THT South
Brighton & Hove
Brighton and Hove is renowned as gay friendly city with an estimated one in six residents identifying as LGBT. Added to this there is a huge influx of LGBT tourists and visitors keen to sample the more than 40 local gay venues and businesses. Brighton Pride alone attracts in excess of 500, 000 individuals to the city, making it Britain’s largest free LGBT festival.
HIV infection rates and rates of other STIs are high. Brighton and Hove has the highest rate of HIV infection outside London; new diagnoses have more than doubled in six years and transmission via MSM accounts for 81% of new diagnoses. Furthermore, there are an estimated 400 people in Brighton and Hove who are unaware of their HIV positive status, which has concerning implications for the onward transmission of HIV. In recent years there has been a marked increase in LGV infection, indicative of an overall high level of STI transmission amongst local gay men.
THT South provides a range of health promotion and support services to MSM. These include:
- Venue Outreach: information on HIV, sexual health, personal safety, safer drug and alcohol use, also free condoms and lubricant for men who have sex with men
- PSE Outreach: in a number of sites in B&H and Sussex
- 'Netreach' On-Line Outreach in covering the South East Coast area
- ‘Condom Male’: a discreet and confidential service which sends free condoms, lube and sexual health info by post to men who have sex with men who do not generally have access to the commercial gay scene in East and West Sussex
- Fastest – HIV Testing: Walk-in, (no appointment) rapid HIV testing service for men who have sex with men
- Face2Face: Confidential information and advice on sexual health and HIV for men who have sex with men, delivered face-to-face or by telephone
- Counselling: provided by qualified counsellors for up to 12 sessions for people living with or affected by HIV
- Lounge – group for Gay Men Living with HIV: Fortnightly peer support group for gay men who have been diagnosed with HIV for at least one year, whether on HIV medication or not
- What Next - a six week groupwork course for newly diagnosed men living with HIV
- Support Services: emotional support and practical advice for people living with or affected by HIV
- Volunteer Support Services
East & West Sussex
By contrast, prevalence in the counties of East and West Sussex is low, and concentrated in the main towns such as Eastbourne, Hastings, Worthing and Crawley.
Gay venues are small in number and change frequently; staff keep up to date with closures and new initiatives though local intelligence.
PSE sites are rural and remote, and more often populated by doggers than MSM. Nevertheless a regular presence is maintained at the most popular sites. For men outside the urban areas, condom male and netreach provide important sources of communication and resources.
The following services are provided across the two Sussex counties:
- Venue Outreach: information on HIV, sexual health, personal safety, safer drug and alcohol use, also free condoms and lubricant for men who have sex with men
- PSE Outreach: in a number of sites in Sussex
- Netreach On-Line Outreach covering the South East Coast area
- Condom Male: a discreet and confidential service which sends free condoms, lube and sexual health info by post to men who have sex with men who do not generally have access to the commercial gay scene in East and West Sussex
- Face2Face: Confidential information and advice on sexual health and HIV for men who have sex with men, delivered face-to-face or by telephone
- Support Services: emotional support and practical advice for people living with or affected by HIV
Surrey & Kent
THT Health Improvement services do not have a regular presence in these counties. As with Sussex, the number of gay venues is small and venues change clientele frequently.
Our PSE work remains important in rural areas as a means of disseminating information and campaigns. Links are being established in both counties with gay community organisations and relevant professionals working with MSM, for example GUM clinic staff, police LGBT liaison officers, gay businesses and events organisers.