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Nearly a third of gay and bisexual
male NHS users surveyed last year by the LGBT rights charity Stonewall said
they had never been tested for HIV. Of those not tested, 70 percent said it was
because they did not consider themselves at risk, and a third cited their not
having symptoms of HIV infection. The survey also found that 54 percent of
those polled had never discussed HIV with a health professional.
Nearly a third of the 6,900 gay and
bisexual men surveyed reported a negative NHS-related experience due to their
sexuality. The same proportion had not disclosed their sexuality to a general
practitioner or other NHS staff, citing doubts about confidentiality and lack
of opportunities for the discussion. Some health professionals had assumed
that, since their patient was gay, he must be HIV-positive, several respondents
reported.
The surveyed men were more likely to
smoke, drink, and use illegal drugs. Among respondents ages 16-24, 6 percent
had tried taking their life in the last year. Fifteen percent had intentionally
harmed themselves, compared with 3 percent for men generally.
The report calls for better training
of health professionals, and it says anti-discrimination polices should be
posted prominently in health care settings.
For information, visit:
http://www.stonewall.org.uk/what_we_do/research_and_policy/health_and_healthcare/4922.asp.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
