© AIDES
© AIDES
Couverture de la brochure "Gay dans tous ses états" © AIDES
Couverture de la brochure Mobilisation Gay "Moi et les autres" : Est-ce que je le vaux bien ? © AIDES
Stéphane Blot / Laurent Marsault / © AIDES Male homosexuality and HIV: mobilising the community
For many homosexuals, outdoor meeting places, saunas and private clubs are a way of enjoying a form of sexuality that is still too often rejected by society. By refusing to make any judgement and maintaining a strong presence in these venues for sexual “consumption”, AIDES is fighting to prevent the epidemic from progressing any further.
The association meets and informs the young and the not-so-young who, frustrated by so many years of protected sex, may find themselves weakening and prepared to take greater risks.
Half of the homosexuals who find out that they are HIV-positive have been infected in the 6 months prior to diagnosis. They use HIV screening more regularly than other exposed groups.
The surveys carried out (gay press, gay opinion...) have highlighted a greater laxity in sexual practices. 35% of respondents say that they have had at least one unprotected penetration with casual partners over the last 12 months.
In 2005, as in other years, AIDES’ volunteers have remained on the alert. They have visited homosexual beaches, external meeting places, bars, etc., to warn people of the risk they are running and to hand out condoms and information.
With the aim of providing the people they meet with the form of information that suits them best and thus helping them make their decisions, they have made every effort to listen to, understand and support the strategies developed for protecting people and reducing the risk of contamination. Advertising campaigns, posters and films emphasising the need to protect yourself have been widely distributed.
Finally, special support programmes have been run for homosexuals living with HIV. Discussion groups have taken place particularly frequently in the branches.
Homosexuals have been offered “recharge your batteries” weekends to help them rediscover the self-esteem they need to fight against the virus.
The association meets and informs the young and the not-so-young who, frustrated by so many years of protected sex, may find themselves weakening and prepared to take greater risks.
Half of the homosexuals who find out that they are HIV-positive have been infected in the 6 months prior to diagnosis. They use HIV screening more regularly than other exposed groups.
The surveys carried out (gay press, gay opinion...) have highlighted a greater laxity in sexual practices. 35% of respondents say that they have had at least one unprotected penetration with casual partners over the last 12 months.
In 2005, as in other years, AIDES’ volunteers have remained on the alert. They have visited homosexual beaches, external meeting places, bars, etc., to warn people of the risk they are running and to hand out condoms and information.
With the aim of providing the people they meet with the form of information that suits them best and thus helping them make their decisions, they have made every effort to listen to, understand and support the strategies developed for protecting people and reducing the risk of contamination. Advertising campaigns, posters and films emphasising the need to protect yourself have been widely distributed.
Finally, special support programmes have been run for homosexuals living with HIV. Discussion groups have taken place particularly frequently in the branches.
Homosexuals have been offered “recharge your batteries” weekends to help them rediscover the self-esteem they need to fight against the virus.
