IDAHO DAY May 17th 2013

This week on May 17th, it is IDAHO Day, International day against homophobia and transphobia, a worldwide day for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people, and heterosexual people supporting them, to come together to campaign for equal rights, equal treatment and reduce hate crime.

Currently 78 countries criminlise same-sex relationships, with punishments as high as the death sentence, with the total number of people living in those 78 countries totaling 1,5 Billion people.

May 17th was chosen because it marks the anniversary of the decision to remove homosexuality from the list of mental disorders, a turning point for the social acceptance of LGBT people.

An International Day Against Homophobia belongs to no one individual. It’s about all people hoping for a prejudice-free world that can provide a place at the table for everyone regardless of their sexual orientation. Inspired by all world theme-days, the day set aside to fight homophobia needs to be appropriated by all of those actively involved in civil society: gay and lesbian community organisations, those organisations focusing on other types of sexual diversity, unions, employers, private businesses, governments, public administration, professional associations, and all individuals seeking equality.

This year Men's Sexual Health will be attending New College Swindon to raise awareness of this day with the students and staff.

Feel free to click on our poster and print of your copy to show your support for this day wherever you work.

For more information about IDAHO and what action you can take to support it please visit the official IDAHO page http://dayagainsthomophobia.org/take-action/

Posted: May 16 by Matt (updated May 16) • Add comment

Depression...it's time we listened

Next week is Depression Awareness week in the UK, a time to raise awareness; end stigmas associated with depression and help those affected by it. According to the Depression Alliance charity, one in five people will have depression at some time in their life and 2.9million people in the UK are diagnosed as having depression at any one time.

In 2011 the number of men and women under 30 in the UK who killed themselves increased to a nine year high and a total of 6,045 people aged 15 and over had committed suicide. 

But what is surprising is that men were the highest group with 4,552 male suicides compared to 1,493 female suicides. The 30-44 year old group had the highest number of suicides, while suicide was the biggest single killer of men in the 15-29 year old age bracket

One key factor it seems is that men just don’t like to discuss their issues and problems as much as females do and they don’t know who to turn to when they are worried or in a crisis.

Of course there are many reasons why someone may be depressed or think about suicide but, as an organisation, Men’s Sexual Health often deals with calls and personal stories about how issues with their sexual health, sex life or sexuality have caused men to become depressed.

Many men find it uncomfortable to discuss any matters of health - with the  old masculine macho stereotype that they should not show pain, cry, or admit when they need help, it’s no wonder that these issues can build up into something serious, and why such high statistics are being reported. We so often hear from doctors and GP’s that men come to them when the problem/issue has become so big and that if only they had come sooner, treatment would have been more effective.  Men need to learn that it’s ok to ask for help and that it’s alright to discuss their feelings.

For many men issues around erectile dysfunction can lead to great personal stress in their life, leading to depression, feeling that they have failed as a man and putting possible tension in their relationships. What’s more, although erectile dysfunction can often be a physiological issue, very frequently it is also a psychological issue; so if the man is already stressed or depressed in other areas of his life, this could affect his ability to get or maintain an erection, thus leading to further depression and stress.

For some men issues around sexuality can produce great levels of depression, with concerns about people finding out, coming out, prejudice in society and homophobia. For young people, where growing up is already a difficult time, to feel different to what is ‘perceived’ as ‘normal’ can cause many young men to spiral into depression. In a recent survey 53% of LGB (lesbian, gay & bisexual) youths, have contemplated self harm, 40% attempted at least once and 32% on more than one occasion. Even more saddening, LGB youths are 3 times more likely to attempt suicide than that of their heterosexual peers. Many will often attempt to cope with such distress with smoking, drinking and illicit drug use, with percentages of usage again much higher than their peers, for example, alcoholism affects the LGB community at a rate of 22-30% compared with 10% as the national average

Regardless of your sexuality, talking to someone you trust can be an important first step. Most people with depression are treated by their doctor, who'll listen to what you're experiencing and chat to you about treatment options. Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may suggest:

• self-help(e.g. support groups, exercise, changes in diet)
• talking treatments (e.g. CBT, counselling)
• antidepressant tablets

Everyone is different so it can sometimes take time to find the right treatments and you might need to visit your doctor on a number of occasions.

But it’s important to take that first step, and make contact! You can either call us on 01793 250951 if you are Swindon based, or if national you can call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90. Men's Sexual Health can offer a free counselling service for clients who are Swindon based.

Posted: April 12 by Matt (updated April 12) • Add comment

When did you last have sober sex?

Drugs and alcohol are part of the lives of many people, often no serious harm is caused, but this is not always the case. It has been reported that nearly a third of Swindon residents have some form of drug or alcohol concern. It is estimated that around 2,400 people in Swindon are addicted to drugs and as many as 40,000 are suffering with alcohol issues. 

Drugs and alcohol can have dramatic effects on your sexual behaviour. They can make you more likely to have casual sex and less likely to use condoms, leaving you at risk of exposure to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Some drugs can also have a negative impact on your relationships or your sexual performance. And often combining sex with drugs & alcohol more often than not results in a bad experience, for one if not both partners.

There can be many reasons why someone will use drugs and most would say they are usually used by those wanting to mask deeper problems in their life, but there are also those who would say it’s not used to lift them from their troubles, but to enhance an experience, a moment, or an activity; where it is recreational use at parties, clubs or sex sessions. But of course these too could possibly lead to a dependency that exceeds recreational use. 

Many people take drugs because they want to feel more confident or more relaxed. To enable them to do things they wouldn't usually try. However, if you are high or drunk, you are less in control of your body and might find yourself in situations that you can’t control, and taking risks you usually wouldn’t if you were sober. 

For these reasons you are more likely to have unprotected sex as your inhibitions will be lowered, or have unintentional sex and the idea of using a condom could simply be forgotten or not considered. That puts both people at a greater risk of catching or passing on a sexually transmitted infection (STI) and/or, if having sex with a woman, resulting in an unwanted pregnancy. Also, even if you do remember to use a condom, there is greater risk of putting it on wrong, contaminating the condom or breaking or tearing it. You could find yourself regretting having had sex with that person the following day or not even remembering that you had sex, or worse having sex that you did not consent to. In around 35-45% of reported sexual assaults alcohol is recorded to have been involved. 

Some people use drugs intentionally for sex, which in some cultures is known as ‘chem sex’, with the idea that the drugs they are using will enhance sexual arousal and prolong sex. For many, substance use has become an integral part of their strategic approach to sex, locking them into continued use. This has become very evident in the gay community, with drugs such a Crystal Meth becoming very popular in recent years due to the effect of an increase in sexual desire and feeling horny, with a dependency and addiction so high that some feel frightened or reluctant to even try sex without Crystal Meth again. 

The GMFA (Gay Men’s Health Charity) have produced an excellent booklet regarding gay men and drugs. 

“This booklet can help you to take stock of your drug use. It gives tips on cutting down or stopping. It has advice on how to use drugs more safely and how to help ensure you have safer sex even when you’re wasted. It tells you which combinations of drugs and/or alcohol can be dangerous and which drugs to avoid if you’re on certain HIV treatments.” And can be downloaded via the following link 

And London based service Antidote who are the UK's only LGB&T run and targeted drug and alcohol support service, provides another great resource online about playing more safe when it comes to sex & drugs.

Drugs like cocaine, heroin and sedatives numb the nerve cells in our sex organs, meaning that it can be difficult to reach orgasm.  This is why some use it to prolong sex, but it can also lead to men finding it difficult to maintain or keep an erection, leading to perhaps clumsier and unsatisfying sex, and in women it prevents them from producing natural lubrication for safe, pain free sex.  

Alcohol and drugs can also decrease fertility, in men it can lower their sperm count, women can find it more difficult to get pregnant and some women who drink heavily can find their periods stop all together.

And for those in relationships, if one or both of you regularly drinks too much or gets high, the stress that this will put on your relationship will start to tell in the bedroom as well as elsewhere. Alcohol and drug use might cause you to argue more or cause violence in your relationship with alcohol and drugs often a factor in domestic violence cases. 

For some drug users, who may have exhausted financial ways of paying for their habit, some may turn to selling their body for sex as a way get what they need, or even getting pimped out by their dealer to feed their habit. Not all sex workers are unsafe in the sex that they sell, but it is widely known that a higher rate can be paid to have unsafe sex or bareback sex, putting but the client and worker at extremely high risk. 

One of the biggest concerns with some drugs is the risk of catching or passing on HIV, this is not just through the risk of having unsafe sex when high on drugs, but the practise of sharing needles. IV drug use with shared needles is one of the routes of transmission for HIV and Hepatitis B & C. Also if you are already HIV positive, using drugs and alcohol can have a greater effect on your body, to read more about this issue please click on this link to a separate page on our website. 

Going back to Swindon specifically: there are presently 642 people registered in effective treatment for drug addiction. In terms of the level of substance abusers comparative to other areas of the country, Swindon is not above or below the norm.  However, information in relation to the use of Legal Highs would appear to indicate that Swindon has a disproportionate level of usage compared to the rest of the country. 

It currently has the highest reported incidences of the sale and use of Legal Highs in the Southwest – statistics show a dramatic increase since August 2011 and The Great Western Hospital notes that the drug user profile is often ‘young males’ and many of the users were reporting they were ‘clean’ of Class A drugs because they had switched to Legal Highs. High use of Methoxetamine was reported, it is effectively a replicated Ketamine substance, the symptoms that were being experienced matched those of Ketamine, although they were much more intense and longer lasting – severe hallucinations, extreme sleep deprivation, feelings of intense paranoia. Legal highs are substances that mimic class A/B substances, but it should be made clear that ‘legal’ doesn’t mean safe and ‘Legal’ doesn’t mean Legal as more recent evidence indicates the substances have been mixed with illicit ones. Also, what may be being purchased may not even contain what you think, it may not be clean or pure - your interests may be to get high but the dealer’s is to get rich!  With these issues in mind, Men’s Sexual Health have embarked upon this campaign to raise the awareness of alcohol issues, illegal drugs and legal drugs with support from SWADS (Swindon & Wiltshire Drug and Alcohol Service), SCSP (Swindon Community Safety Partnership) and the Hep C positive group. We hope people will see our poster, read our article, engage with us at public events and take those first steps in discussing their addictions.

The questions below will help you to think about whether it would be useful to talk to someone about your drug or alcohol use. If you answer 'yes' to more than three or four questions then it may be worth you getting more information and contacting us for support on what to do next:

* Do you drink or use drugs to get away from problems in your life, or to block out feelings or memories?

* Does taking drugs/alcohol actually change your mood?

* Are you using drugs/alcohol more often than you used to?

* Do you need to take more drugs/alcohol to get the same effects as you used to?

* Has using drugs/alcohol caused problems in your family or at school or work?

* Do other people tell you that you have got a drug/alcohol problem or that you are out of control?

* When you are using drugs/alcohol do you ever end up using more than you initially planned to?

* Do you feel that you can't stop taking drugs/alcohol once you have started?

* Do you feel emotions such as shame, guilt or hopelessness after you have used drugs/alcohol?

* Have you ever used drugs/alcohol to make these feelings go away?

* Have you tried to stop using drugs/alcohol for any length of time?

* Have you ever considered hurting yourself because of your drug/alcohol use?

* Do you continue to use drugs/alcohol even when the consequences of previous use are unresolved; e.g. getting more drugs even when you still owe money for the last lot?

If this is you – please get in touch with our service, SWADS, SCSP or HEP C Group

Posted: March 5 by Matt (updated March 6) • Add comment

Free LGB Training Course

Men’s Sexual Health is running a half day course designed to raise awareness and understanding of the LGB (lesbian, gay, and bisexual) community.

As many people are employed within the public, private and voluntary sectors, there is a great need for organisations to learn more about the LGB community in order to promote equal opportunities, awareness of potential issues and sensitivities and ways to support.

The training is aimed at professionals in any agency who may be called upon to support, advise, treat or otherwise assist a member from the LGB community. It is also useful for those who wish to increase their knowledge about the LGB community. There is an emphasis on ‘LGB youth’ during the training but the topics discussed are applicable to all ages.

The course will increase participants understanding on the following issues, homophobia, sexuality, discrimination & prejudice, hetrosexism, stereotyping and a basic sexual health, with the overall aim being that participants are then able to implement, plan and deliver best practice within their place of work for the LGB community.

We currently have spaces available on the following dates for those who are interested in attending

Swindon March 25th 9:30am – 12:00pm

Swindon April 23rd   9:30am – 12:00pm

Swindon June 11th   9:30am – 12:00pm

If you would like to book a space please call us on 01793 250951 or email info@menssexualhealth.org.uk to request a booking form. Spaces are limited so please book asap. The course is FREE to any professional that works in Swindon, anyone outside of the Swindon area will be require to pay a course fee.

Posted: February 23 by Matt (updated February 23) • Add comment

Older but maybe not wiser...?

Men’s Sexual Health has dedicated February to raising the awareness of the need to support the older generation. As evidenced by this year’s LGBT History Month campaign theme and the recent news of the increasing rate of Sexually Transmitted Infections amongst the older population, it’s clear that now, more than ever, is the time to act!

So why has there been this sudden rise? It comes down to a number of possible factors:

With divorce rates increasing, men and women are “getting back out there” with new partners and unfortunately picking things up along the way. The older generation may not have had the sex education which the youth of today have and may not have kept up with the facts since. STIs have changed and new ones have emerged since their days at school. Also, older people don't get targeted with the “stay safe” sex campaigns like today's teenagers do.

With the advent of online dating it has become even easier to have casual sex, both for those who are part of the above newly single group, as well as those seeking to have an open relationship. Dating sites are springing up every week trying to tempt people with the offer of love and romance, but with no guidance or support on how to make those encounters safe and the kind that you will want to remember - for all the right reasons!

Then there is, as some people like to call it, ‘the miracle drug’, the little blue pill Viagra; giving the older man who may suffer from erectile dysfunction the chance to have sexual encounters - this new drug has helped so many men get their confidence back in the bedroom that they may forget that pit stop at the pharmacy to get some condoms.

Many women who are post-menopausal don’t think to worry about contraception as they can no longer get pregnant and the idea of catching a sexually transmitted infection probably doesn’t even cross their minds.

Some are also citing the popularity of the ‘Fifty Shades’ books as bringing the UK to a sexual awakening and we have since seen a massive rise in sales of sex toys. More people are exploring their sexual desires and fantasies due to the literary success - but again, condoms are probably not at the forefront of their minds during these thrill seeking moments!

1 in 5, 30 to 40-year-old women have had unsafe sex in the last 3 months

33% rise in cases of Genital Warts

41% increase of 45 to 64-year-olds who have had Gonorrhoea

58% more divorced women over 60 from 2001 to 2012

60% more cases of Chlamydia between 2004 and 2008

400% increase in Gonorrhoea since 2010

So please keep in mind the following:

-       If you are having sex with someone outside your marriage, ensure that you use a condom. The chance of you passing something on to your spouse is not a pleasant idea and the consequences that come with that, will be far greater.

-       Regardless of how few partners the person may say they have slept with, just having slept with one person without contraception puts anyone at risk, so respect them and respect yourself, use a condom.

-       Don’t be ashamed or embarrassed if you have caught something, it’s best to go to your local GUM clinic and get treated as soon as possible because leaving some STIs can cause long term issues.

-       Also, many STIs don’t have symptoms so you may not know you have one, or the symptoms may go away but that doesn’t that mean you have cured yourself. If you’ve had unsafe sex then it’s simple: you have put yourself at risk and for 100% peace of mind get yourself tested!

If you would like any advice or support about STIs, testing, or contraception please get in touch.
Please note we provide FREE condoms for men who live in Swindon.

Posted: February 10 by Matt (updated February 10) • Add comment