Whilst HIV notifications appear to have stabilised in Queensland over the past two years (147 in 2005 and 142 in 2006), there has been a significant upward trend towards nearly a 50% increase since 2001. State response HIV prevention awareness campaigns and education initiatives have been developed through the implementation of a collaborative HIV Prevention Action Plan between Queensland Health and a range of relevant community-based organisations including QPP.
Today, QPP proudly launches its inaugural prevention campaign which was developed in close consultation with a range of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Queensland. The purpose of this campaign is to decrease risk behaviour and reduce further rises of HIV infections in Queensland – particularly among gay and other men who have sex with men (MSM) which is the population where the rise in notifications has predominantly been experienced. The campaign also contains elements which ask all PLWHA to be equally responsible for prevention of HIV transmission.
If you have HIV – don’t transmit it – use condoms.
If you don’t have HIV – don’t contract it – use condoms.
If you don’t know – get a test – and use condoms.
“Is the message our campaign seeks to deliver” said Simon O’Connor, General Manager of QPP. Simon went on to say “Shared responsibility among sexual partners implies a 50% responsibility each. However, we believe everyone should accept 100% of the responsibility. Consequently, our campaign urges the adoption of 100% personal responsibility to fight HIV.”
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Despite effective treatments being available, there is still no cure
and no vaccine, and short and long-term toxicities of HIV treatment
remain a concern despite recent improvements in HIV medicine.
HIV
not only harms our health, it also affects our social life,
relationships, and human rights. Even among developed nations, people
with HIV cannot travel to some overseas destinations for holidays – an
everyday activity most people take for granted. There are many added
burdens to living with HIV – not simply the immediate medical one.
Rejection, discrimination and social isolation are just some of the
additional challenges faced by PLWHA on a daily basis.
A
fulfilling sex life is a basic human right regardless of HIV status,
provided it does not place others at risk. The peak prevention tool in
our community for over 20 years has been – and remains – the use of
condoms. Whilst the majority of gay men have traditionally embraced
using condoms since the emergence of HIV, increases in risk behaviours
is becoming evident in recent reports. Also, due to increasing success
of treatments and therefore increased levels of wellness, HIV has
become largely invisible and many people have never knowingly seen a
person living with HIV, nor how HIV can manifest itself within the
individual. This in turn leads to perceptions that belie the
seriousness and potential severity of HIV. This is one of the ways HIV
continues to insidiously exert its power to foster a complacency which
has the potential to divide and fracture the GLBTI and PLWHA
communities.
QPP’s message is simple and constant:
use condoms – always!
We invite you to join with QPP to fight HIV – both as individuals and as a community.
HIV – It’s A Life Sentence!
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