURRENT BOARD That first time negotiating sex organisations like PLWHA. ACON, BGF and PLWH/A (NSW) will host President Rob Lake with a condom. An excruciating a joint event, the Sydney 'Walk for Vice President Peter Canavan wait to know whether a course of PEP has worked. Finding AIDS' on Sunday November 26 2006 in Acting Treasurer Rob Lake the words to tell your adult son the Botanic Gardens. We are encourag Secretary Jason Appleby that you have HIV. The sense ing people to rake a walk through the Directors historic gardens and raise funds for Elaine Smit, Richard Kennedy, David Williams, of loss you feel when the men Russell Westacott, David Barton you've loved die one by one, services for people living with HIY AIDS. Staff Representative Jodie Little and life's circle closes in on The registration fee is $20 and spon Executive Officer (Ex Officio) you. Working out the rules as a sors can pledge donations. you'd Geoff Honnor positive sex worker. These are If like to register for the Walk for AIDS, CURRENT STAFF just a few of the many high lights from stories gathered call 1800 651 011 or visit www.bgf.org. Exe~~~i~~ Officer Ge~~ .~~~-fl~r au. We are also looking for volunteers Health Promotioil Kathy Tiiffiit by the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO) to assist on the day. If you are inter HIV Health Promotion Trentan Jurkans which we are pleased to pub ested please call Jodie at PLWH/A Community Development (NSW) ph: 9361 6011 or email jodiel@ Communications Glenn Flanagan lish in this issue of Talkabout. These stories shed light on plwha.org.au Manager Organisation & Team Glenn Flanagan · D~velopment Jodie Little the changing experiences <;>f Website Phillip McGrath the HIV epidemic in Australia . PUBLICATIONS Moving, questioning and very diverse, they testify to the Editor ,Glenn Flanagan resilience and strength of indi Design Slade Smith viduals and communities after CONTACT.S: '""•--:-•":' 25 years o_f HIV. Office Suite 5, Level 1, 94 Oxford Street, - Darlinghurst The PLWHA Visibility project •· PO Box 831 , Darlinghurst 1300 "What does HIV look like?" brings us our cover photo and feature story. The _ Phone (02) 9361 6011 Fax (02) 9360·3504 aim of the visibility, project is to tell Freecall 1800 245 677 the real stories of people living with [email protected] www.plwha.org.au HIV today Bernard describes travel, ·TALKABOUT sex and relationships, his search for is published by People Living With HIV/AIDS meaning and his evolving attitude to (NSW) Inc. All views expressed are the opinions treatments over the years since diagno of the authors and not necessarily those of PLWH/A, its management or members. sis. Many readers will find their own Copyright for all material in Ta/kabout resides experiences reflected in his, and like with the contributor. Talkabout is made possible by subscriptions, advertising revenue, donations the stories from AFAO, the visibility and a grant under the State/Commonwealth project fleshes out how complex the AIDS Program. Talkabout thanks the many volunteers without whom its publication would contemporary response to HIV is. not be possible. Talkabout also aims to keep you Printed by Agency Printing updated on the latest sexual health ISSN 1034 0866 information, and a new sexually transmitted infection is definitely DISCLAIMER here in Australia, Geoff Honnor Images of people included in Talkabout do not indicate hiv status either positive or negative. writes about the recent cases of LGV If a person discloses their hiv status in Ta/kabout, (Lymphogranuloma Venereum) in either in a submitted article or in an interview Sydney as well as some cases of sexu for publication, that personal information is in the public arena on publication. Future use of ally transmitted Hepatitis C. information about such a person's status by Finally, an opportunity is coming readers of Talkabout cannot be controlled by PLWH/A (NSW) Inc. up to support the work of community Health alert Letters + Geoff Honnor LGV detected in Sydney of poz guys see sex with other poz guys as HIV and identity~ About 18 months ago (see Talkabout # a kind of liberation from the condoms and Last issue was great. Very relevant, 136 December 2004), we told you about a gloves requirement but they do provide sig with some interesting and introspective rare STI called LGV (Lymphogranuloma nificantly more protection against stuff like opinions. I related to quite a few of the Venereum) a type of Chlamydia, which this - and sharing sex toys is definitely not comments, such as moving out of Dario had been identified in groups of gay posi recommended. and into the burbs being a way to dis tive men in the Netherlands who were into Treatment is a twice daily course of oral tance yourself from the HIV world - in group sex, fisting and toys etc. antibiotics over three weeks. a positive way, and not wanting to live Since then LGV has been increasingly ~y life surrounded by HIV, and now reported in the UK and the US and now it's having more straight friends than gay, in Australia where four cases have just been Sexual transmission of and neighbours and straight friends retrospectively identified by St Vincent's lab Hepatitis C who know I'm HIV, and don't even give it a passing thought. It becomes so inte from rectal swap samples taken in Sydney Back in February, we told you about grated into your life after a while that it between 2004 and 2006. increasing reports of hepatitis C serocon All four cases are in gay positive men but no longer assumes a separate identity, : versions occurring in gay positive guys in it can also occur in negative guys. The risk but is just tied in with who you are, just · Europe where usual routes of_rransmission, is less about serostatus and more about the a part of you that is no different to 8.1)-Y, ,·. like sharing needles etc weren't part of the kind of sex that guys are having. thing else. · risk picture. Good stuff Three of the four guys reported pretty ,..._:.. ,,__, The risk indicators that the guys did have much· the same sort of sexual activity that Tim was described in the guys who were diag in common were nosed in the Netherlands back in 2004: fist • unprotected receptive anal intercourse We welcome your letters, comments ing/toys, lots of partners, unprotected sex, • Receptive and insertive fisting (without or artwork. Letters should he less than etc. Most of the cases also had one or more gloves) and use of sex toys 300 words in length and may be edited.' , other STis as well. Only one case seems to • Group sex Please include contact details for veri have been possibly acquired overseas. The • Drugs like Crystal, E, GHB, K, amyl fication_,_ Email J'alkabout at editor@ others look as if they were probably picked We've since seen the emergence of very plwha.org.au , up locally. similar cases here in Sydney so there's abso Symptoms (and note: not everyone-has lutely no doubt that sexual transmission them) develop within 3 -30 days and can is happening, perhaps in greater numbers include proctitis - an inflammation of the than we've previously thought. lining of your butt - that can result in bleed To repeat what we told you in February: ing, soreness, a mucus discharge, progress It's pretty obvious that long periods of Community ing to rectal sores, swelling of the lymph unprotected fisting/play can exert signifi Yoga Class glands around your butt or genitals, a cant wear and tear on skin tissue and cre penile lesion or discharge from your penis ate ideal conditions for blood-borne virus Body Mind Life Yoga Centre and, if left untreated, major anal abscesses transmission.