We Must Teach Ourselves and Others About HIV Prevention and Work to End Both HIV and COVID-19

By Phil Samba, Strategic lead for PrEP4QueerMenOfColour at Prepster

December 1st every year is World AIDS Day. Starting in 1988, as an international day dedicated to remembering and celebrating the lives that were sadly lost during the pandemic, to show support and reduce stigma for people living with and affected by HIV and also raise awareness and educate others about HIV and AIDS to prevent it happening to others. As of the end of 2019, 32.7 million people have died from AIDS-related illnesses since the start of it making it one of the most important global public health issues in recorded history.

Over the past almost two years the entire world has focused its attention on a new pandemic COVID-19 which has had a huge impact on our health and our lives. Pre-existing health inequalities have been highlighted by the crisis which like most is disproportionately affecting the poorest and the most vulnerable. We’ve seen challenges faced by gay and bi men, Black African communities, trans people, women, sex workers and migrants who are living with HIV exacerbated when it comes to things like accessing treatment. Again, we see how health is intrinsically linked to social and economic inequality, education, employment, access to health care, environment, pollution and support networks.

Strength, kindness and wisdom were instrumental in the AIDS response and the same leadership and engagement of communities is vital in how we respond to COVID-19 now. Activism has been paramount in providing people living with HIV with information, services and support. COVID-19 reminds us that during a pandemic we all must work together. The theme of this year’s World AIDS Day is “Global solidarity, shared responsibility.” Each and every one of us needs to help make the world a healthier, happier place.

Typically, our work is focused on HIV and sexual health however due to the pandemic the direction of some of our work has changed. We developed a brand-new section on our website providing information for populations that are less likely to access health education materials and services but are most in need of it. Available in three different languages other than English, COVID-19 tips & tricks help people to learn more about COVID-19 and how it affects accessing medication, health services, support and more.

We are committed to ensuring queer men of colour have the right information to make informed decisions about their health and the sex they have. We want to make sure that we all have up-to-date and relevant information to reduce the risk to themselves or passing COVID-19 on to regular and casual sex partners, friends, family or even housemates. During these uncertain times, this is now more important than ever. We worked with our buddies at Heads or Tails in New York City to adapt their Sex and Coronavirus comic strip series for queer men of colour in the UK.

We understood that guidance during COVID times asks us to stick to regular sexual partners, or not to have sex with others at all but we also understood that this isn’t possible or sustainable for everyone. Another section on our website COVID & Sex contains tips to help people make an evaluation for what works best for them and their partners and help reduce COVID risks which has been translated into 8 languages.

We did all this work whilst still raising awareness and providing educational information on all things sexual and reproductive health. We still managed to engage with communities having people write about their personal experiences within sexual health, we have hosted a range of event, conducted research, produced and translated resource materials and created graphics for queer men of colour as well as for women who may benefit from learning about new biomedical interventions.

We’ve come a very long way in the last 32 years, but the fight is not over. There are many different ways to prevent HIV. Through testing, which is free, easy to do and available through NHS sexual health clinics, GPs and through the post. Through PrEP, a pill taken before and after sex that stops someone, who doesn't have HIV from getting it. Through HIV treatment as people living with HIV on treatment stay healthy and cannot pass on HIV. Through PEP, a medication that is taken if someone who doesn't have HIV has been exposed to HIV during sex. The course lasts 28 days and needs to be started within 72 hours of being at risk. Available from sexual health clinics in the UK and can be accessed over weekends and bank holidays from accident and emergency departments. Lastly, through condoms an effective way to reduce the spread of HIV and STIs by stopping body fluids being transferred between partners, which are free at all sexual health clinics. It’s extremely important that we teach ourselves and others about HIV prevention and do our best to end both HIV and COVID-19.