Health and well being
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It's all about hair for a gay boy |
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Health and well being
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Written by The Age
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Monday, 06 February 2012 02:58 |
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 From your back, chest and beyond, how you trim your body hair speaks volumes.
Mark Twain said that clothes make the man but he should have added a footnote saying that how one looks naked is also a good indicator of the type of person they are. The way you cut the hair on your head can transform your look regardless of what you’re wearing, but what’s going on underneath can also be telling.
Whether you’re sporting a thick pelt on the front and back or an all-over five o’clock shadow, onlookers at the beach, in the locker room and, perhaps most importantly, the bedroom are going to judge you based on how you wear your hair. True, genetics may mean that you haven’t got a lot to begin with but it’s what you choose to do with it that matters.
Here’s what your follicular fashion choices say about you.
The face
If, like me, a clean shave leaves you looking like a particularly haggard teenager you might want to man things up with a bit of light stubble. Once considered unprofessional, most workplaces now allow it as long as you keep it tidy – which is best achieved by running a beard trimmer or pair of clippers over it every other morning after a hot shower.
If you feel like getting a little creative, the sustained efforts of Movember mean that moustaches no longer automatically equate to pervy uncle and can now be worn year-round. Beards are great, too, but generally look better on darker-haired guys and kept in check with the aforementioned beard trimmer.
What about soul patches, I hear you ask? When it comes to that little triangle below your bottom lip, I have two words of advice: hell no.
The body
Once the sole domain of swimmers and steroid aficionados, a completely hairless body has now been adopted by much of the male population. I’m all for personal choice, but it’s not mine. Though, having said that, when it comes to my back I’d pluck them out one by one if that’s what it took – my doormat already has a monthly date with supermarket wax strips.
Which brings me to my next point. If you’re going to spend that much time on yourself it’s best you wax. Perpetual stubble is off-putting and all that itching will make you look like you’ve got lice. Just make sure you exfoliate, as ingrown hairs are otherwise inevitable and a rash of them in one spot gives the impression of acne. Probably not what you’re going for if you’re vain enough to spend this much time primping and preening. If you just want to thin the thicket invest in a pair of clippers and go to town.
When it comes to legs, unless you’re a cyclist or drag queen you have no business shaving your pins. If you're not one of the two put down the Lady Bic and step away from the shower.
The rest
I’m just going to come right out and say it – no man should ever completely wax or shave his pubic area. Sure, a bit of trimming is always recommended, but why anyone wants to look like a prepubescent teen is beyond me.
Hairy at the back end? Well, I can see the benefit when it comes to humid summer days or cutting down on bathroom time, but less definitely isn’t more around the front.
There are two claims made by the pro-hairless: the first is that it is more hygienic. I don’t know about you, but I put that theory to bed with a bit of soap and water in the shower every morning. Besides, were we all such disgusting pigs before the trend was popularised in the 1990s?
Second is that it makes you look more impressive, size-wise. If you’re really struggling in this department, I’m sorry to say that looks can be deceiving and an inch of hair is probably not going to get you out of the woods.
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Arguing about Clean Needles in 2011 is Pathetic |
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Written by AIDS Action Council ACT
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Wednesday, 30 November 2011 07:22 |
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 30 years after the beginning of the global HIV pandemic, how is it possible that we can still have a debate about access to clean injecting equipment as a crucial strategy in minimising transmission in our prisons? President of the AIDS Action Council of the ACT, Scott Malcolm, labels the continuing debate as bizarre and disturbing and is calling for good sense to prevail this World AIDS Day.
“The evidence is crystal clear” he says. “Australia has about the lowest rate of HIV acquired through injecting drug use in the world because of the needle syringe programs introduced in the 80’s. Yet we deny some of our most vulnerable citizens access to them even though we all understand that potential transmission risk in custodial settings is higher than anywhere else.”
The AIDS Action Council points out that reducing the risk of HIV transmission benefits the whole community, and no opportunity to do so should be avoided in any setting. General Manager Andrew Burry believes that part of the problem is a lack of awareness and knowledge of blood borne viruses amongst our community generally, and that ignorance increases risk significantly. Burry points out that there were 1,043 new diagnoses of HIV in 2010. “This means that we now estimate that there are 21,391 people in Australia living with the virus and this is the highest number ever”, he goes on.
HIV does not discriminate and in the ACT as in other regions, people from all types of backgrounds are living with the condition. Fortunately, the majority of people have access to effective antiviral medications although it is far from smooth sailing; the medications are for life and the side effects can be chronic and debilitating. Some experience fluctuating health and other conditions that are now emerging as people with HIV are ageing for the first time.
Living with HIV in the nation’s capital presents some significant but avoidable challenges. In addition to on-going stigma and discrimination, there are very few doctors in Canberra qualified to prescribe the specialist drugs necessary to manage the condition, and prescriptions can only be filled in a single location – the Canberra Hospital Pharmacy. “These are some of the issues we ought to be addressing rather than who can and can’t benefit from harm minimisation”, says Burry.
World AIDS Day is a worldwide commemoration, and in the ACT this year the day will be launched with a Community Breakfast on the lawns of Westlund House Resource Centre, 16 Gordon Street Acton from 8am to 10am on Thursday December 1st. Everyone is welcome.
Information on HIV globally, nationally and locally can be obtained from the AIDS Action Council of the ACT on (02) 6257 2855 or found at www.aidsaction.org.au
World AIDS Day Event Details
Date: Thursday 1st December 2011
Time: 8am to 10am
Information and resources during week of World AIDS Day:
The Canberra Hospital Foyer, Ground Floor. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
For more information contact:
Andrew Burry, General Manager:
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For further information on HIV and World AIDS Day 2011, visit www.worldaidsday.org.au |
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HIV futures seven |
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Written by Alexander Thatcher | FUSE Editor
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Wednesday, 16 November 2011 22:41 |
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HIV futures seven Making positive lives count Out now!
The Seventh National Survey of People living with HIV
HIV futures seven is the seventh national survey of Australian People Living with HIV (PLHIV) conducted by the Living with HIV Program at the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University.
HIV futures is an anonymous survey of PLHIV. It asks people about a range of issues including their health, treatments, work and financial situation. HIV futures surveys have been conducted every two to three years since 1997, attracting responses from around 1000 PLHIV each time.
The HIV futures survey has been developed in consultation with a variety of community groups and it is officially supported by the National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (NAPWA), the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO) and the Australasian Society of HIV Medicine (ASHM).
HIV futures provides information to PLHIV, community organisations, service providers, doctors and government about the actual experience of living with HIV and the current needs of PLHIV.
Andrew Burry, General Manager of the AIDS Action Council of the ACT (AACACT) stated:
“Without enough responses from the ACT we will not get local data, which will make it much harder to plan future resources and advocate for improvements in our services. The big cities will rule!
Now is a time and opportunity for PLHIV in the local area to directly influence how living with HIV will look in the future.
HIV futures seven will be run until the 15th January 2012. Hardcopy survey booklets are available now from AACACT, Positive Living ACT (PLACT) and various other organisations. These can be returned anonymously and free of charge via the envelope attached to the survey booklet.
The survey can also be filled out online by going to: www.hivfutures.org.au
For more information, or to request a copy of the survey booklet, contact the AIDS Action Council.
Ph: 02 6257 2855 (AAC) • Ph 02 6257 4985 (PLACT)
Email:
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Men’s Sex Study Results |
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Written by Alexander Thatcher | FUSE Editor
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Thursday, 10 November 2011 07:58 |
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Manhunt™ and DList™ Release Gay and Bisexual Men’s National Sex Study ‘Community Report’ Website
CAMBRIDGE, MA: A new web-based community report from Online Buddies, Inc., parent company of Manhunt™, celebrates the diversity of gay and bisexual men’s sexual behaviors. Mensnationalsexstudy.com is a first of its kind website that provides scientific data in an entirely virtual manner.
The community report, based on a recently published study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine which analyzed responses from nearly 25,000 users of Manhunt™, is in the form of an interactive website where visitors can learn more about the study results in a user-friendly and contemporary manner. “As the only online company that has a dedicated Research Institute which promotes an annual sex study with our members, we felt it important to translate conventional academic data into an easily digestible format for our members,” says David S. Novak, Managing Director of the OLB Research Institute and Senior Health Strategist, at Online Buddies, Inc.
“While many people are familiar with our family of brands, they often overlook the work that we are engaged in related to health and research. Through the use of platforms such as www.manhuntcares.com and collaborations with leading sexual health experts, we strive to give back to the community by promoting scientific research that is both sex positive and innovative,” says Todd Sowers, Chief Marketing Officer of Online Buddies, Inc.
According to the OLB Research Institute, to date, Manhunt™ members have participated in over 100 studies worldwide, with this year’s national sex study being the largest in the United States. The study itself, which focused on men’s most recent sexual event, found the sexual repertoires of participants to be varied, suggesting the need to rethink some common misconceptions about the sexual behaviors of gay and bisexual men.
“As highlighted in the community report, the sexual experiences that men are having are not all homogenous. For example, less than 40% of men engaged in anal intercourse during their last sexual event, challenging the notion that ‘gay sex always = anal sex.’ By providing this information to our members, we hope to normalize their sexual behaviors and ultimately reduce existing stereotypes about gay and bisexual men,” says Novak.
The community report examines in detail a variety of sexual behavior topics from the larger study and can be found in its entirety at www.mensnationalsexstudy.com. |
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Making positive lives count |
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Written by Alexander Thatcher | FUSE Editor
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Wednesday, 26 October 2011 00:07 |
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HIV futures seven is out now!
HIV Futures seven is the seventh national survey of Australian People Living with HIV (PLHIV) conducted by the Living with HIV program at the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University. HIV Futures is an anonymous survey of PLHIV. It asks people about a range of issues including their health, treatments, work and financial situation. HIV Futures surveys have been conducted every two to three years since 1997, attracting responses from around 1000 PLHIV each time.
The HIV Futures survey has been developed in consultation with a variety of community groups and it is officially supported by the National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (NAPWA), the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO) and the Australasian Society of HIV Medicine (ASHM).
HIV Futures provides information to PLHIV, community organisations, service providers, doctors and government about the actual experience of living with HIV and the current needs of PLHIV. HIV Futures seven will be run between October 2011 and 15th January 2012. Hardcopy survey booklets will be sent out to HIV/AIDS organisations across the country. These can be returned anonymously and free of charge via the envelope attached to the survey booklet.
The survey can also be filled out online by going to: www.hivfutures.org.au
For more information, or to request a copy of the survey booklet, contact us: Ph: (free call) 1800 064 398 or
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Challengese in responce to HIV & STI's |
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Saturday, 01 October 2011 23:30 |
UNSW REPORT SPEAKS TO SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES IN RESPONSE TO HIV AND STIs.
ACON has welcomed the release of data which confirm a modest decline in HIV notifications in NSW concurrent with overall notifications stability nationally.
The 2011 National HIV Surveillance and Behavioural Reports were released today by the University of NSW’s Kirby Institute and National Centre in HIV Social Research (NCHSR) at the Australasian HIV/AIDS Conference in Canberra.
ACON A/CEO Geoff Honnor says the data confirm that, overall, 305 new HIV notifications were recorded in NSW in 2010 compared with 328 in 2009. Sex between men accounted for 230 of the cases diagnosed in 2010, down from 235 in 2009.
“It’s encouraging that gay men, sex workers and other priority populations in NSW continue to inform themselves about risks and look out for themselves and each other,” Mr Honnor says. “We continue to work with our government, non government, clinical and research partners to deliver an effective HIV prevention response here in NSW but it’s the collective actions of the people we’re primarily here for that ultimately determines the course of the epidemic.”
Mr Honnor says the data also show that rates of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) –particularly chlamydia and gonorrhoea – are high among gay men both in NSW and nationally although syphilis notifications show an encouraging decline.
“Getting more men tested for HIV and other STIs continues to be a key focus for ACON and the NSW HIV/STI sector generally. Gay men have been pretty clear about their preference for testing that’s quick, cheap and convenient so we’re delighted that the about-to-be released new National HIV Testing Policy makes provision for the long overdue introduction of rapid HIV testing. The tests should hopefully be available before too long, once regulatory requirements are met.”
In terms of behavioural indicators, the reported rate of unprotected anal intercourse among gay men with casual partners in NSW during 2010 remained stable on 34%, and the proportion of gay men in NSW reporting an HIV test within the last 12 months rose slightly to 71%. Comparable national indicators are 38% and 59%, respectively.
”The NSW HIV response is in good shape comparatively but the indicators speak clearly to the need for a renewal and strengthening of effort,” Mr Honnor says.
Mr Honnor says a dramatic drop in cases of genital warts among young women is a striking and very welcome feature of the Report. “This decrease follows the introduction of free immunisation for women against the Human Papilloma Virus and provides an indication of the benefit to be had if free vaccinations were to be extended to young men.
“And the significant increase in HIV positive Australians reporting undetectable viral load in recent years –over 75% of all people living with HIV and over 90% of those on treatment in 2010 - is really good to see, primarily for the health benefit it provides but also – increasingly - for the prevention benefit offered by effective antiretroviral therapy, as well. The future of HIV prevention looks increasingly likely to be based on a combination of biomedical and behavioural approaches and it’s a future that indicates exciting and challenging times ahead.”
Data from the 2011 National HIV Surveillance and Behavioural Reports is available on the Kirby Institute website: http://www.kirbyinstitute.unsw.edu.au |
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UK : Gay men allowed to donate blood |
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Written by PinkNews
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Monday, 12 September 2011 05:31 |
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 UK : Department of Health in the United Kingdom officially relax blood ban donation rules for gay men.
The Department of Health UK announced that the rules on gay men donating blood will change from a lifetime ban to a 12 month deferral period. This decision follows a review of the current policies around exclusion and deferral from blood donation by the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs.
The National AIDS Trust called for a proactive, comprehensive and evidence-based review of the lifetime ban on gay men donating blood – in light of improved testing and screening technologies, and anti-discrimination obligations. This review was strongly supported by other HIV and LGBT organisations, including Terrence Higgins Trust who had been working with NHS Blood and Transplant, and GMFA, who joined NAT and THT on the advisory group for the review.
Currently, men who have ever had oral or anal sex with another man (with or without a condom) are permanently excluded from blood donation in the UK.
The change means that in future only men who have had anal or oral sex with another man in the past 12 months (with or without a condom) will be asked not to donate blood. Men whose last relevant sexual contact with another man was more than 12 months ago will be able to donate (subject to meeting the other donor selection criteria).
Carl Burnell, Chief Executive of GMFA the gay men’s health charity, comments:
"The removal of the ban to a one year deferral is great news but it’s going to leave some gay men frustrated that they still can’t donate blood. However the one year deferral is based on scientific evidence to ensure the safety of the blood supply in relation to hepatitis B and HIV. Gay men can play their part in ensuring the UK has a safe supply of blood for everyone, including gay men, by adhering to the one year deferral.
It will be news to most that hepatitis B, rather than HIV has kept the deferral period to one year. Hepatitis B is completely preventable if you get vaccinated against it, and I’d urge all gay men to do so. If all gay men get vaccinated against Hepatitis B, and prevalence of hepatitis B falls in our community as a result, it would be appropriate to re-examine the evidence and reduce the deferral period even further."
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