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PREVIEW: Elvis Las Vegas 1969

Anscombe Production Associates (APA) present a concert version of their production Elvis Las Vegas 1969 for the 2nd Henfield Haven Anniversary Concert.

Brighton born and Henfield schooled producer, Tim Anscombe will produce the show. Tim trained as a classical tenor before starting his own successful production company based in Brighton APA. His many production credits include Privates on Parade at the Brighton Theatre Royal and the legendary double act Hinge and Bracket.

The artists that appeared in his recent musical production of ‘Elvis Las Vegas 1969’ in Gravesend have agreed to perform for the Henfield Haven 2nd Anniversary Concert at The Henfield Hall.

In the full stage show, act two of the musical is a reproduction of the actual concert given on July 31, 1969 in Las Vegas. Given that the Henfield stage is not quite big enough to contain the set and structures used in the full production, APA have devised a tribute show which captures the very best of the musical numbers.

For the first half of the Henfield show they have added some older Elvis Presley favourites from 1954 onwards for those lovers of the great man. Songs like That’s Alright Mama, I Forgot To Remember to Forget, I Beg Of You, I Need Your Love Tonight and a few other Memphis style memories.

The second half of the concert will be the concert as performed in Las Vegas in 1969, full of songs specially chosen by both Presley and his manager Tom Parker to woo audiences back into Elvis’s live shows. Are You Lonesome TonightWords, Falling in Love With You, Suspicious Minds, Love Me Tender, In the Ghetto and many more.

40 Year after his untimely death Elvis Presley remains as popular today with young audiences as with those fortunate enough to have grown up with this amazing performer.

Elvis impersonator Scott Elvis will play the role of Elvis in Henfield Hall. He is an amazing performer, his Presley timing and rock and roll aura is amazing.

Event: Elvis Las Vegas 1969

Where: The Henfield Hall, Coopers Way, Henfield BN5 9DB

When: Sunday, November 26

Time: 3pm

Tickets available from:

♦ The Henfield Haven: 01273 493365

♦ Jasmines the Florist: Ivy House/High St, Henfield: 01273 491936

♦ Stokes Newsagent: 1 Commercial Buildings, High Street, Henfield:  01273 492032

PREVIEW: Morrissey plays Brighton Centre in March, 2018

Morrissey announces first full UK tour since 2016, which arrives at the Brighton Centre on March 3, 2018, to promote his new album Low in High School.

Low in High School will be released digitally and in physical formats: CD, coloured vinyl and limited edition cassette and is Morrissey’s first studio album since 2014 and his debut for BMG.

The album sees BMG partnering with Morrissey on the new release and on the launch of his new label, Etienne Records.

Low in High School was recorded at La Fabrique Studios in France and in Rome at Ennio Morricone’s Forum Studios and is produced by Joe Chiccarelli (who has worked with Frank Zappa, The Strokes, Beck and The White Stripes to name a few).

Rising to prominence as frontman of The Smiths, Morrissey went on to forge an even more successful career as a solo artist, with all ten of his solo efforts landing in the Top 10 on the UK album charts, including 3 entries at the number one.

Since releasing his debut solo album Viva Hate back in 1988, he has since released a number of critically acclaimed follow-ups including Kill Uncle and Your Arsenal, and hugely successful comeback album You Are the Quarry after a five-year hiatus in 2004.

In 2013, Morrissey published his record-breaking autobiography on Penguin Classics, which immediately topped the best-seller list with literary reviewers hailing it a masterpiece in writing and prose.


Event: Morrissey – Low in High School

Where: Brighton Centre, King’s Rd, Brighton BN1 2GR

When: Saturday, March 3

Time: 6.30pm

To book tickets online, click here:

General UK On Sale will be from November 3, at 10am

New survey highlights disconnect between the aspirations of people living with HIV in the UK and HIV treatment advances

People living with HIV in the UK continue to have lower expectations from life than the general population, despite HIV treatment advances.

New survey highlights disconnect between the aspirations of People Living with HIV in the UK and HIV treatment advances.

Results from the survey show that the expectations from life of people living with HIV (PLWHIV) are still lower than the general population despite significant advances in HIV treatment and management that have significantly improved life expectancy.

The findings show that despite the medical advances of recent years, HIV can still have a significant negative impact on how those with the virus see and plan for their future.

The HIV is: Expectations from Life survey found that PLWHIV in the UK are nearly four times more likely to expect to live shorter lives than their friends, peers and older siblings who do not have the virus.

PLWHIV were consistently twice as likely to expect a lower quality of life compared to their younger siblings, friends, peers, older siblings and colleagues, and over twice as likely to describe their health as poor (15%) than the rest of the general population (6%).

The impact of HIV on relationships was also highlighted in the research.

Over the course of their lifetime, PLWHIV in the UK were less likely to expect to be married/in a civil partnership (42%) than those without HIV (51%), and nearly one in three (31%) of PLWHIV expect to be single versus none of those without HIV.

Almost 2 in 3 PLWHIV (63%) said this was in part due to their HIV making them feel uncertain about their long-term health, impacting their ability to commit. The majority (68%) of PLWHIV also said a fear of disclosing their HIV status has impacted their decision to meet potential partners or to go on dates.

HIV was also found to impact decisions to start a family naturally among 60% of heterosexual women, 51% of heterosexual men, and 28% of men who have sex with men (MSM).

Nearly a third (30%) of those who say their HIV status has impacted their decision to start a family naturally cited uncertainty about their long-term health as a reason for this, however, the most common reason given was fear of giving the child the virus (75%).

Tom Hayes
Tom Hayes

Tom Hayes of Beyond Positive, said: “This survey suggests that many people with HIV are still unaware that having an undetectable level of the virus in their blood (viral load) means being virtually untransmittable – if HIV is properly treated and managed there should be almost no fear of passing on the virus to a partner or child and PLWHIV should not limit their dating or family planning aspirations.”

“Societal stigma remains a major issue to be addressed, but through sharing the latest scientific understanding within the community, we can work to reduce and remove other barriers, so many of which are due to a lack of understanding or belief in the medical reality of living with HIV today.”

The continued stigma surrounding HIV was also more significant in the UK when compared to other European countries.

Over 2 in 5 PLWHIV in the UK (44%) said that the continued stigma surrounding HIV could be a barrier to a long-term relationship or being married/in a civil partnership compared to 25% in Germany, 28% in France, 17% in Spain, 12% in Italy.

Chris Woolls
Chris Woolls

Chris Woolls, Director, Cara Trust, said: “With advances in treatment, the possibility to lead a long and healthy life with HIV is more real than ever before, yet the expectations don’t always meet this reality.”

“Each and every person living with HIV should be receiving the best care available to them, based on their needs and preferences, and not let misconceptions about HIV stop them from leading the life they want.”

Since 1995, the number of PLWHIV aged 50 years or older has more than doubled globally, and is expected to continue to increase over the coming years.

To preserve long-term health, early initiation of HIV treatment is critical, alongside individualising antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens for patients and taking a multi-disciplinary approach involving healthcare professionals from different disciplines to reduce the risk of developing co-morbidities

Nicola Sturgeon to apologise for historic criminalisation of gay men in Scotland

Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland, is to make a statement of apology to gay men convicted in the past under Scotland’s historical discriminatory “homosexual offences” laws.

Nicola Sturgeon to issue apology
Nicola Sturgeon to issue apology

The apology will be made in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday, November 7, to coincide with the publication of a bill to give a pardon for such convictions.

Until 1981, all sexual activity between men was a criminal offence in Scotland. Legislation in 1980 (which came into effect in 1981) decriminalised sex between men over the age of 21 (the age of consent for sex between men and women, or between two women, was then 16). In 1994 the age of consent for sex between men was reduced from 21 to 18, but it was not until 2001 that the discrimination was removed, by equalising the age of consent at 16.

Prior to these changes, men were prosecuted for activity with another man that would have been legal then between a man and a woman, and that is legal today between two men. This included consensual sexual activity in private, and acts such as kissing another man in a public place.

Tim Hopkins
Tim Hopkins

Welcoming the news, Tim Hopkins, Director of the Equality Network the LGBTI charity, said: “We welcome the imminent publication of this bill, and we particularly welcome the announcement today that the First Minister will apologise in the Parliament to all those who were convicted under these discriminatory laws. The apology is important because it shows that it was the discriminatory laws that were wrong, and not the consensual relationships that were made criminal by those laws.”

The bill, to be introduced on November 7, is expected to give a formal pardon for these discriminatory convictions where the activity would not be a crime today. The pardon is expected to apply both posthumously to people who are no longer living, and to those who are living. It will also enable people who have such a conviction on their records to have it removed, so that it no longer shows up on criminal record checks.

Tim Hopkins added: “We look forward to seeing the detail of the bill. If it implements the policy announced by the Scottish Government, it will be a hugely important statement that Scotland regrets the discrimination of the past, and now considers its LGBTI people to be fully equal citizens who deserve equal respect. It will also be of direct practical importance to people who currently have one of these convictions show up on criminal record checks for jobs or volunteer posts.”

The Equality Network estimates that the total number of these historical discriminatory convictions in Scotland runs into thousands, and that there are hundreds of men alive today with such convictions on their records.

Sex between women was never criminalised in this way in Scotland, and the same rules applied to it as applied for sex between a man and a woman.

REVIEW: Orpheus Caledonius: BREMF

Orpheus Caledonius

Brighton Early Music Festival

St Georges Church

8pm

28th October

L’Avventura London
The Old Blind Dogs
Siobhan Miller singer
Žak Ozmo director

BREMF Community Choir

The 18th-century fascination with Scottish tunes was kindled with the publication of William Thomson’s Orpheus Caledonius (1725). Which was the very first collection of Scottish songs to be printed along with their melodies. Many of the airs to which Robert Burns later set his own words came from Orpheus Caledonius, but despite its importance, this collection has been neglected. The concert this evening gave us a peep into the history of music as it changed from one form to another, layering itself in sophistication and pretension and hiding it’s raw and beautiful thick strong roots.  The music this evenings threw off the accumulated soil and detritus of fashion to take us back to the honest simplicity of this music, hiding in plain sight often in the melodies and themes of classical music and brimming with earthy stories and passions.

We had some jolly songs from the BREMF Community Choir, who were all tarten’ed up and tam’o’shantered and sang in the interval which kept the atmosphere very jolly.

Period instrument ensemble L’Avventura London paired up with Scotland’s roots revival champions, folk band Old Blind Dogs, and special guest singer Siobhan Miller – two-time winner of the ‘Scots Singer of the Year’ award – and filled St Georges with passion and pure delight as they reanimated these hauntingly beautiful melodies and lively, toe-tapping dances. The sounds of eighteenth-century art music and contemporary folk have never been so engagingly brought together. Miller added some sly and funny commentary to the performance, utterly delighted the crowd with her soft delightful voice which melted me in a moment into a die hard fan, and then thrilled everyone by getting up to dance, she wow’d the audience with her charm.  It’s a pity the amplification wasn’t quite as balanced as it could have been, something to pay more attention to in future performances.

This was a beguiling mix of the 18th century blending with contemporary Scottish folk singing and the talents of Miller and Ozmo which together brought us into a state of sublime simplicity, where the music and atmosphere transcended the event and took us to a very special pure space of perfection.

Full details of the event can be seen here

Once again the BREMF challenges and surprises with its in-depth programing and the festival is off to a grand start and gathering speed.

For more info or to buy tickets see the BREMF website here.

 

Brighton & Hove Way….the next steps

In April  2017, over 300 people from across the diverse communities of Brighton & Hove joined the Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Cllr Pete West in pioneering a new pathway around the city; The Brighton & Hove Way (B&H Way).

After collecting thousand of pounds for the Mayor’s 27 chosen charities, the walkers and the Mayor decided to campaign to make the 27 Km trail a permanent way marked route.

With the support of council officers Cllr West is aiming to create a B&H Way Association, that will work to establish and care for the route and promotes its use.

The inaugural meeting will be in the Council Chamber at Hove Town Hall on Tuesday, November 21, from 6.30-7.30pm.

The B&H Way follows existing rights of way from Saltdean Oval to Emmaus Portslade, giving walkers the opportunity to discover some of the best of Brighton’s downland, while never being far from the city edge.

Cllr Pete West
Cllr Pete West

Cllr Pete West, said: “Easily accessible by public transport and radial walking routes from the city centre, the B&H Way offers a great opportunity for more people, both residents and visitors, to get out and enjoy the richness of the South Downs National Park which is on our doorstep.”

Lead charity Rise UK are planning another sponsored walk of the B&H Way in Spring, 2018, which organisers hope will become an annual event.

If you want to support getting the B&H Way up and running, recognised and well cared for go along to the inaugural meeting and help found the Association.

If you wish to attend RSVP to: brightonandhoveway@gmail.com

Follow BrightonandHoveWay on Facebook

Martin Fisher Foundation Update

Since its launch two years ago, the Foundation has been working hard with partners to develop the Towards Zero HIV Strategy for Brighton & Hove and has led, with Brighton & Hove City Council, the successful application for the city to become the first United Nations (UNAIDS) Fast Track City in the UK. This has been on the back of exciting news around the reduction in the number of new cases of HIV and further improvements in the number of people living with HIV who are on effective treatment. In partnership with Brighton & Hove City Council and community stakeholders, the Foundation is now moving to implement the strategy and seeks the support of both individuals and organisations across the city to take this exciting work forward!

The Martin Fisher Foundation has been set up to take forward the important work of Professor Martin Fisher, Consultant in HIV Medicine & Sexual Health in Brighton. The Foundation continues Martin’s ethos of treating people living with HIV with dignity, compassion and respect, and focuses on the development of new initiatives around effective HIV prevention, treatment and care.

Towards Zero HIV Strategy
The Strategy sets out the Foundation and its partners’ vision and aims to accelerate towards zero HIV stigma, zero new HIV infections and zero deaths from HIV in Brighton & Hove by 2025.

It focuses on five key activities, each of which has the following strategic goals:
• Reducing HIV-related stigma;
• Increasing HIV testing;
• Improving access to PrEP;
• Championing research and evaluation;
• Ensuring patient involvement and peer support.
Underpinning the key activity areas is a commitment to support the ongoing delivery of treatment and care services for people living with HIV across the city in order that high quality standards of care can be maintained.

Progress on delivering Towards Zero HIV
First Fast Track City in UK
The Martin Fisher Foundation has led work with Brighton & Hove City Council culminating in the city being the first in the UK to sign up to the Paris Declaration on Fast Track Cities Ending AIDS – signed at a ceremony on August 3, 2017. This initiative aims to hasten the elimination of HIV/AIDS by 2030 in over 65 cities around the world, gives access to additional support from UNAIDS and encourages sharing of expertise between the cities. The interim target for Fast Track cities is to reach the 90-90-90 targets by 2020.

These targets are:
90% of people living with HIV knowing their HIV status;
90% of people who know their HIV- positive status on treatment;
90% of people on treatment with suppressed viral loads.

Currently, in Brighton & Hove, the first target is not being achieved as only an estimated 86% are aware of their status. This highlights the importance of initiatives to promote regular testing. The city is already exceeding the second two targets with proportion of people living with HIV who are taking antiretroviral therapy having increased from 87% in 2013 to 97% in 2017, and 96% of these individuals having an undetectable virus in their blood stream.

Combination Prevention
The Foundation has championed a combination approach to prevention, which recognises that different prevention choices will be appropriate for different individuals and that this may vary as people’s circumstances change. This includes using condoms, PrEP, regular testing and making sure those living with HIV have undetectable levels of the virus and are then uninfectious. This approach was launched at the Foundation’s Brighton & Hove Pride events in 2016 and will be the basis of future work and a public campaign – watch this space!

Reduction in Number of New Cases of HIV
The Foundation is very excited to share news from partners at Brighton and Sussex University Hospital NHS Trust. Recent analysis has shown over the last four years that the Brighton HIV clinic has noted a decrease in new HIV diagnoses. The number of new cases has decreased from an average of six per month in 2013 to three per month in 2017.  The general downturn is thought to have been achieved through combination HIV prevention – increased HIV testing, earlier treatment and possibly use of PrEP (although the impact of PrEP requires further substantive evidence).

Testing Pilot
Following a successful application to the Public Health England Innovation Programme, the Foundation has been running a pilot to provide free HIV self-sampling kits from a vending machine at Brighton Sauna. Since June over 100 tests have been supplied, far exceeding the number carried out by traditional ‘out-reach’ services at the venue.

Dr Gill Dean, HIV and Sexual Health Consultant and Trustee of the Foundation, explains: “The aim is to encourage people who haven’t tested so far to test. If we can get to that 14% of people at risk who haven’t recently tested and, for those who then test positive encourage them to start treatment, then they will essentially become uninfectious and this will further help to reduce new cases of HIV.”

Funding for five more state of the art machines at a range of venues across the city has now been secured. This will help improve access to testing and a broader range of testing services in-line with the Towards Zero Strategy!

Stigma Work
Tackling stigma is crucial if we are to reach Towards Zero and the Foundation is proud to announce a formation of strong implementation and research partnership across city partnership with Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Brighton, Latest TV and Ditch the Label. We will use digital platforms and a range of innovative methods to reach new audiences to provide important messages aimed at helping to reduce HIV stigma and discrimination.

Successful implantation of the Towards Zero Strategy depends on full backing, support and engagement of community organisations in the city as well as individuals getting involved. The Foundation is delighted that over 20 key partners have given their support, and following close joint working with Brighton & Hove City Council, a ‘Towards Zero HIV Taskforce’ has been formed and ‘implementation groups’ are now being put together.
Dr Adrian Brown, Chair of the Foundation, commented, “Working together is key – Brighton & Hove has a strong track record of partnership which Towards Zero is building on. We have now agreed with the city council structures and mechanisms to deliver the strategy. Achieving Towards Zero will only be possible with the support of organisations and people in the community We would love people to share their comments and ideas and for as many people to get involved as possible. Please do get in touch with us!”
info@martinfisherfoundation.org

Research indicates ‘no deal’ Brexit will cost Brighton & Hove dearly

A ‘no deal’ Brexit will cost the Brighton and Hove economy nearly £2 billion over the first 5 years after we leave the EU according to new joint research by the LSE’s Centre for Economic Performance and the Liberal Democrats.

The research data suggests a ‘no deal’ Brexit will mean an economic hit of £1.96 billion over the first five years after we fall out of the EU.

David Davis MP, the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union and other members of the cabinet have recently been talking up a no deal Brexit and this research indicates that the country simply can’t afford it.

If the UK exits the EU in March 2019 without a deal, the research shows Britain’s economic output (gross value added) in the five years after Brexit would be reduced by 5.3%, or £430 billion.

Even if the UK agreed to a Norway style arrangement with full single market access, this would still result in a reduction to five-year economic output of 2.9%, or £235 billion.

Carrie Hynds
Carrie Hynds

Local LibDem Parliamentary Candidate Carrie Hynds, said: “These figures are a real indictment of the government’s strategy. David Davis is still talking up the possibility of a no-deal Brexit, yet these figures suggest that would cost Brighton and Hove a ruinous £1.96 billion over five years. Even a relatively soft Brexit could cost the City over £1 billion in lost economic activity.

“The government must rule out a no-deal to end the uncertainty and confirm its commitment to stay in the single market and customs union.

“Once the negotiations are over the people must be a given a say on whether we accept the deal on offer. The LibDems are the only party that offers the country an ‘Exit From Brexit’.”

The Prime Minister, Theresa May MP, confirmed in Parliament this week, that MPs would have the opportunity to vote on any Brexit deal before we finally leave the EU, despite David Davis MP earlier suggesting that a vote could happen after leaving.

For national figures outlining the cost of no deal to each local authority area and also the cost of a softer Brexit to local economies. Click Here: 

HIV charity offer support to service users struggling with Universal Credit implementation

Lunch Positive respond to Universal Credit implementation in Brighton & Hove.

As the implementation of Universal Credit enters its final stages, there are big changes ahead with the longstanding link between disability benefits and higher levels of other benefits decreasing.

New claimants may be worse off and existing claimants who experience a change of circumstances can also possibly lose significant amounts of benefit.

Most claims need to be claimed and managed on-line with little or no telephone or face to face back up except for the most vulnerable claimants.

Lunch Positive is planning its own response to these fundamental changes in the welfare benefits system, aiming to support people with HIV in its own way.

A group of key volunteers will undertake specialist training in understanding this new benefit and will be available at lunch club sessions each Friday at Dorset Gardens Methodist Church to signpost information and specialist services to support people.

The lunch club will introduce additional computers for members use, with 1-1 support from volunteers to help complete on-line claim forms and manage these claims.

A new page will be added to the Lunch Positive website giving information on key welfare benefits, including information and help to access local specialist support services such as money advice workers, crisis support services, and food banks.

Lunch Positive has continued to develop its own emergency food service, taking donated food from local suppliers and making these available on a weekly basis to people at the lunch club who may need them and the charity has extended its network of referrers to support the supply of emergency food to people in need and crisis.

Gary Pargeter
Gary Pargeter

Gary Pargeter, Service Manager at Lunch Positive, said: Many more people experience economic disadvantage and poverty than is often realised, including significant in-work poverty.

“No one should struggle unnecessarily, and we hope that our service along with other support services will be a port of call for people when they are in need.

“We know that many people sometimes find it difficult to ask for help, to acknowledge that times are very hard, or worse. As the people delivering Lunch Positive, we come from the HIV community, and many of us have experienced or share these challenges. Please, never feel that you cannot ask for support. Empathising and helping wherever needed is what drives us.”

For more information about Lunch Positive, click here

How does PrEP affect our sex lives?

Eric Page looks at how PrEP can reduce the chance of infection of HIV, the stigma around using it and finds out from four men how it has affected their lives and the sex they have.

PrEP, short for pre-exposure prophylaxis, is two different medications that can substantially reduce the chance of infection by HIV for those at increased risk, including men who have sex with men (MSM).

It needs to be taken as prescribed, although this isn’t always everyday. (Most) men don’t just get a prescription but are part of a routine of regular clinic attendance and testing as part of getting the drug.

New HIV infection stats show it’s a game changer but there’s still an astonishing amount of stigma, confusion and prejudice about why and how men are using it.

Here we talk to four very different men about how PrEP has affected their lives and the sex they have. Many men asked wouldn’t talk openly about being on PrEP although they’re happy to state on Grindr and Scruff that they use it, alongside their clear face pictures. Some of the men have asked to remain anonymous as they’re concerned about being ‘slut shamed’ by other gay men. Envy is a map, perhaps it’s time we stopped judging and listened to lived, informed experience.

Game changer or not, people have strong views on PrEP that are not always good and that’s stopping us from having an honest and open conversation about its impact on us as a community of MSM and embracing this new sexual revolution.

Chris (47)
“I don’t like the way some guys on PrEP think it’s a free ticket to have whatever sex they want and to treat guys with disrespect.”

I don’t take PrEP but I know the pros and cons. PrEP hasn’t changed the sex I have. I respect a guy’s choice to protect himself however he wants to, PrEP, condoms, both are good.

I’ve always been pretty up to date and conscious of my sexual health, my generation of gay men usually are. I don’t like the way some guys on PrEP think it’s a free ticket to have whatever sex they want and to treat guys with disrespect.

We should continue to educate teenagers in school about the benefits of a loving, caring and respectful relationship, and that sex isn’t about self-gratification, but there are consequences both physically and emotionally when we get involved intimately with another person. PrEP is now part of that ongoing healthy education.

JAMM (38)
“Prevention costs a fraction of treatment and the NHS needs to step up and provide PrEP if it wants to reduce the amount of money it spends on HIV care.”

PrEP liberates me from the fear of getting HIV and dying of AIDS. That may sound dramatic, but at the core of it that’s why I take PrEP. Obviously, HIV treatment has come a long way but I’d rather remain HIV-negative. As anyone on treatment will tell you, it’s no walk in the park.

Being on PrEP means I don’t need to know a partner’s status, I’m protected. A person’s status is nobody’s business but their own. Some people are more comfortable to disclose, others are not. Being on PrEP negates all of this and helps end the stigma around HIV.

I’ve always enjoyed healthy, varied sex and I’m certainly not shy of the feeling of liberation that comes from getting exactly the great sex that I want.

The use of condoms is always an option, however as the Proud Study in the UK found out, the number of STDs reported did not change when people on PrEP stopped using condoms. That was also the case for me. This may sound surprising but that’s what medical studies are for. Occasionally I come across people who think PrEP is just an excuse to throw your condoms out and behave irresponsibly.

If you think through the cost of HIV care and treatment to the NHS, taking PrEP is a hugely responsible thing to do. Prevention costs a fraction of treatment and the NHS needs to step up and provide PrEP if it wants to reduce the amount of money it spends on HIV care. Also, sex without a condom just feels better to me. What’s wrong with being able to embrace that responsibly, making sex more enjoyable for everybody?

The current protocol for taking PrEP requires an HIV test, check up and STD screen every three months. This has made me conscious and in control of my health. In Brighton & Hove we’re incredibly lucky to have very good sexual health services.

There are a couple of fairly mild side-effects, the most interesting of which are very vivid dreams. I quite enjoy them but they’re pretty rare and usually go after a few days.

PrEP will not change sex in the future. Sex has never really changed and probably never will. The idea of putting this or that in there for pleasure is one of mankind’s most wonderful discoveries. How we react and protect ourselves from the various viruses nature throws at us will always continue to change. There’s a simple, cheap to manufacture drug that will stop you from ever getting HIV. Why would anybody not want that?

Male (33)
“If you want unprotected anal, then yes PrEP has made it so much more easy to get the sex you want, for me it’s definitely made it harder.” 

I’m not on PrEP. Yet! But I feel a sense of liberation when it comes to unprotected sex. I feel that if the guy I’m having sex with has taken PrEP, it shows me that they are taking care of their sexual health and that makes me feel that sex with someone taking PrEP would be safer, due to eliminating the risk of HIV transmission. But I’d need to know them, not only rely on them telling me they take PrEP.

The sex I have has always been intimate, I’m just that type of person. It seems like PrEP has taken away the need to use condoms. Not having to fiddle around with a lump of latex seems sexier. I still worry about syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhoea. PrEP has affected me because I now need to spend more time negotiating condom usage when having sex with a person I don’t know. In the past I’ve left a person’s house because they wanted bareback sex and my need for condom usage. The quantity of sex I get has decreased. There’s been a huge shift away from condom usage and I only engage in unprotected sex when I know the person and I’m 100% sure they’re taking PrEP.

On the hook up apps, things have changed. I state on my profile (Safe Sex), more and more guys state they’re taking PrEP suggesting they are safer people to have unprotected sex with. This has made finding quality anal sex harder. The kind of sex I want hasn’t changed, as I do manage to find guys that still want to use condoms for anal. They just seem to be getting harder to find.

The main emotional impact seems to be trust. When I find a hot guy and I don’t know him I ask myself does he look trustworthy? Is he being honest and taking PrEP? Or is he just wanting to have unprotected anal with me! If you want unprotected anal, then yes PrEP has made it so much more easy to get the sex you want, for me it’s definitely made it harder.

PrEP should be used as an added layer of protection and not used alone. I’d be happy if a lover confirmed they’re taking PrEP and still using condoms for anal sex! Jackpot guy in my opinion. I’ve always been conscious around my sexual health. Accessing regular sexual health check ups. I do these checks every six months to stay on top of any infections I might have picked up, not just HIV.

People aren’t using PrEP alongside condoms, they’re buying it online and taking it with no medical advice or intervention. It’s changed the way people view unprotected sex; I guess some guys are putting themselves at risk of other STDs.

PrEP gives guys an added level of protection and is continuing to drive down transmission of HIV in the UK. It’s a wonder medication and will help us see the end of HIV transmission, if used correctly and consistently.

I’m hoping that PrEP will support the end of HIV infections and end the HIV epidemic. In terms of sex, it will support people who suffer with HIV anxiety. For those who engage in unprotected sex it will mean that they no longer need to worry. It’s a must for the NHS and HIV Prevention England to ensure that PrEP is widely accessed in the UK.

Male (FTM) (25)
“I like being a cum-dump, that’s the point for me, ‘safer sex’ has always been a dull option. Sex should be wild, unsafe and free. I want loads, on my terms”. 

God yes, PrEP rids me of fear. Fear of slipping up; fear of waking up Monday and  worrying all week; fear of not f**king the hot guys; fear of being rejected; fear of stigma (I’ve already got enough of that); fear of not having the kind of sex I want; fear of being judged. Most gay men judge like f**k over my uninhibited sexual behaviour, lots of blame and jealousy out there still.

Intimacy in sex is overrated. I like hard random anonymous sex, it’s what gets me off and what I seek, so these pills haven’t changed the feeling of physical connection I’m getting with my f**ks. I get there quicker.

Since PrEP, there’s been a big increase in men who’ll have sex with me, who are happy to BB and do raw, and that means there’s more choice, more variety and a much younger group of men who’re not so obsessed with HIV infection and have it in proportion. It’s good to be getting past the AIDS hysteria of the last few decades. The amount of sex has increased, certainly more opportunity for me to f**k with more men. I’m more empowered as bottom now, tops had all the power in sex, PrEP will destroy the tyranny of tops.

I screen condom freaks out, never liked them. I have a latex intolerance that never helped. Lots of guys don’t even know how to use them properly. I like being a cum-dump, that’s the point for me, ‘safer sex’ has always been a dull option. Sex should be wild, unsafe and free. I want loads, on my terms.

Being trans (FTM) has kept me pretty mindful of my sexual health, it’s the ones who think they are negative, never test, never have, lie and cheat, live in cloud cuckoo-land about their behaviour who need to be more conscious. Not me.

I can’t see how anything is negative about a drug that protects you from infections, doesn’t seem to have too many side effects. Friends complain about having to buy them online, that’s also an issue for me, I can’t get them any other way. Not knowing if they’re genuine etc, but with hormones, chems, Viagra, steroids etc, who knows what they’re actually taking? Some of my mates are taking PrEP just on the weekend when they’re at (chemsex) parties and sessions. It’s changing the way they act and feel, their mental health and stress is better as they worry much less. They haven’t had more STDs that I’ve heard.

PrEP has led to a proper conversation about sex and risk rather than the shrill shrieking Marys of the Safer Sex crusade. It’ll lead to a serious shake up of the way men who f**k raw with men are treated and give them options and choices in the way contraception pills did for women in the 1960s. In a few years the fear mongers will be gone, new HIV infections will be dropping right down and PrEP will be like the Pill has become; a fact of sexually active life, nothing more touchy, and just be a daily proactive commitment to maintaining your sexual/physical health. Eat, gym, PrEP, f**k, sleep – easy.

I don’t think PrEP will change sex. Arouse is arouse is arouse, and there’s nothing new under the sun. Sex has always been and will always be the same; we’re human after all, now shut up and f**k.

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