News: 03/2023 | George House Trust

Amanda, pictured left, wrote this blog for Trans Day Of Visibility 2023

 

"When I was first diagnosed in 2003, I struggled to come to terms with it. I had nobody to talk to because my family and friends were transphobic and homophobic so I just suppressed it. I hid it from my partner, from everyone. I was scared, I couldn’t see myself living past a certain age because of the horror stories of the 1980s.

 

Between 2015 and 2020, I went through a lot of changes. I split up with my partner and got a flat but I couldn’t properly transition because the people around me didn’t accept me. One of my neighbours was transphobic and homophobic and turned the community against me. I was hit with an iron bar but the police didn’t do anything and I eventually ended up in prison due to lies my neighbour told. In prison, I was struggling with alcohol and drug addiction, and wasn’t given the right clothes for my gender or my HIV medication. My neighbour broke into my house and stole my belongings while I was in prison, and I lost my vehicles.

 

In October 2020, I was released and made the decision to walk out of Strangeways a new person. I changed my name, my gender, my living situation and my outlook on life.

 

My doctor recommended George House Trust to me and I’d always wanted to go because I’d never met anyone like me before. I met Josh and Yvonne, who run the women’s group there, and realised that there was a real HIV community at George House Trust.

 

I did a course to build up my self-respect and confidence there. Everything felt a lot better, like a breath of fresh air, because I didn’t have to explain to anyone that I was living with HIV. I was paired with a brilliant peer mentor who helped increase my confidence and self-esteem. He also recommended some self-help groups I could go to for support.

 

It was so nice to meet other people living with HIV. I met a woman who also comes to George House Trust at my bloods appointment – I really appreciated that social aspect and peer support.

 

I feel so much better and more confident now. Before I just felt trapped.

 

Living with HIV as a transwoman was difficult because I couldn’t see past each week. Dealing with HIV and gender dysphoria made it hard to get up in the morning. There is so much ignorance and stigma around both HIV and trans people.

 

The women’s group at George House Trust made me feel really welcome. It was a trans-inclusive safe space for me.

 

I was able to share my experiences of taking hormones and HIV medication with women who were considering HRT. Other emotions and experiences we’ve gone through are really similar too.

 

I’d never know anyone else living with HIV. By coming to George House Trust, I’ve met other women living with HIV - women who are so open.

 

Now, HIV is in the background, it’s on the back burner.

 

Amanda - March 31st 2023 

Friday, 31 March, 2023

MPOX VACCINE UPDATE

Mpox - Final Vaccination Dates Announced

 

The most recent Mpox (formally named ‘Monkeypox’) outbreak started in summer 2022 with cases reported worldwide for a number of months. The outbreak mainly affected gay, bisexual and MSM (men who have sex with men).

 

The outbreak has largely been brought under control with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reporting just six new cases this year, three of which were returning travellers. This is because of the roll-out of an effective vaccine and initial behavioural changes amongst affected groups.

 

Due to this, the UKHSA plans to halt the vaccination programme but will continue to closely monitor the situation.

 

Vaccination remains the most effective way of protecting you and people around you from mpox

 

People at risk from mpox are eligible for two doses:

 

If you’ve not had your first dose, you must come forward for this by the 16th June.

 

If you need a second dose, you must come forward for this by the 31st July.

 

You can get a vaccine at your local sexual health/GUM clinic. If you live in Manchester, The Northern is doing a weekly vaccine clinic. You can book here

 

If you live in other Greater Manchester boroughs, you can find your local Mpox vaccine clinic here

 

The NHS also has an easy to use vaccine finder website that will tell you where you can get a vaccine locally to you.

 

The vaccine is safe, free and administered by a healthcare professional.

 

Information about Mpox

 

It’s important to note that Mpox is normally a mild illness and is unlikely to lead to further complications. Most people recover from in a few weeks. In the recent outbreak, 1 in 10 people need to be treated in hospital, this is usually to help manage pain. 

 

How does Mpox transmit?

 

  • By close contact with someone who has symptoms, e.g. touching skin, sexual contact, kissing, hugging - this is especially after the ulcers have developed.  This is because the fluid in MPX blisters is highly infectious.
  • Through droplets in the air - ​​​​​​ this usually involves extended time with someone in a room with poor ventilation.  For example, spending more than 3 to 6 hours, where you are within two meters.
  • Touching clothing, bedding or towels used by someone with the Mpox rash.

 

The risk of catching Mpox is generally low. However, it is much higher for people who have multiple partners, or whose partners have these risks. There is a greater risk of catching Mpox from sexual partners and people you live with.

 

There is a greater risk of catching Mpox if you attend sex parties, sex on premises venues (e.g. a sauna), attend cruising grounds or have multiple individual sexual partners. 

 

What are the symptoms?

 

It can take 1 to 3 weeks for Mpox symptoms to develop. For most people, this is 10 to 12 days after contact.

 

Initial symptoms of Mpox include fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion. Unexpected or unexplained spots, ulcers or blisters can develop, often beginning on the face, then spreading to other parts of the body including the genitals.

 

The spot, ulcer or blister changes over time and goes through different stages, and can look like chickenpox, herpes or syphilis, before finally forming a scab, which later falls off.

 

Symptoms last for up to four weeks.

 

HIV and Mpox

 

The Lancet reports that “people living with HIV have accounted for 38-50% of those affected in the 2022 multi-country mpox outbreak” and goes on to state that “most reported cases were in people who had high CD4 counts and similar outcomes to those without HIV”.

 

You can read the full Lancet report.

 

However, a small proportion of people living with HIV who have contracted mpox have a low CD4 count (below 350) and Aidsmap reports “worse clinical outcomes and higher mortality in people with more advanced HIV”.

 

You can read the full article here.

 

The British HIV Association (BHIVA) recommends that everyone living with HIV has the mpox vaccine.

 

You can find additional information about Mpox here:

 

 I-base Mpox Q&A 

General information about Mpox from the NHS

Latest updates from the UKHSA

 

March 23rd 2023 

 

 

Thursday, 23 March, 2023

The 2023 theme for Women’s History Month is "Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories."

 

George House Trust Positive Speaker and HIV activist Agatha Phiri is sharing her story to inspire others and help break down HIV stigma and discrimination. 

 

I’ve managed to build a home from the bricks that HIV stigma and HIV discrimination threw at me. This home is now a safe space for women living with HIV called Agatha’s Space. I am also a positive speaker for HIV charity George House Trust and help people to understand me and my HIV through my volunteer work.

 

I have turned into a confident woman who is not scared to take a step to challenge everything about my HIV, my future and my goals.

 

Living with HIV has made me understand love. After going through lots of rejections and betrayals I now have a handsome, loving man who accepts me with my HIV.

 

When it comes to HIV, we talk about the negatives a lot – things like stigma, discrimination, betrayal and more. But over time I have learnt to find solace in my strength and solace in the positive things HIV has contributed to my life.

 

HIV has given me a different meaning in life. It has given me a reason to fight for my rights as a human being and fight for equality.

 

HIV has given me my dream life because I got tired of fear. I am bold, confident and ambitious. I said NO! to fear.

 

If you’ve had enough of the negatives HIV can bring, then take a bold step and challenge them.

 

Fight. Fight, fight and fight until there is nothing left to fight for.

 

Whilst it’s true that HIV has sometimes given me lemons, I have learnt to turn them into lemonade to protect myself, my mental health and to be an example of how women living with HIV should be loved and treated.

 

Agatha Phiri 16th March 2023  

Thursday, 16 March, 2023

The 2023 theme for Women’s History Month is "Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories."

 

HIV activist Ana Oliveira is sharing her story to inspire others and help to break down HIV stigma and discrimination. Read part 1 here

 

Here is part 2 where Ana shares her status with her loved ones and starts to move forward.....

 

I shared my HIV status to my children at different times and they were very supportive. They were the ones who encouraged me to become an advocate and my Instagram page was set up with their help.

 

Then I progressively shared my status with my extended family and close friends. Telling my mum was nerve wracking but it turned out to be a very positive response.

 

To my surprise, she knew all about the difference between the virus and the late stage of HIV, she just wasn’t too sure about the treatment itself. I explained that I only take one pill a day. She lifted up her shirt and said “better than my treatment for diabetes… look at my belly ruined by insulin injections”.

 

Then she hugged me tight and said: “Don’t cry my daughter, I know you will not fall ill, as you are on treatment, but if you fall ill I will feed you”. Then she said how proud she is to have me as her daughter and that she would never turn her back on me. 

 

I knew this day was the beginning of finding myself again.

 

My faith and the unconditional love of my children, family and friends are my rock.

 

Attending therapy, getting involved with George House Trust and developing strong links with the HIV community has created miracles.

 

With time, I started to realise that the labels imposed by others don’t define me. And by looking at stigma in this way I kind of understood that the first change needed to come from within. Only then I could find strength to fight the stigma of others. 

 

I learned how to deal with my emotions and day by day I’m detaching myself from the pain that once drove me to the edge. I would say that I’m still going through the healing journey in terms of how I become HIV positive. I call it the hidden pain of HIV.

 

But I can firmly say that accepting my diagnosis and being public about it has definitely changed the narrative.  

 

I share my story to inspire others and help to break down stigma and discrimination. 

 

Ana Oliveira 14th March 2023  

Tuesday, 14 March, 2023

The 2023 theme for Women’s History Month is "Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories."

 

HIV activist Ana Oliveira is sharing her story to inspire others and help to break down HIV stigma and discrimination.

 

Here is part 1 where Ana receives her diagnosis and experiences HIV stigma for the first time. 

 

*TW* This article contains references to depression, PTSD and suicidal thoughts. 

 

I will never forget the 3rd of January 2019. It was a miserable dark and rainy day. My car broke down, I had an appointment with my son to be seen at the eye clinic. Around 9:30am, I got a call from a private number.

 

“Hi, can I speak with Ana Oliveira?”

 

“Ana speaking. How can I help you?”

 

“It’s Julie from the Health Clinic, we got your blood results back. Is there any chance you could pop in today?”

 

“Is everything okay? Can you tell me over the phone?“

 

“I’m afraid not, love. Can you bring someone with you? “

 

As soon I heard this I knew it was the worst. I knew that what I feared the most had eventually become a reality. No one is going to ask me to bring someone with me to tell me that I have a simple STD.

 

At the clinic Julie said: “I’m sorry love, I don’t have good news. Your HIV test came back positive. “

 

It felt like it was a death sentence. It was devastating, not only because of the illness itself, but also how I became HIV positive. My first instinctive thought was my children. If I die, what about them? They can’t live without me. Why me? I was crying…Remember they advised me to take someone with me. I took my little son and he turned to me and asked: “Mummy why are you crying? “ I said “Mummy is going to be ok, don’t worry!”

 

Julie was lovely, very compassionate. She said: “Ana, this is no longer a death sentence, you can go and live the same long life as someone who is HIV negative as long as you agree with treatment”. I replied straight away, ”Of course I want to start treatment, no questions here.” I knew that HIV is no longer a death sentence. I believe in science. But the way our mind works when it’s faced with fear…it’s hard to explain.

 

On the same day, I saw a second nurse to take bloods for the resistance test yet she made a very stigmatising comment: 

 

“It’s unfortunate, from all the STDs you could have contracted, you chose HIV.”

 

An awkward silence filled the room. I couldn’t even answer back. Then realisation sunk in…HIV was not going to kill me but the stigma attached to it could. 

 

The stigma that I’ve faced has shaped my journey, living with HIV and my perceptions about it. I came to lose myself, the one that I was so proud of. The one who had never looked differently to a person living with HIV was now living with this internalised stigma and I hated myself. 

 

In the first year following my diagnosis I was rushing and living in survival mode, but still I managed to buy my house so if something was to happen to me, my children would have a house to live and they could stay together. I knew they would be supported by my family and friends. 

 

With HIV, I came to meet severe depression and I was eventually diagnosed with PTSD and I almost committed suicide. In reality, I didn’t want to die I just wanted to find a way to remove the pain. 

 

My friends never realised that I was depressed, I was off work for long periods of time but pretending I was taking a career break. But with my children, it was a different story, they knew that I was mentally unwell although they didn’t know the real reason. 

 

I started counselling through George House Trust but soon gave up because I thought I would be okay. George House Trust were amazing, always checking on me, reassuring me that they were there for me if I ever needed them.

 

After another episode of depression, I eventually came to the realisation that I needed help and I started therapy through occupational health at work. 

 

Read part 2 of Ana's story here

 

Ana Oliveira

Monday, 13 March, 2023

It's International Women's Day and HIV activist Ana Oliveira has a message for women who are living with HIV.

 

"Today, I celebrate every woman, and especially every women who is living with HIV.

 

I celebrate those who have gone before us.

 

I celebrate those who fought for our dignity and rights.

 

I celebrate those who are here visible or not.

 

Know that I’m proud of you, no matter what phase of your journey you’re in.

 

Know that you are an amazing woman.

 

Know that you are not alone and remember…… You are not what happened to you.

 

You are who you choose to become."

 

Ana Oliveira, March 8th 2023

Wednesday, 8 March, 2023

Living with HIV? Want to talk to us?
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