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Disclosure

AN EXPECTATION OF HIV POSITIVE MEN TO DISCLOSE THEIR STATUS IS HIGHLIGHTED IN A NEW SURVEY. THE TESTING BARRIERS PROJECT REPORTS ON THIS AND A FORTHCOMING WEEKEND EVENT.

The most recent research, carried out by the Testing Barriers Project on the Edinburgh gay scene last year, shows that a third of the men surveyed assumed their sexual partners were HIV negative, unless told otherwise. Three quarters of the sample thought that HIV positive men should disclose their status to sex partners and 84% said that HIV positive men were responsible for ensuring that safer sex occurs.

The very high percentage of men claiming to believe that men with HIV are responsible for ensuring safer sex occurs calls into question how realistic gay men are being, in terms of negotiating safer sex. People with HIV may choose not to disclose their status to potential partners for many reasons. These include the effects of HIV stigma and discrimination and fear that potential partners might react badly or tell other people. We’re all responsible for our own sexual behaviour and it is simply unrealistic to expect someone with HIV always to disclose their status.

Men who expect sexual partners to disclose their HIV status potentially place themselves at risk. A large proportion of gay men cannot disclose their status accurately because they have engaged in risky sexual behaviour in the past, have never had an HIV test and therefore do not know their HIV status. Men often overlook the fact that large numbers of infected men do not know they have HIV.

The Testing Barriers research also showed that perceived HIV status does not always reflect whether men engage in risky sexual behaviour. There are a number of men who are having unprotected anal sex with men whose HIV status they don’t know. Many of these men do not know their own status and some of them don’t believe their sexual behaviour is putting them at risk.

A summary of the main findings of this year’s research will appear in the next edition of Core.

The Testing Barriers Project at Gay Men’s Health is also organising a residential weekend in April 2004, to focus on HIV disclosure issues and the role of gay men with HIV in health promotion activities. The weekend event will bring together Gay Men’s Health volunteers and gay men with HIV and will provide a unique opportunity for volunteers and gay men with HIV to develop links for learning and working together and for gay men with HIV to become involved with community development initiatives facilitated by Gay Men’s Health.

Steve O’Donnell, Testing Barriers Project Manager, said “The purpose of the event is two-fold. By attending the training weekend, Gay Men’s Health volunteers will improve their ability to work effectively on the commercial gay scene and other settings to challenge stigma and discrimination towards gay men with HIV. The weekend will also provide an opportunity for gay men with HIV to increase their ability to deal effectively with the personal issues related to HIV disclosure and the community impact of stigma and discrimination.”

The residential weekend exploring issues of disclosure will take place Friday 16th - Sunday 18th April 2004. Places are limited, but all gay men with HIV are invited to apply. Further details are available from Steve O’Donnell or James Whyte at Gay Men’s Health on 0131 558 9444.