Let's talk about sex

The number of people infected with HIV in Hull and the East Riding is rising by around 10 per cent a year. Hull in print talks to a local man with the infection and learns some tips for a safer sex life.

Dean's warning is simple: wear a condom.
He contracted HIV more than ten years ago through unprotected sex – and urges people today not to make the same mistake.
"People nowadays are aware of the importance of wearing a condom but at two 'o' clock in the morning when you're rolling drunk and you see the love of your life across the dance floor you might not even remember to wear a condom or you might think 'Oh I'll be safe this time."
Dean (37) was part of the gay scene down south in the late 80s and 90s where he watched many friends die from AIDS.
"I saw people turn into skeletons. They were young men who suddenly turned into old men with no strength and energy."
Fortunately for Dean, by the time his own diagnosis arrived, new drugs were being discovered which meant HIV was no longer a death sentence.
"The fear and terror of the 80s and 90s has now gone. But the danger today is that young people don't believe they'll get HIV.
"They may see it as an older person's disease and because new drugs are now available there may be complacency – but they don't realise they may have to take the drugs for the rest of their lives."

Treatment

It's now expected that people currently diagnosed with HIV will be able to live normal lives. Newer drugs are now available that mean only a few pills need to be taken each day. The newer drugs have less side effects, although commitment to life-long treatment is needed.
Then there's the stigma and prejudice which ordinary people can show against the condition – and it's for this reason Dean does not want to be photographed by Hull in print.
"It's a short jump from someone putting their arm around you and saying 'you'll be OK,' and someone pushing you away and saying 'get away from me you filthy aids b*******.'
"Depression too can affect people with HIV because of the worries and stresses that build up. You'd be amazed how many people with HIV are on anti-depressants and how many drink too much."
Dean is thankful for the help he has received in Hull, particularly from staff at Conifer House on Prospect Street (run by the Hull and East Riding Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare Partnership).
"In the old days when people were diagnosed they were just given leaflets and told to take them home and read them, but the emotional support I've been given in Hull has been brilliant."

Dr McClean (right) and a fellow sexual health worker at Conifer House Sexual health workers at Conifer House Archie Lamplugh (left) and Rob Elkin show patients how to put on a condom correctly Ask the expert There are currently around 200 people in Hull and the East Riding living with HIV, but the number is increasing by about 10 per cent a year, says Dr. Hugo McClean, consultant physician in Sexual Health and HIV, based at Conifer House. "We're seeing more cases among heterosexuals, both men and women," he says. "It's not just something which affects the gay community. "The main message is that people need to practice safer sex and, in some cases, think about reducing their number of sexual partners. "People not only need to carry condoms – but they must remember to use them. "Having regular sexual health check-ups is also important because HIV needs to be detected early to prevent transmission and for it to be treated properly."

HIV – know the facts HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) kills the cells which help the body fight off infection and disease. Without treatment HIV develops into AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome), a disease in which the body's immune system is so weakened that it falls victim to serious infections and cancer. HIV is transmitted through genital fluid and blood. It can be passed from person to person through unprotected sex, including oral sex. It can also be passed on through sharing drug injection needles, and from a mother to her baby during childbirth or breast-feeding. It cannot be passed on by working with or being around someone who has HIV, or through sweat, saliva (spit), tears, clothes, drinking fountains, phones, toilet seats, or through everyday things like sharing a meal. Other sexual diseases Condoms can also protect you from other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and syphilis. And regular health checks-ups are important for early detection of these infections too. Chlamydia, for example, if left untreated, can lead to serious problems in later life, including infertility.

info

For more information visit www.hullpct.nhs.uk or www.luvhull.co.uk or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47

Working in partnership
Hull Primary Care Trust tel. (01482) 344700