Positive Perspectives from George House Trust

TODAY'S BLOG HAS BEEN VERY KINDLY CONTRIBUTED BY KATH MORGAN FROM THE GEORGE HOUSE TRUST - Email: kath@ght.org.uk or Phone: 0161 274 4499

George House Trust is the leading HIV social care charity in the North West. We are currently expanding our Positive Speakers’ Programme as part of our wider campaign to challenge HIV related stigma and prejudice.

The Positive Speakers’ Programme provides opportunities to hear personal accounts of living with HIV and access useful facts and information about HIV. The Programme works with schools, professionals, and voluntary and community organisations.

We work with a diverse range of Speakers and sessions can be tailored for the age group, information needs and work of your organisation.

Positive Speakers challenge myths and stigma surrounding HIV, promote a safe sex message and encourage a deeper understanding of people’s experences of living with HIV. We can also provide supporting literature and information resources to complement the talk/presentation.

For further information about the Positive Speakers’ Programme, please contact Kath Morgan by email: kath@ght.org.uk, phone: 0161 274 4499

Further details on the programme and about the other services offered by George House Trust can be found on our website: http://www.ght.org.uk

Teenagers want to talk more to their parents about sex

A study by author and agony aunt Anita Naik found three-quarters of 11-to- 14-year-olds wished it was easier to talk to their parents about sex.... BBC News on-line reports on this in full today on http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7521443.stm and includes a short video of mums and daughters as vox pops.

Protect and Respect Conference

We ran our "Protect and Respect" conference last Friday 18th July at the Salford Innovation Forum, and it went really well. Evaluations were excellent and we are now putting together a short film about the day. Keep an eye on http://www.contraceptioneducation.co.uk/news.asp for the presentations and video clips as they're completed.

Durex Network News

I was forwarded this link yesterday and find all of the reports really interesting. Please let us know what you think.... http://www.durexnetwork.org/en-GB/research/faceofglobalsex/pages/default.aspx

Julie Wray writes about Children with HIV

I read with sadness the article in The Observer on 13.7.08 ‘HIV children turned away from schools’ by Jacqui Thornton. My attention was drawn to the ignorance and controversy facing many children living with HIV and their right to be educated. According to Thornton many teachers, schools and local education authorities are practising with fear and ignorance about the consequences of allowing children with HIV to attend school. It appears that some children are being refused a school place, or upon learning that a child has HIV, are asked to leave, or breaches of confidentiality are occurring. Examples from real cases highlight that the main issues are mostly based upon fear, fear of transmission and confidentiality in relation to the child and family. I have to say I was quite shocked that such fear exists especially as such practice is contrary to the facts and knowledge that are well known and published about HIV.

A few facts:

• There are about 1,500 children living with HIV in the UK, including 1,000 under 15.
  
• On average just over 100 children are diagnosed with HIV in the UK each year.
  
• HIV cannot be passed on by spiting, biting, small cuts or grazes, sharing utensils or toilet seats.


• Resources for teachers about HIV in schools are available from http://www.nat.org.uk/
  
  The National Aids Trust is campaigning to improve things for individual families and children. If you are able to support and make comment do contact the National Aids Trust at http://www.nat.org.uk/
  
  Contraception Education works with schools and teachers provides resources and workshops to inform and educate people about all sexual health matters, including HIV, in particular "Safer Sex: An Interactive Learning Resource" on Video and DVD produced in collaboration with Brook Manchester and "Play-it-Safe" a CD game developed specifically for South Africa

Brook calls for compulsory sex and relationships education in all schools

Speaking to BBC Radio 1’s Newsbeat Brook’s Chief Executive, Simon Blake, called for all UK governments to ensure that all children as soon as they enter primary school will receive sex and relationships education in schools.
Simon Blake said:
“If we get high quality sex and relationships education in every primary and secondary school across the UK all the evidence shows teenage pregnancy rates will continue to fall and will improve young people’s sexual health.
“Whilst sex and relationships education continues to be patchy another generation of children and young people do not get the education they need to form healthy relationships and protect their sexual health.”
Brook wants every primary and secondary school to be legally required to provide sex and relationships education and secondary schools to ensure that young people have access to free confidential contraceptive and sexual health services.
Brook is undertaking a public vote asking the question, Do you agree that Government must ensure that all children and young people get education about puberty, relationships and sex at primary and secondary school? To register your vote please see www.brook.org.uk.
For media enquiries please contact Natalie Collyer, Press Officer, on 020 7284 6062 or 07500 786 762