Peter Tatchell on why prevention education is inadequate and how the Coalition’s cuts risk damaging vital HIV services…

The government has dropped the ball on HIV. It is apathetic and complacent. There are no major public HIV prevention campaigns, HIV services and treatments are under threat of cuts and thousands of new HIV infections are being diagnosed every year. The government’s HIV strategy is flawed and failing.

The London NHS is pressuring HIV clinics to prescribe cheaper drugs, which may not be as effective and may have more severe side effects. It is extremely irresponsible to suggest that patients who are doing well with existing treatments should be switched to cheaper alternatives.

This is gambling with their health. It is clear evidence of the damaging effects of public spending cuts.
The closure or merger of some local and regional HIV services means that many people with HIV now have to travel longer distances to access good quality care and support. The time and cost involved can act as a disincentive to engagement with HIV services.

“Teaching pupils how to roll a condom on a banana is not good enough!”

HIV education is woefully inadequate in most schools. Teaching pupils how to roll a condom on a banana is not good enough. Very few students learn how to negotiate safer sex and what to do if a partner refuses to wear a condom.

There is no popularisation of less risky alternatives to intercourse, such as oral sex, body rubbing and mutual masturbation. These alternatives should be taught in all secondary schools.
What safer sex information is taught in schools is wholly oriented to heterosexual pupils.

Gay and bisexual students get no specific advice on how to have gay sex safely.
Many faith schools and independent schools are getting away with neglecting their pupil’s HIV education. They put their own dogmas and embarrassment about sexual matters before the health and welfare of young people.
Frank, detailed and effective HIV awareness and prevention education should be mandatory in all schools from primary level onwards, before pupils become sexually active and adopt unsafe sexual habits.
The needs of gay and bisexual men continue to be under-resourced.

HIV prevention campaigns targeted at men who have sex with men are not working, as evidenced by the rate of new HIV infections.
Access to effective HIV prevention information and to high quality HIV health-care are human rights. They should be available to all.

• Further information: [email protected], www.petertatchellfoundation.org

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