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Criminalise HATE not HIV
A great new film from IPPF on criminalisation. Now up on YouTube. Click here to watch.
National Network of People Living with HIV
Are you interested in developing a national network for people living with HIV? If so please contact us on 020 7713 0444 or email info@positivelyuk.org.
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Policy
Positively UK is committed to developing and supporting the involvement of people living with HIV in shaping policy, practice and services.
UKCAB Survey
UKCAB have launched a survey about recent changes to to the HIV drugs recommended by the London Specialist Commissioning Group for prescription to patients in London HIV clinics, which we hope you will promote to service users living in London.
The survey can be found here.
Anyone accessing HIV care in London who has seen changes to their drug regimen since April is asked to share their experiences, in a completely anonymous online survey.
The survey will be available online for the next few months, and the information that we obtain from the data will be used to help UKCAB produce a report on how the new regime is affecting people living with HIV, positively or negatively.
Although this is currently a London initiative, it is likely versions of this approach will be adopted by other regions in future, so it is essential to learn as soon as possible how the new arrangements are affecting people living with HIV.
Securing our Future
‘Securing our Future’ - Maintaining and developing a robust HIV Charity Sector is result of work done during 2010 exploring the current situation, recording the effect on HIV service providers, seeking the preferences of service users regarding services to protect and putting forward recommendations for ensuring the HIV sector has a future.
Securing our Future is based on:
- Focus groups at 3 sites
- Online survey of the effects on HIV organisations
- Online survey of the effects on individuals
- A seminar on the voluntary sector responses
The project is the result of collaboration between Naz Project London (NPL), Positive East and Positively UK (Positively Women ) acting as the Counterpoint Policy Alliance, aiming to amplify the voice of people living with HIV, through seeking and applying evidence, and bridging the gap with public policy makers
Counterpoint Policy Alliance would like to thank the Department of Health for supporting the project.
To download the report click here.
To download the survey of individuals click here.
To download the survey of organisations click here.
PozFem-UK
PozFem-UK is the National Network of Women Living with HIV in the UK. Co-ordinated by Positively UK, we provide technical support and training to Regional Coordinators across UK including Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. As a National Network of Women Living with HIV PozFem-UK aims to be the national voice to influence decisions, services and policy that affect women living with HIV.
To find out more about Pozfem UK and access the discussion forum visit: www.poz-fem-uk.org
If you would like to become a member of PozFem UK you can also contact Silvia Petretti on 020 7713 0444 or email spetretti@positivelyuk.org
You can also follow some of the activities of PozFem through the blog Speaking Up hivpolicyspeakup.wordpress.com
BHIVA Infant feeding
The British HIV Association recently sought views on guidelines for the feeding for infants of mothers living with HIV. Positively UK welcomes the review and made a joint statement with the UKCab.
We would like to add weight to the concern on the potential for child protection and duty of care issues to come into play with regard to transmission if an HIV positive mother breastfeeds. It is a paradox to take HIV treatment, but to then put your baby at risk of transmission. In our experience of client work it is commonly the mother's protection of her own status that is the motivating factor for breastfeeding, not the wellbeing of the baby. The number of HIV positive mothers in the UK are women in difficult and complex and unstable circumstances makes this understandable, but we caution against a mixed message being given by BHIVA. Being a failed asylum seeker, facing deportation, living in poverty is not conducive to good adherence; that is our current reality. In ideal circumstances and based on individual ability to adhere it may be a realistic to give the message that in certain instances breastfeeding is acceptable, but this is unlikely in our experience.