US travel ban to be lifted - ••ut not yet '2 <: 2 ;j :) ~ ...J L1 < :a > no.158 August - September 2008 res 2 Editorial 3 US ban to be lifted 4 Happy Birthday HIV 6 When less is more 7 Too far gone? 8 Behind the land of smiles: Thailand 12 A warm welcome: Kate from Poz Het 14 Prevention beyond condoms: Cover Artwork: Microbicides James Gilmour www.jamespgilmour.com 16 Coming from the space of true love Contributors: James Gilmour, Lance Feeney, Neal Drinnan, 18 Need to talk to someone? Greg Page, Rob Sutherland, Kate Reakes, Kathy Triffit, Kerry Saloner, Trevor Morris, Garry Wotherspoon, Leslie, Kane Matthews, Counselling at ACON John Douglas, Ingrid Cullen, Tim Alderman 20 Dry mouth and HIV 22 It's all in the mind? Mental health 24 Olga's Personals 26 Keeping on being positive: friendships through 729 27 Fear is high, trust is low: Positive sex workers 28 Buenos Aires 30 Working out at home: Health and fitness 32 Comfort food: So can you cook? Talkabout 1 PositiveL t .. NSW the voiceof people with HIV since 1 ~ In this issue CURRENT BOARD President Jason Appleby Vice President Richard Kennedy Treasurer Bernard Kealey Secretary Russell Westacott Directors Rob Lake, Malcolm Leech, Scott Berry, David Riddell, Alan Creighton Staff Representative Hedimo Santana Our cover highlights the welcome news Changes to the time out room Chief Executive Officer (Ex Officio) about changes in the US government's Positive Life NSW has been running the Rob take attitude to HIV positive visitors. We're not CURRENT STAFF time out room at the Mardi Gras (and quite there yet but, as the article on page Chief Executive Officer Rob take usually the Sleaze) Parties for about a three shows, the US is getting closer to a Manager Organisation and Team decade and a half now. In earlier times, the Development Harry Richardson non-discriminatory policy. In addition this Time Out Room was so popular it could be Health Promotion - Social Marketing issue covers a wide range of other topics: difficult to get into it. Use of the space has and Education Kathy Triffitt mental health, bingeing, microbicides, Health Promotion - Publications & changed over the years, and its use ebbed Peer Education Glenn Flanagan relationships, counselling, dental health, and flowed, particularly as any health need Systemic Advocacy Lance Feeney the UN, developments at Positive lessened considerably for the vast majority Health Promotion - Peer Support Heterosexuals and a beautiful photo essay Hedimo Santana on Argentina from John Douglas. of party-goers with HIV. In recent years, the Website Phillip McGrath We're also very pleased to welcome Lance numbers attending have been particularly TALKABOUT Feeney to the team as a Senior Project Officer low. For some too, the "HIV Chill out" Editor Glenn Flanagan in Systemic Advocacy. On page 18 Lance label has been a barrier. It's always been a Design Slade Smith outlines the major advocacy work coming up dilemma; how discreet should the space be CONTACTS at Positive Life. And finally from the issue: if as opposed to how well sign posted? In the Office Suite 5, Level 1, 94 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst you're interested in any aspect of HIV and light of the changes in need and numbers PO Box 831, Darlinghurst 1300 employment consider coming along to our of people now accessing the space, Positive forum Making It Work on September 10th. Phone (02) 9361 6011 Life is reconsidering the need for a separate Fax (02) 9360 3504 More details about this are on page nine. Freecall 1800 245 677 Time Out space for people with HIV. We [email protected] www .positivelife.org.au Thank you Scott and welcome to will not be operating the space at Sleaze TALKABOUT Jason Ball this year, and have been talking with is published by Positive Life NSW. All views We would like to thank Scott Berry for ACON and Mardi Gras about the need for, expressed are the opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of Positive Life his leadership as President of Positive Life and potential users of, a more general Time NSW, its management or members. Copyright for all material in Ta/kabout resides with the NSW since 2006. During Scott's tenure Out or Chill Out space. We would like to contributor. Talkabout is made possible by subscriptions, advertising revenue, donations we prepared and launched our second hear your views on this. and a grant under the State/Commonwealth strategic plan and changed the name of AIDS Program. Talkabout thanks the many We think there are also separate issues volunteers without whom its publication would the organisation to reflect changes in the not be possible. about the affordability of tickets, which epidemic. With Scott stepping back, the Printed by Crackerjack Communications includes the concession rate for Mardi on 50% recycled paper Board has elected Jason Appleby as our Gras tickets. Of course, we will continue to ISSN 1034 0866 new President. Jason currently works as work with ACON, BGF and The Luncheon DISCLAIMER a Policy Analyst for AFAO (Australian Club to ensure the Mardi Gras ticket ballot Images of people included in Talkabout do not Federation of AIDS Organisations) and indicate hiv status either positive or negative. has had several years' experience both as is maintained, and to promote volunteering If a person discloses their hiv status in Talkabout, opportunities with ACON, MCC and either in a submitted article or in an interview a Positive Speaker as well as on our Board. for publication, that personal information is in Mardi Gras to help people on low incomes the public arena on publication. Future use of We also welcome Richard Kennedy as he information about such a person's status by steps into the Vice President's role. Richard to get tickets and attend. Please write to readers of Talkabout cannot be controlled by Positive Life NSW. has worked for several years at the Bobby Talkabout so we can air your views. Goldsmith Foundation. Glenn Flanagan 2 August - September 2008 US ban on HIV positive travellers to be lifted - but not yet! • Lance Feeney On Wednesday July 30, US It is currently unclear whether Health President George Bush signed and Human Services will address the ban For more information on HIV into law a multibillion dollar AIDS in the near future. Reversing the federal and travel: relief bill that also ends the twenty Department of Health and Human year ban on entry of foreign Services (HHS) regulation, experts warn, The EuropeanAIDS treatment Group visitors and immigrants with HIV. may take months and may not happen website includes details of HIV The $48 billion AIDS relief bill, also before the new President and the next specific residency and immigration known as the President's Emergency administration is in the White House. rules around the world: Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), was US advocacy groups are pressing the www.eatg.org/hivtravel passed by a vote of 303 to 115 in the US current administration to immediately AIDSMap website from the UK House of Representatives on July 24th. start the process to lift the travel ban also provides basic detail on entry It includes an amendment inserted by on people with HIV. After the HHS restrictions around the world: the US Senate on July 16th to remove regulation has been lifted, people with www.aidsmap.com a statutory ban on the entry of foreign HIV visiting the US will no longer visitors and immigrants with HIV. be required to make false statements The website of the Australian The US is one of only 12 other about their HIV status on entry Government's travel advisory countries including: Saudi Arabia, documentation, adopt complicated and consular assistance contains Libya, Armenia, Sudan, Russia, Brunei, concealment measures to hide their information on living and working Columbia, Fiji, Iraq, Moldavia, South anti-HIV medications from customs overseas: Korea and China (not including Hong and immigration officials, and suffer www.smartraveller.gov.au/tips/ Kong and Macao) that ban travel and associated anxiety caused by potential working immigration to people with HIV. detection, subsequent deportation and a Up, Up and Away China recently announced that it plans life-time ban from reentry. booklet, produced in to repeal its ban on people with HIV Currently an HIV waiver (Waiver 2007, includes further next year. 1-601) can sometimes be obtained for detail about travelling The HIV travel ban was adopted by the travel to the US for business, conference, with HIV medications US in 1993 during a time of widespread family reunion, or pre-approved and other useful fear and ignorance about HIV. Activists medical grounds. You need to show that information for the from around the globe have advocated you don't have HIV symptoms, don't traveller with HIV. for the ban to be lifted. A repeal of the pose a threat to public health and can For a copy phone 9361 6011. ban does not yet clear the way for travel pay for medical care, if necessary. The At Home - Away, the pocket sized to the US by people with HIV. application process is bureaucratic and resource produced in 2004, covers The Department of Health and time consuming and can be declined by a wide range of travel tips from Human Services placed HIV on its list of immigration. Your HIV status will also meeting men, finding romance and diseases in 1987 including leprosy and be recorded on the US immigration negotiating sex, through travelling tuberculosis, barring entry to the US. database, the HIV waiver will appear in with medications. www.afao.org.au That prohibition is separate from the your passport (unless you ask for it to be travel ban imposed by the US Congress stamped on a detachable piece of paper) that has just been lifted.