Focus on community HIV testing
Whenever Paula Muzirikani was approached by an outreach worker and asked about taking an HIV test, she would say: "I'll go - when I get the time" - until one day she fell seriously ill and had to be admitted at Charing Cross Hospital. A serious fever and sore throat left her bed-ridden for four days. On the fifth day, she felt well enough to phone the outreach worker. "I wish I'd taken your advice and visited the clinic. I'm calling from the hospital; I have been badly off for a few days and, guess what, I've taken the test from here. I'm positive!"
Positive living - Pamela Kaseke-Mushore
The days following a positive HIV test can be one of the most difficult periods in a person’s life. All the stress, fears and worries over personal health can really destroy the spirit. But one person who refused to give up hope is Pamela Kaseke-Mushore, founder of the Fountain of Life support group for people living with or affected by HIV. In this article, she talks about her life after her positive diagnosis, as well as her ambition to find help, not just for herself but also for others in a similar situation.
The search goes on
HIV prevention methods: The search goes on
On 1st December, the world will be united in marking World AIDS Day in memory of the millions of people who have died of AIDS. With its theme of ‘Universal Access and Human Rights’, World AIDS Day 2009 also reminds us of the need to stop the epidemic from spreading further. In this article, Toju Cline-Cole writes about the search for microbicides, products which, along with vaccines, could one day hold the key to stopping the spread of HIV in high risk populations.
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Divorce: what's going on?
It used to be that when African couples married, they stayed married ‘for life’. But that is no longer true of Africans in the UK. Nowadays, we are seeing more and more marriages and relationships break up.
How to stay healthy
By Gus Cairns
Editor, HIV Treatment Update, NAM
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African men finally break the silence
By Durani Rapozo
Services Adviser,
George House Trust
Your shout - Breaking the taboo
For a long time, the common view among health promoters has been that African Muslims are a ‘hard to reach’ community - so hard-to-reach that not much sexual health work has been done with them. In this article, Sheikh Mohamed Bashir explains the reasons why very little has happened with the African Muslim communities in the UK, and offers tips on
addressing the situation.
Poor sexual health linked to beliefs and attitudes
A survey has found that African people’s beliefs and attitudes about sexual health can affect whether they are more, or less likely to get a sexually transmitted infection. BASS Line 2007 Survey also found that the sexual health needs of Africans are not being fully met.
Empowering young people for a better sexual health
By Camilla Smith
With data showing high levels of sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies, the need for targeted sex and relationship education with young people has never been more urgent. Terrence Higgins Trust is delivering just that – through its ‘Young Leaders’ programme.
The Young Leaders Programme is a national sex and relationship education (SRE) project developed following a consultation process that involved collecting the views of 120 young people from different backgrounds about what kind of SRE they need, who is best placed to deliver it and how they would like to increase their knowledge and skills in this area.
Each year a board of young people (13-19 years old) is recruited in seven regions across England; it is given the task pf establishing and managing a grant programme to support SRE projects created by other young people. The regional boards are supported by a national board of 14 young people, comprising two elected members of each of the regional boards. The national board ensure a co-ordinated national approach for the whole project. Board members receive comprehensive training and work towards achieving recognised Open College Network (OCN) accreditation.
Young people aged 13-19 who live, work or study in the seven regions and belong to a youth organisation can apply to their regional board for a grant to run projects around SRE issues. Successful applicants are required to manage the project, and they are offered training to help them do a good job. So far Young Leaders have awarded £90,000 worth of grant money and supported 100 projects, reaching a diverse range of young people.
To find out how you can get involved, visit www.tht.org.uk/youknowyou
For more information about sexual health, relationships and young people, please call:
- THT Direct on 0845 1221200
- Brooks Helpline on 0800 0185023
- or visit www.ruthinking.co.uk or www.likeitis.org.uk.
Positive living - Pamela Mahaka
Everyone who has been diagnosed HIV positive has their own story about the moments before and after the test. In this article, Pamela Mahaka tells of her determination not to allow HIV to stop her from achieving her dreams
My attitude has always been that there is little to be gained from talking about how someone got the virus. It is what happens ‘after’ the infection that matters most. For my part, I’m glad I took the test. I had visited the clinic to get tested for thrush, but when I got there I decided I might as well get a general sexual health check. Interestingly, although that was only three years ago, I now do not remember much about the procedures, but I do remember the emotions, the devastation, and the initial realisation that nothing would ever be the same for me again.
In the days following the test, I realised that, although the result meant there were going to be some changes to the plans I had for the future, I was the only one who could control the changes. Luckily, I had the necessary support of family, friends and colleagues in my social group.
I always tell my friends that a positive HIV test result is a bit like falling down. When you fall, do you stay on the ground for long, or do you try and stand up? You have to carry on with life, so that when other people come to help, they can see that you want to move on. Having HIV does not necessarily mean you will not be able to lead a normal life, nor that you will not achieve the dreams you always had. You can achieve those dreams, albeit often in a different way.
As young people, we have so many things that we aspire to do. I had aspirations myself – of growing up and becoming a nurse, and then I thought I would join the Royal Navy, drive a nice car and live in a mansion somewhere in the middle of nowhere. But life doesn’t always go according to plan, does it? After abandoning my nursing ambition, I had to start all over again, so I studied Travel and Tourism. I intend to bring Travel and Tourism into the HIV sector, because having HIV doesn’t mean we have to stop travelling or enjoying ourselves! I have also trained as a youth worker, and am now volunteering with the African HIV Policy Network (AHPN) and with other voluntary organisations.
Since my diagnosis, I have become an accredited facilitator for the Positive Self-Management Programme with Living Well Programme and the Expert Patients Programme at Macmillan Cancer Support. My advice to other young people who are thinking about their sexual health is that, it is better to know your status than to not know. Walking into a clinic or requesting a sexual health screening does not mean that you are promiscuous; on the contrary, it means that you care about your health and the health of others who are close to you. So, have not fear about visiting the clinic!
For more information about HIV, and where to test, please visit:
www.tht.org
www.aidsmap.com
www.ruthinking.co.uk
www.likeitis.org.uk
or call the following helplines:
- THT Direct on 0845 1221200
- The African AIDS Helpline on 0800 0967500
- Brooks Helpline on 0800 0185023
- Sexwise on 0800 282930
Hugh Masekela - Grandmaster of African Jazz
He has a worldwide fan base, and is widely acknowledged as the grand-master of African jazz. Now, Grammy Award winner Hugh Masekela is adding his voice to the campaign to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and other social issues in his native South Africa and the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa. Recently, he was in London at the invitation of international volunteer agency VSO, where he performed to a packed Royal Albert Hall audience made up of people from different ethnic background. While in London, he granted just one press interview – to Mambo. Editor Joseph Ochieng asked the questions.
What it means to be gay in the African community
Stephane Djedje is a gay Christian living in London. He has appeared on the BBC program ‘Inside Out’, and his is one of hundreds of stories that are rarely told. At a time when gay men still face rejection from many black communities, Stephane speaks candidly to Mambo about his experiences among Evangelical Christians.
Your shout - When good health completes spiritual wellbeing
The African church is the fastest growing religious movement in the UK. At a time when Africans face greater risk from infections such as HIV, gonorrhoea, syphilis and chlamydia, should religious leaders be doing more to promote sexual health awareness among members of their congregation?
Positive living - Tendai Ndanga
Tendai Ndanga was diagnosed with HIV in 1998. In this column, she tells MAMBO about the effect the positive result had on her, and how she has since been able to rebuild her life and self-confidence.
My experience of PEP
While the condom is currently the best barrier against HIV, doctors can also administer PEP (or post-exposure prophylaxis), a treatment designed to prevent HIV infection after the virus has entered the body. Here ‘Michael’ tells of his experience of taking PEP.
I had been in the UK only two years; I did not have many friends, then, and was frequently going into nightclubs in search of company. So it was at a nightclub that I met this girl whom I had known from way back in Zimbabwe. There was a lot to catch up on, so we talked, laughed, and drank a lot of booze. To cut a long story short, we ended up going home together and having sex - without using a condom.
Miss Malaika
The Miss Malaika UK beauty contest was held on 11th October 2008 at the New Empire Theatre in Southend. In this exclusive interview, the winner, Miss Primrose Mutsigiri tells MAMBO about her plans to use the title to help other people in the African community.
For Primrose Mutsigiri, being crowned Miss Malaika UK for 2008 was yet another achievement in a growing list of beauty awards that she has won (‘Malaika’ is a Swahili word meaning ‘Angel’). The 20 year-old university student already has an impressive collection of tiaras: she is the previous winner of the Miss Zimbabwe UK beauty contest, the Miss Africa UK and the Miss Southern Africa UK contests.
Domestic violence and women's sexual health
How I escaped from an abusive marriage
In the UK, two women are killed each week and over half of all rape cases are committed by a current or ex-partner each year. Violence in African households is common, but often not reported. In this article, ‘Ann’, an African woman talks about life with a husband who used to beat her up, until she finally got help.
Knowing your HIV status makes a big difference
In the UK, four out of ten people with HIV get tested late. By not knowing about their infection, people with HIV may unknowingly pass the virus on to other people. They also risk developing a serious illness. In this article, we read about ‘Martha Munzolo’, an African woman who delayed going for a test.
The Outreach Worker picked up the phone: ‘Hello?’
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Your shout - Peer pressure and young people’s sexual health
Many young people often feel they must do the things that their friends or colleagues do. Often, this is because their friends put them under pressure. Pressure from friends (or peer pressure) can lead you into starting a sexual relationship that will put you at risk from sexually transmitted infections (STIs). How can a young person resist peer pressure? Here, a young person gives his views.