Positivel ,,. NSW the Voice of People Wlth HIV Since 1988 1Jrl;~'111Ll L
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Positivel ,,. NSW the voice of people wlth HIV since 1988 1Jrl;~'111Ll_l Saturdav 15 November 2008 HIV+ HETEROSEXUALS 9.3011D - 4.30PID Tree 01 Hope, Surrv Hills RSVP to Pozhet by Fiday 7 November 2008 by calling 1800 812 404 or by emailing [email protected] SYDNEY SOLJTH WEST AREA HEALTH SERVICE www.pozhet.org.au NSWEBHEALTH 1800 812 404 no.159 October - November 2008 2 When Ignorance isn't bliss: HIV and Hep C 3 POJO 4 Kings Cross to Parklea - a change of scene: HIV and Hep C 6 Karma Charmeleon: Ten ways to feel good 9 Songs in the blood: Stories of women living with HIV 1 0 Positive Heterosexuals and doctors 13 Yoga: The benefits of regular practice 14 Magistrate's ruling undermines public health Criminalisation of people with HIV is counterproductive Cover Artwork: 15 Pan Pacific Gathering for HIV+ People James Gilmour www.jamespgilmour.com 16 Make it work: Employment and HIV Contributors: Ben, Kim, Kathy Triffitt, Rick Knight, James 18 Highlights from Mexico: International AIDS Conference Gilmour, Greg Page, Pavel, John Douglas, Asha Persson, David Mansfield, 20 Prevention beyond condoms: Microbicides Kane Matthews, Patrie Seng, Jae Condon, Neil Mc Kellar Stewart, Lance Feeney, Tim Alderman, John Rule, Malcolm Leech, 22 Swings and roundabouts: same sex relationship recognition Ingrid Cullen, Jason Appleby 24 Switzerland: lakes, mountains and HIV awareness 26 Tiny morsels: So can you cook? 28 Fresh at the Luncheon Club 29 A fair and flexible safety net: Pension review 30 Taking the lead/ Finding your style: NAPWA leadership weekend 31 Ask Ingrid: Health and Fitness 32 Is it really funny? South Park and HIV HIV no longer bar for US visa for short visits 33 The Joy of Pets New calendar art 34 Olga's Personals Talkabout 1 PositiveL t .. NSW the voiceof people with HIV since 1 ~ CURRENT BOARD President Jason Appleby Vice President Richard Kennedy Treasurer Bernard Kealey Secretary Russell Westacott Directors I was diagnosed with HI\/ in 2006 at the insert and flick through it quickly. Ignorance Rob Lake, Malcolm Leech, David Riddell, Alan Creighton age of twenty four. I went back to my is bliss especially with people my age. Staff Representative Hedimo Santana doctor for a routine health check and Jumping straight in Chief Executive Officer (Ex Officio) found out I had Hep C. I felt further Rob Lake and further away from my community I didn't know what it was going to be like to CURRENT STAFF or what I perceived to be normality. have Hep C while I knew a little bit about Chief Executive Officer Rob Lake For me, there was a different stigma HIV. The second thing my doctor told me was Manager Organisation and Team there're a lot of guys who've had HIV for a long Development Harry Richardson attached to Hep C than HI\/. I think HI\/ time - long term survivors. So he was giving Health Promotion - Social Marketing is a lot more public or visible in the gay and Education Kathy Triffitt community than Hep C. There's also me a bit of hope. However, when he gave me Health Promotion - Publications & more support with HI\/. the Hep C diagnosis the first things he talked Peer Education Glenn Flanagan about were treatments, liver biopsies and the Systemic Advocacy Lance Feeney Hep C is more stigmatised in the general harmful impact it could have on my body. Health Promotion - Peer Support gay community, and especially in the HIV Hedimo Santana I didn't tell anybody for a long time and community. With positive guys it's like: "You've Prevention Project Ross Duffin kept my diagnosis to myself. I tried to find got Hep C - I won't touch you". My straight Website Phillip McGrath information on the Internet, however the friends are much more comfortable talking TALKABOUT information I got from my doctor, social about it because someone they know had it, Editor Glenn Flanagan worker and places like ACON was more useful like an uncle. With HIV I'm finding a lot of Design Slade Smith and less negative. guys my age are a bit more shocked because CONTACTS I realised I needed to pay more attention they don't know anybody else who has it. Office Suite 5, Level 1, 94 Oxford Street, to my body and soul. I needed to become Darlinghurst The stigma of Hep C is mainly based around knowledgeable about what was going to PO Box 831, Darlinghurst 1300 intravenous drug using. I'm completely needle happen with regard to my health and well Phone (02) 9361 6011 phobic, so that was not my story at all. My Fax (02) 9360 3504 being. My doctor suggested I look at treatment Freecall 1800 245 677 doctor told me I got Hep C through sexual for Hep C within six months of my diagnosis. [email protected] contact, which was quite a surprise because I www.positivelife.org.au All around this period I was working nine didn't know sex was a risk for Hep C. I've heard TALKABOUT to five, five days a week in a corporate job. I of a few other guys who caught it through is published by Positive Life NSW. All views didn't have time to prepare for treatment at expressed are the opinions of the authors sexual transmission. Like me, they were into and not necessarily those of Positive Life all and jumped straight in. I didn't start HIV NSW, its management or members. Copyright fisting, drugs and lots of unprotected sex with for all material in Ta/kabout resides with the treatment because my doctor's idea was to try contributor. Talkabout is made possible by guys. At that stage I was taking a lot of drugs subscriptions, advertising revenue, donations and treat the Hep C first. and a grant under the State/Commonwealth and my inhibitions changed - my boundaries AIDS Program. Talkabout thanks the many volunteers without whom its publication would changed. On crystal I did things I wouldn't It's not me, it's the treatment! not be possible. normally have done. The six months on treatment was the worst six Printed by Crackerjack Communications on 50% recycled paper I'm quite knowledgeable of how I got myself months I've had in my life. It didn't work and ISSN 1034 0866 into this situation. I was a very depressed that's when I had an emotional breakdown. DISCLAIMER person during a lot of that period and put They never gave me any guarantees because of Images of people included in Talkabout do not myself in a lot of risky situations. A lot of my the type of Hep C I have - genotype la, which indicate hiv status either positive or negative. young friends are into that kind of thing. Since has a 25% success rate. I really pushed myself If a person discloses their hiv status in Talkabout, either in a submitted article or in an interview my diagnosis, they have fired a lot of questions a lot further than what I should have. I had for publication, that personal information is in the public arena on publication. Future use of at me about HIV. Before this they didn't want financial commitments, and thatwas a priority, information about such a person's status by to know. I remember before my HIV diagnosis rather than my health. It's taken me a couple readers of Talkabout cannot be controlled by Positive Life NSW. I'd get to the section in the Sydney Star of months of counselling to feel comfortable Observer where they had the Positive Living expressing any of this to my friends even. 2 October - November 2008 I withdrew from everybody, my friends treatment for Hep C. I could have helped been told to wait about five years and there and my family. There were very few people my situation earlier on if I had have should be something else. who knew what was going on until I lost known about Newstart and found support I had no idea about treatment and it. At that point I needed to tell my folks and information. Newstart doesn't cover counselling options. I had no idea about because I needed their support. I needed everything so I had to work out a way of governmentsupport options. I was surprised to tell some of my friends so they could getting out of my situation and to survive. at how many other people are coinfected understand why I had been distant for the I was working in a job that I enjoyed, but with HIV and Hep C. Before I found out last twelve months. They were all fine and it wasn't my life or passion. I really wanted that I had Hep C, I'd met people with HIV have all been really supportive. to do something creative. Since then I've and I'd met people who had Hep C, but I'd started up my own company. It ended up I started questioning why I was acting so never met anybody who was co-infected. being a really positive time to reassess my different towards people that I love, people Meeting other guys in the same situation I didn't know and people at work. Because life and my outlook on everything. really helped me to reassess everything. I didn't understand what was going on I Don't do it alone I'm going to continue with my business. got even more depressed and suicidal.