Panti calls on gay and bisexual men to get HIV tests

Entertainer and gay rights activist Rory O'Neill (Panti Bliss) has called on gay and bisexual men in Ireland to get tested or re-tested for HIV, stressing the advantage of knowing your HIV status.

Speaking at the launch of the Janssen and Gay Health Network Know the Score: Get Tested campaign, O'Neill encouraged gay men around the country to go out and get tested.

“As someone who is HIV positive and leads a healthy life, I would encourage everybody to get tested,” he said. “Testing is essential to prevent the spread of HIV. It also ensures that people who are HIV positive get the treatment they need early and can go on to lead a productive and normal life.”

Figures from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HSPC) reveal there were 344 newly diagnosed cases of HIV in Ireland in 2013. The HSPC also found that in 2013, 37 per cent of MSM (men who have sex with men) were diagnosed late and as a result carried an increased risk of a HIV related illness.

The Know the Score: Get Tested campaign hopes to encourage people to get tested by using a new online clinic locator, Man2Man.ie, which allows users to track down the closest free HIV and STI testing centre in their local area.

Dr Shay Keating, Associate Specialist in Genitourinary Medicine says research shows 43 per cent more men would take the test if it were free. He advised gay and bisexual men to check out the 32 free test centres that already exist in Ireland, adding that he hoped the free service would encourage more people to “take control of their HIV status”.

“Taking a HIV test is a simple procedure,” said Dr Keating. “A doctor (or nurse) will take your sexual history, and the test takes a couple of minutes to perform. An advisor will talk you through the test, which is not painful, and results will take between 1 and 4 weeks.”

According to new research carried out by Janssen, 83 per cent of gay and bisexual men in Ireland consider their risk of contracting HIV as unlikely or very unlikely. Researchers found that 70 per cent of sexually active gay and bisexual men have had unprotected sex, with almost one in ten saying they always have unprotected anal sex.

A spokeswoman for Janssen also highlighted that HIV is an issue that can affect anyone, irrespective of sexual orientation. She said that in 2013, 38 per cent of newly diagnosed cases were infected via heterosexual sex.

Fine Gael TD Jerry Buttimer has welcomed the new online clinic map, saying that information about free tests in Ireland had never been simpler or more efficient.

“As a society, we cannot afford to let an increase in incidence rates of HIV diagnoses to continue,” said Mr Buttimer. “HIV is a preventable disease and the most effective way to reduce HIV in Ireland is for anyone who is sexually active to get tested.”

The 12th Annual Gay Health Forum will be held in Dublin Castle on Friday 6th June and Irish AIDS Day will take place on Sunday 15th June.