Getting up at 5am, or earlier in some cases, six days a week doesn’t sound very appealing. And for me, in the beginning, it really wasn’t. I had a busy work life to deal with and, along with a moderate social life, yoga just sort of had to fit in where it could. So while I was passionate about yoga in the first few years, I found that for some reason a daily practice was somehow just out of my reach.

Looking back, it’s easy to see that I wasn’t sacrificing much, if anything, for the yoga. And to have a daily practice, some things just had to change. I reduced the amount of socialising I did in the evenings, started having earlier nights, rested more on days off… But I didn’t really consciously make an effort to do any of these. The more I practised yoga, the more these changes seemed natural and just evolved.

I’ve had a fairly consistent daily practice for over six years now. Being able to get on the mat day after day and confront some fairly tricky physical challenges somehow equips me to deal with other parts of my life. While travelling and studying yoga, I’m working hard on some freelance projects. The focus I get from my morning practice sets me up for this and the rest of my day. It’s amazing the amount of energy and discipline you get once you’ve spent the early hours tackling some intense back-bend. Really.

So 5am? Absolutely. I love my early mornings and maybe night-time was a little overrated anyway.

So far I’ve spent six months in Crete, studying ashtanga at the Yoga Plus retreat throughout the summer season, and have now moved on to Mysore to study at the K Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute over the winter.   

I enjoyed my career in PR. For me, it was the perfect marriage of strategic thinking and creativity. It allowed me to indulge my love of wordsmithing, use my intellect and make a decent enough living in the process. My employers promoted me, rival PR agencies headhunted me, and bosses gave me awards, so it seems I did an ok job of it too. So why am I doing this?

Part of the answer is that I realised there is another side of me that needs to be fulfilled. There was, and still is, a nagging question in the back of my mind that there are other experiences to be lived, other places to be seen and a whole new approach to life to be explored. And this questioning undoubtedly comes from my yoga practice. The more I continue with a daily asana practice, the more I realise that yoga is not so much challenging and developing my body, rather provoking me to question my outlook on life, how I relate to others, my ego, and what it means to be truly happy and fulfilled.

This is my first trip to Mysore, the centre of the ashtanga yoga world if you like. And I’ve realised that studying in Mysore means I confront these questions on a daily basis. Although I had a daily practice back in London, there is something about the intensity of the yoga here that works on a deeper level. The morning asana practice, regular chanting lessons, additional philosophy classes, and a weekly conference with Sharath mean I can live and breathe the yoga here in a way that isn’t possible in a typical hectic lifestyle. At least not for me.

So what have a learnt so far? I’ve learnt that yoga is a deep spiritual path that is by no means restricted to the practice on the mat. I’ve known this for years but did I ever really understand it?  “Practise and all is coming” is the mantra, and I think after many years of doing just that I’m finally progressing, in some small way, towards understanding what it really means.

Since I started ashtanga, I’ve encountered doubt, fear, and humility and I’ve confronted this head on in Mysore. Within the first week of arriving, a lower back issue flared up and I had to take a step back in my practice. I began to question whether my asana practice would forever be restricted and there were fleeting moments of frustration and jealousy when I saw other students practising more advanced asanas. Yet I continued to get on the mat, every day, and began to work the postures with a renewed sense of awareness. Over a few weeks, the physical pain began to subside and my spine began to open.

This one experience reminded me to have faith in the practice. That whatever obstacles it throws up, whether physical, mental or spiritual, it will also provide an answer, sooner or later; that by going through this process, we can become stronger, more balanced and more compassionate individuals. It’s also taught me to enjoy my practice, whatever stage I am at, and that wherever I am in the series of postures is irrelevant. Sure I can cross my legs behind my head, do jump-backs and drop-backs, but what does any of that really mean? 

Yoga is a lifestyle. I don’t mean in the sense that it’s vital to sacrifice careers and camp out in Mysore. Maybe that’s part of a process I’m going through, though I don’t intend to experience yoga to the point of sacrificing other parts of my life forevermore. I don’t think that’s the point. I think the point is that you have to experience yoga to its full extent, over many years, in order to understand that it’s a part of life. And at some point on this trip I might figure out what part that is.

The HPA estimates that over a quarter of gay men with HIV are unaware they have the virus, and its data shows that the number of new STI diagnoses among gay men rose in 2008 and 2009(1). GMFA’s own research(2) shows that the vast majority of gay men (99.3%) want to be notified by their sexual partner if they get diagnosed with an STI and 97.5% want to be told if their partner gets diagnosed with HIV.

Matthew Hodson, Head of Programmes at GMFA, comments: “Many STIs don’t show any symptoms, so lots of men may be infected and not know it. While it’s best to tell men you’ve had sex with if you find out you’ve picked up an STI, making that awkward phone call or sending an email can be difficult. As a result, some men choose not to tell, even though they know they should. We’ve made the process as easy as possible by doing most of the work for you – all you need is a contact for your partners and we’ll take care of the rest.”

Existing partner notification systems often require those diagnosed with an STI to contact their partners direct, sometimes using a pink slip issued by the clinic. GMFA’s research shows these systems often don’t work. Not having partners’ contact details, embarrassment, not wanting the partner to know about their STI status, and not wanting to see the partner again were some of the main reasons for men not notifying any sexual partners. Of those who did notify their partners, only 65% notified all their partners.

With GMFA’s Sexual Health Messaging Service, men are given a unique reference number by their clinic so they can log in to the online system and send notifications via a number of contact methods, including dating website profile name, cruising app profile name, mobile or email. The message is composed for them and includes links to details of where their partners can go for testing. While men are encouraged to identify themselves in the message, it can be kept anonymous.

The service launches with a six-month pilot from 4 April 2011. Four clinics in London will participate in the pilot: 56 Dean Street, Homerton University Hospital, The Lloyd Clinic at Guy’s Hospital, and St Bartholemew’s Hospital. Also taking part are The Sheffield Royal Hallamshire Hospital, The Hathersage Centre in Manchester, and Claude Nicol Centre at Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

Men can use the service to send messages to members of the four participating gay dating websites (Fitlads, Gaydar, Manhunt and Recon) plus the cruising app, Bender. Members of these websites are urged to opt-in to receive notifications when they are sent the invite to do so.

Following the pilot, GMFA will roll the service out to all clinics in London for a further six months before expanding it across the rest of the UK.

Matthew adds: “This is a major project and marks a huge shift in the way men can notify their partners about STIs they’ve picked up. By making the process easy, we hope to make more men aware of any STIs they may have and ultimately reduce the number of STI infections in the community.”

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(1) HPA: Total numbers of STI diagnoses and other episodes of care seen at genitourinary medicine clinics by gender and sexual orientation, UK and England: 2000 – 2009.
(2) GMFA’s survey on gay men’s experience and expectations of Partner Notification Services was conducted in January and February 2010. Over 3,000 gay and bisexual men took part.

About GMFA

Founded in 1992, GMFA is the UK’s leading charity dedicated to gay men’s health. Its mission is to improve gay men’s health by increasing the control they have over their own lives. The organisation is based on the belief that the best health promotion for gay men comes from gay men themselves. For this reason, it uses the knowledge and ideas of its 170 volunteers, most of them gay men, to design and plan its thought-provoking sexual health interventions. These include a range of advertising campaigns, leaflets, postcards and booklets; FS, its health magazine, distributed nationally in gay venues and GU clinics; and national and London-based courses covering sex education, life skills and smoking cessation. In addition, GMFA creates targeted sexual health interventions for black gay men and HIV positive gay men. Independent surveys have concluded that GMFA’s campaigns reach up to 60% of the London gay population and that the organisation is the most reliable agency at reaching gay men. The charity also provides accessible information on sexual health and other issues for gay men through its website at www.gmfa.org.uk.

About EJAF
The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) is an international non-profit organisation funding programmes that help to alleviate the physical, emotional and financial hardship of those living with, affected by or at risk of HIV/AIDS. Sir Elton John established the Elton John AIDS Foundation in the UK in 1993 to support innovative HIV prevention programs, efforts to eliminate stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS, and direct care and support services for people living with HIV/AIDS.  Since its inception, EJAF has disbursed over £14.9m to 479 projects in the UK, making it the largest HIV grantmaking charity in the country.  EJAF has also funded over 800 programmes across Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe. Registered Charity No. 1017336.

View the press release on GMFA’s website.

Phyll’s desire to be accepted as a lesbian was challenged by the thoughtlessness of someone who could not accept her because of the colour of her skin. “They were drunk but… when I say ‘beep, beep, beep…’ it was quite derogatory towards Black people. So I realised that maybe that place was not for me; I didn’t see anybody that looked like me, to be able to sit there and feel comfortable with them.”

Phyll’s bad experience on the gay scene is far from unique. Her story, alongside those of other people with similar experiences, helped to inspire a new campaign which celebrates ethnic diversity in the LGB&T community. The ‘Switched On’ campaign from GMFA, the gay men’s health charity, aims to raise awareness of racial discrimination in LGB&T spaces, and empower individuals to tackle the issue and embrace a multi-cultural community. The campaign was developed by Big Up, the Black gay men’s project at GMFA, which receives Big Lottery funding.

Jaime Sylla, project manager for Big Up, comments: “These are big and historically complicated issues we’re dealing with. While we don’t expect to solve the problem of discrimination in one go, we hope this campaign provokes discussion and encourages everyone to recognise the benefits of ethnic diversity. We also hope that LGB&T people, irrespective of ethnic background, can draw parallels between the experience of homophobia and that of racism, and appreciate that our common struggle far outweighs what we think separates us.”

Even on days which are intended to celebrate the whole gay community, racism can be felt, as Hanaan Baig discovered. “There was an incident several years ago while me and other group members of Imaan (who provide support for LGB&T Muslims) were marching at London Pride: other gay marchers came up to us and said, ‘I didn’t know we were marching with terrorists today!’ And that was a Pride day… yet there were other LGB&T people that felt it was necessary or perhaps even humorous to make such comments. It was pretty offensive.”

Despite experiences such as this, Hanaan remains positive about being part of the LGB&T community. “It’s very important for us to stand together because, at the end of the day, we need to make sure that we’re unified and we show a unified front. We will learn from each other and we will teach other people as well. By interacting with other people, [they] will learn from our behaviour, and from the way we interact with them, about our civility, about our humanity, about our friendship – and about the way we love as well.”

The ‘Switched On’ campaign features video testimonials from Phyll and Hanaan, and other spokespeople, at www.gmfa.org.uk/switchedon, in which they share their experiences as Black and ethnic minority members of the LGB&T community.

The adverts feature the headline “Be Switched On” and highlight that “as LGB&T people we’ve all faced discrimination. Within our own community some of us also feel excluded because of the colour of our skin. A divided community makes us weaker”. The website at www.gmfa.org.uk/switchedon also includes details of organisations that individuals can turn to for legal advice and other forms of support.

Matthew Hodson, Head of Programmes at GMFA says: “This is about encouraging a positive approach to racial diversity. We want to bring attention to, and really celebrate, how different cultures and nationalities can all come together and support each other in the LGB&T community. All too often, society discriminates against us for being gay, or different. We know how hurtful and harmful that can be, so why would we perpetuate that within our own community?”

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About GMFA

Founded in 1992, GMFA is the UK’s leading charity dedicated to gay men’s health. Its mission is to improve gay men’s health by increasing the control they have over their own lives. The organisation is based on the belief that the best health promotion for gay men comes from gay men themselves. For this reason, it uses the knowledge and ideas of its 170 volunteers, most of them gay men, to design and plan its thought-provoking sexual health interventions. These include a range of advertising campaigns, leaflets, postcards and booklets; FS, its health magazine, distributed nationally in gay venues and GU clinics; and national and London-based courses covering sex education, life skills and smoking cessation. In addition, GMFA creates targeted sexual health interventions for black gay men and HIV positive gay men. Independent surveys have concluded that GMFA’s campaigns reach up to 60% of the London gay population and that the organisation is the most reliable agency at reaching gay men. The charity also provides accessible information on sexual health and other issues for gay men through its website at www.gmfa.org.uk.

View the press release on GMFA’s website.

The study looked at 31,765 patients provided with care at ten specialist HIV clinics between 1996 and 2007. 36% had never been tested for Hepatitis C, despite guidelines from BHIVA (British HIV Association) recommending screening for all HIV-positive patients.

Much of the increase of Hepatitis C among HIV-positive gay men is now understood to be due to sexual transmission(1). If left untreated, the virus can lead to an increased risk of cirrhosis, liver cancer and even premature death. Re-infection is also fairly common. A study in Germany(2) found that 22% of HIV-positive gay men who had the virus and cleared it, either spontaneously or after treatment, became re-infected within less than six years. This is illustrated by an HIV-positive gay man’s account of his experience of having Hepatitis C:

“I acquired HIV in 2001 and I am currently undergoing treatment for Hepatitis C for the SECOND time!” writes the anonymous blogger. “I have stopped having unprotected sex because I simply can’t stand the trauma of all the STIs and health issues that go with it any more… people have no idea how [unprotected sex] can affect your mental health. And Hepatitis C is the new HIV. It’s out there and the treatment is hard going.”

In August 2010, GMFA launched an advertising campaign to make HIV-positive men aware of the health risks of Hepatitis C and HIV co-infection, how it is transmitted, and the benefits of early diagnosis and treatment for those with Hepatitis C. The ads and supporting information at www.gmfa.org.uk/hepc highlighted a number of ways that Hepatitis C can be transmitted, which include fisting, sharing sex toys, sharing pots of lube, and fucking without condoms. In group sex, the virus is often spread from one man to another (one arse to another arse) if condoms – or gloves for fisting – aren’t changed between partners, or if sex toys are used on one man and then another. It can also be transmitted by sharing drug-injecting needles or snorting straws.

Matthew Hodson, Head of Programmes at GMFA, says: “It’s a major concern that HIV-positive men aren’t being screened regularly for Hepatitis C. The virus often shows no symptoms and most people who get infected will not be able to get rid of it without treatment. We urge men with HIV to ask about Hepatitis C at their clinics and ensure they get tested. By getting diagnosed early, you can start treatment and stand the best chance of overcoming the virus.”

To read the full article, visit: http://www.onmedica.com/NewsArticle.aspx?id=73925b3a-b3ea-452e-9a37-4064ea870e20

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(1) HIV and Acute HEPATITIS C (HAAC) group. Recent epidemic of acute Hepatitis C virus in HIV-positive men who have sex with men linked to high-risk sexual behaviours, 2007.
(2) Stellbrink H-J et al. Increasing numbers of acute hepatitis C infections in HIV-infected MSM and high reinfection rates following SVR. Tenth International Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection, Glasgow. Abstract P200. 2010.

About GMFA

Founded in 1992, GMFA is the UK’s leading charity dedicated to gay men’s health. Its mission is to improve gay men’s health by increasing the control they have over their own lives. The organisation is based on the belief that the best health promotion for gay men comes from gay men themselves. For this reason, it uses the knowledge and ideas of its 170 volunteers, most of them gay men, to design and plan its thought-provoking sexual health interventions. These include a range of advertising campaigns, leaflets, postcards and booklets; FS, its health magazine, distributed nationally in gay venues and GU clinics; and national and London-based courses covering sex education, life skills and smoking cessation. In addition, GMFA creates targeted sexual health interventions for black gay men and HIV positive gay men. Independent surveys have concluded that GMFA’s campaigns reach up to 60% of the London gay population and that the organisation is the most reliable agency at reaching gay men. The charity also provides accessible information on sexual health and other issues for gay men through its website at www.gmfa.org.uk.

View the press release on GMFA’s website.

Count Me In: World AIDS Day, 1 December 2010

Summary

Despite progress in recent years, gay men in the UK continue to become infected with HIV. GMFA remains committed to tackling the spread of the virus and this paper outlines how we all, as gay men and as part of the gay community, can re-commit to the fight against HIV.

The drivers of HIV infection

Knowledge about HIV and the role that condoms can play in stopping transmission are key to any prevention strategy. As such, GMFA wants to ensure all gay men have the information they need to protect themselves and their partners from the virus.

However, knowledge is not enough. We must also address the factors that contribute to the further spread of HIV and the barriers to effective and consistent condom use. GMFA believes that three of the primary drivers of HIV infection among gay men in the UK are:

• The stereotyping of gay men with HIV and the taking of risks based on those stereotypes;
• Men not knowing their own HIV status because of a lack of regular testing;
• The influence of poor mental and emotional wellbeing on choices relating to sexual behaviour. 

It is these three factors that inhibit men from using condoms consistently and taking responsibility for their sexual health and behaviour. 

The ‘Count me in’ approach

The gay community is broad and diverse. The main drivers of HIV infection may be simple to describe but the way that they pervade gay men’s lives and thinking is involved and complex. If we as a community are serious about stopping the spread of HIV in gay men, we must be serious about tackling these complex and difficult issues.

This World AIDS Day, GMFA’s ‘Count Me In’ campaign is asking other organisations concerned with gay men’s health, the gay media, and community leaders to join us in committing to tackle these issues head on. The work will not be easy or straightforward, and some messages may be difficult to hear. However, if we want a change in the health of our community, this is the road we must travel.

The campaign is asking gay men to join this campaign and commit to stop the spread of HIV by agreeing to this five-point action plan:

1. I will know my HIV status
2. I will not assume I know someone else’s HIV status
3. I will take personal responsibility for using condoms
4. I will value myself and my health
5. I will stay informed about HIV and how it’s spread

If every gay man in the UK commits to each of these, we can significantly reduce the spread of HIV in our community.

GMFA’s goal for the ‘Count Me In’ campaign is to move towards a point where we all, as gay men, are confident and empowered to take responsibility for our own health, where we are supportive of each other and we can openly discuss issues such as HIV status and safer sex without fear or stigma, and where the barriers to effective condom use are overcome. By working together to achieve this, we can prevent new infections and make a real difference to the wellbeing of our community.

The Drivers

The stereotyping of gay men with HIV and the taking of risks based on those stereotypes

• Many of the old stereotypes about positive men simply aren’t true. It’s increasingly rare that someone will show visible signs of having HIV.
• If men believe these stereotypes, and therefore the stereotype that any healthy-looking man is HIV-negative, they run the risk of making false assumptions about the HIV status of the person they have sex with or fall in love with. They may then choose to have unprotected sex based on a false belief that there is no risk of HIV transmission.
• Stereotyping may be based on factors other than the existence (or absence) of visible symptoms of infection. All too often men make assumptions about the HIV status of their partners based on age, clothing, the clubs and bars they choose to go to or the kind of sex that they have.
• This is all the more risky when assumptions replace any kind of discussion or communication around safer sex. Both partners have equal responsibility for safer sex, yet stereotyping can deter both HIV-negative and HIV-positive men from discussing it.
• Some HIV-negative men may not feel the need to mention status or safer sex because a partner doesn’t fit a false stereotype, while some HIV-positive men may choose not to disclose for fear of rejection. Someone with HIV might also wrongly assume that their partner is also positive.
• Most men, whatever their HIV status, do not discuss HIV before having sex with casual partners: 51% of positive men and 58% of negative men never ask about their partner’s HIV status(i).
• The reality is that, regardless of status, reliance on guesswork and luck is a risky strategy. Around ¾ of HIV-negative men expect HIV-positive men to disclose their status(ii). Yet, only 1 in 5 HIV-positive men will always tell their casual partners they have the virus(iii).

Men not knowing their HIV status because of lack of regular testing

• HPA figures from 2008 suggestion there are over 32,000 gay men in the UK living with HIV. This is likely to be higher in 2010. However, over a quarter of these men remain undiagnosed, meaning they are unaware of their infection.
• Almost 1/3 of gay men have never tested (32.9%)(iv).
• Of the men who had never tested, 15% have had receptive anal sex without a condom in the last year with someone whose HIV status they didn’t know, or knew to be different to their own. Therefore, there can be no presumption that these men are definitely HIV negative or that they have no reason to get tested(v).
• Around 60% of men with undiagnosed infection believe that they are HIV-negative(vi).
• If men don’t get tested, they may take risks based on the false belief they are HIV-negative and further spread the virus.
• If men know their HIV status, they can make informed decisions about their health, the sex they have and their future.
• If someone has HIV and is diagnosed early, they can start treatment before HIV seriously damages their immune system. This makes it more likely they’ll live longer and enjoy better health. If they remain undiagnosed and therefore not on treatment, they are likely to be more infectious and therefore more likely to pass the virus on if they have unprotected sex.
• About a third of gay men with HIV believe they were infected during sex with a regular partner(vii). By knowing their HIV status, men are better informed to protect themselves and their partners.

The influence of poor mental and emotional wellbeing on choices relating to sexual behaviour

• Nearly all of gay men agree that HIV is a serious medical condition(viii). Some men become infected not because they think HIV isn’t serious but because they have other difficulties in their life.
• Depression, low self-esteem and a lack of control can lead to decisions whereby men do not protect themselves every time.
• In particular, research shows that men with higher self-confidence are more likely to stick to safer sex. Also, lower self-esteem can lead to men putting themselves at risk, as can a wish for intimacy or just desire in the heat of the moment.
• Poor mental health has been seen to be a major factor in increasing sexual risk-taking. This might be following bereavement or the breakdown of a relationship or during a period of unemployment. Such periods of depression may also result in sex addiction and increased use of alcohol and recreational drugs, which are also linked to risky sex(ix).
• Campaigns must focus on giving men the skills to improve their self-confidence, their self-esteem and their ability to stay in control of the sex they have.

How We Can Affect Change

• Health promotion campaigns should focus on tackling the factors that contribute to the further spread of HIV and removing the barriers to effective and consistent condom use.
• GMFA will continue to tackle these issues with long term, multi-stranded, coherent programmes of work. Our programme to tackle HIV stereotyping is already underway with work on a major literature review of all the known data on how HIV stereotyping and stigma is causing the onward spread of HIV and how we can best tackle it.
• The gay media is an influential opinion former in the gay community. As such, gay publications have a crucial role to play and can help raise awareness and understanding of these important issues among gay men and how they contribute to the spread of HIV in our community.
• Commercial gay venues can play a major role in delivering information to their customers. In particular, they can join the campaign by helping to raise awareness of the issues, through one-off events, and the distribution of condoms and health promotion resources around World AIDS Day 2010 and throughout the year.
• Gay men, as individuals, can join this campaign and commit to stop the spread of HIV by agreeing to the five-point action plan.

About GMFA

Founded in 1992, GMFA is the UK’s leading charity dedicated to gay men’s health. Its mission is to improve gay men’s health by increasing the control they have over their own lives. The organisation is based on the belief that the best health promotion for gay men comes from gay men themselves. For this reason, it uses the knowledge and ideas of its 170 volunteers, most of them gay men, to design and plan its thought-provoking sexual health interventions. These include a range of advertising campaigns, leaflets, postcards and booklets; FS, its health magazine, distributed nationally in gay venues and GU clinics; and national and London-based courses covering sex education, life skills and smoking cessation. In addition, GMFA creates targeted sexual health interventions for black gay men and HIV positive gay men. Independent surveys have concluded that GMFA’s campaigns reach up to 60% of the London gay population and that the organisation is the most reliable agency at reaching gay men. The charity’s website at www.gmfa.org.uk includes a range of accessible information for gay men.

References

i Gay Men’s Sex Survey, 2006: Sigma Research

ii Gay Men’s Sex Survey, 2006: Sigma Research

iii Gay Men’s Sex Survey, 2007: Sigma Research

iv Gay Men’s Sex Survey, 2007: Sigma Research

v Gay Men’s Sex Survey, 2007: Sigma Research

vi Sexual Health Survey of Gay Men, London 2006: UCL

vii Factors associated with HIV seroconversion in gay men in England at the start of the 21st century, 2007: Macdonald N et al.

viii 97.8 per cent of gay men agreed with the statement ‘’HIV is still a very serious medical condition’ – Gay Men’s Sex Survey, 2006: Sigma Research

ix Risky sexual behaviour in context: qualitative results from an investigation into risk factors for seroconversion among gay men who test for HIV: Macdonald N et al.

Visit GMFA’s Count Me In page.

With the message “Together we can stop the spread of HIV”, the campaign is encouraging everyone who can impact on the epidemic, including individual gay men all across the UK, to play their part this World AIDS Day and beyond.

A host of gay publications, which play a crucial role in raising awareness of the issues among gay men, have already signed up to the campaign. These include Attitude, Bent, Gay Times, GScene, Pink Paper, Out In The City, and QX. Other supporters who have said “Count me in” include Paul Burston, gay author and journalist; Dusty O, DJ, club promoter, writer and recording artist; Gayromeo.com, the online dating service for gay men; and 56 Dean Street, the Soho-based sexual health clinic.

As part of the campaign, GMFA is calling on gay men to help stop the spread of HIV in our community by agreeing to a 5-point pledge:

1. I will know my HIV status

2. I will not assume I know someone else’s HIV status

3. I will take personal responsibility for using condoms

4. I will value myself and my health

5. I will stay informed about HIV and how it is spread

Around World AIDS Day, gay venues across London will be helping to raise awareness of the campaign and supporting GMFA. Look out for volunteers from the charity sporting T-shirts with the slogan “Together we can stop the spread of HIV” and promoting the 5-point pledge at events including:

27 November: Cabaret night at Central Station;

28 November: Ye Rose & Crown;

29 November: Glam Jam Cabaret at The Quebec;

1 December: The Black Cap, Halfway To Heaven, King William IV, Retro Bar, Rupert Street, The Stag, and The Two Brewers.

Staff at these and other venues, including Chariots saunas across London, E15 Club, Locker Room, Steamworks, Prowler Soho and DV8 will also be doing their bit by wearing the campaign T-shirts to help spread the message.

Also this World AIDS Day, Recon will be donating a portion of its sales of virtual red ribbons to GMFA, while SG Productions will be holding a raffle at each performance of its run of “Snow White and the Seven Poofs” to raise funds for the charity. The new play is a modern day twist on the classic fairy tale, filled with comedy, audience participation and good old festive cheer and is showing at the Leicester Square Theatre from 1 December 2010 to 9 January 2011

GMFA receives no statutory funding for its “Count Me In” campaign, so these donations and the support from the community are vital for it to carry out this work.

Matthew Hodson, Head of Programmes at GMFA comments: “This isn’t just about what we can do around World AIDS Day – it’s what we can all do on an ongoing basis to stop the spread of HIV in our community. We’re delighted that so many have recognised the importance of what we’re trying to achieve and have joined us in the campaign. With their support, we hope to encourage gay men to re-commit to tackling the virus and to make a real difference.”

For full details and to join the campaign, visit www.facebook.com/gmfa.uk.

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About GMFA

Founded in 1992, GMFA is the UK’s leading charity dedicated to gay men’s health. Its mission is to improve gay men’s health by increasing the control they have over their own lives. The organisation is based on the belief that the best health promotion for gay men comes from gay men themselves. For this reason, it uses the knowledge and ideas of its 170 volunteers, most of them gay men, to design and plan its thought-provoking sexual health interventions. These include a range of advertising campaigns, leaflets, postcards and booklets; FS, its health magazine, distributed nationally in gay venues and GU clinics; and national and London-based courses covering sex education, life skills and smoking cessation. In addition, GMFA creates targeted sexual health interventions for black gay men and HIV positive gay men. Independent surveys have concluded that GMFA’s campaigns reach up to 60% of the London gay population and that the organisation is the most reliable agency at reaching gay men. The charity also provides accessible information on sexual health and other issues for gay men through its website at www.gmfa.org.uk.

View the press release on GMFA’s website (PDF format).

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‘Upgrade Your Life’ is one of a range of booklets from GMFA, the gay men’s health charity. It includes chapters on keeping fit, eating well, controlling drugs and alcohol, quitting smoking, as well as maintaining sexual health, relationships and friendships. There are lots of ideas about how to make small changes that will make a big difference. It also includes advice on how to come up with some personal goals and how to keep track of progress.

Maintaining good sexual health and preventing the transmission of HIV is particularly important for gay men, so ‘Upgrade Your Life’ has information on how to make looking after yourself and sexual partners a part of an overall health plan.

Download ‘Upgrade Your Life’

Visit the GMFA website to view other health promotion booklets I wrote for gay men, including ‘Cruising’, ‘Better Sex’ and ‘Let’s Talk Sex’.

To survive the recession, 75% of small businesses believe that the government should be doing more to help them, but with the annual Budget coming up in April 2009 only 10% of small business owners predict that it will include measures that will have a positive impact on their businesses. So what do small businesses really need from the Budget report 2009?

Budget 2009 Small Business Wish List

• Reduction of employers’ National Insurance contribution rate
• Tighter government control over bank charges
• Further deferment of the rate increase of corporation tax
• Further measures to ensure late payments are reduced
• Extension of VAT reduction to 15 per cent for a further 12 months

This highlights the challenges currently faced by small businesses, as they are being squeezed by larger companies extending credit terms. In such a tough economic environment, small businesses want to manage their costs more efficiently, which would explain why the reduction of employers’ National Insurance contribution rate has come out on top of the wish list.  

Given the low confidence shown by small businesses, it is clear the government really needs to do more to help. It remains to be seen whether the Budget will be used as the opportunity to address their most pressing needs.

More information on the results of our small business survey can be found on our website.

(1) The survey results are based on responses from 234 of Intuit’s small business customers in the UK and it was conducted online in March 2009.

(2) Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR)’s Enterprise Directorate Analytical Unit, 2007.

View the original article on Intuit’s small business blog.

Reducing cost and improving quality through effective ATM test outsourcing 

Outsourcing has long been a topic of discussion among the banking sector, which has fallen in and out of favour with the approach in recent years. However, the current financial environment has put it firmly back on the agenda. In particular, as banks look to maximise budgets and create efficiencies in terms of staff utilisation, attention is turning to how to reduce cost in commodity functions and exploring ways to streamline processes. Bank’s previous experiences of outsourcing projects have had varying degrees of success and it is the lessons learnt from these experiences that will likely place them in a stronger, more confident position in 2008 and beyond.

In terms of bank’s ATM networks, there are a number of different areas where outsourcing might play a role. One is in outsourcing the AT M network itself to an external provider. Another is the outsourcing of the testing of the entire network, including both software and hardware, to ensure maximum uptime. While this latter area is seen as a commodity function, it has become increasingly complex as a result of the developments in ATM technology in recent years.

This guide draws upon the real-life experiences of banks that have adopted outsourcing as part of their ATM testing. It is intended to provide a set of best practices to assist banks in effectively outsourcing testing procedures to offshore partners while also sourcing and maintaining their own internal systems.

Download full guide in PDF format