The State of the Nation

Now

What is the situation for gay men with HIV in the Netherlands at the present time?

What are the hopes, fears and concerns?

Victim/Criminal

The medical community still regards people with HIV as personifications of the infection at worst and victims at best. Allthough there are exceptions that prove the rule it is still so that Internists and Consultants have little or no interest in the pyscho-social aspects of how being infected affects their clients/patients.

It is hard to believe but there are unfortunately still medical staff in the Netherlands who refuse to treat HIV infected people.

The political arena is still debating whether to treat people with HIV as potential murderers in spite of court decisions and precedents. Public opinion is easily swayed by fear and supported in their beliefs by a refusal on the side of politicians to make a stand. Even organisations such as the HIV Vereniging are loathe to commit themselves publicly one way or another.

Soa's

The silent rise of Hepatitis C and other SOA's is evidence of the GGD's complete lack of responsibility in the last few years. A refusal to talk with other institutions such as the Schorer Stichting and the HIV vereniging makes their role redundant. Their main concern at the moment seems to be holding their heads financially above water and not as it should be adressing the health needs of the community.

HPV

Vaccines, like the HPV vaccine, that could make a change to the daily health of HIV patients are being witheld for various reasons. One of the major reasons is, as always, money and the question who will pay.

Prevention

As potential spreaders of the virus gay men with HIV are increasingly being held responsible for a rise in infections, citing barebacking as the major cause.

Condom, condom, condom is still the only prevention message heard, despite reports indicating that this tactic has always been less than effective and is now more than ever redundant.

Prevention strategies such as Sero-sorting are greeted with horror by a generation that has lived with the condom for so long. Despite reports from the USA indicating the effectiveness of Sero-sorting, the Netherlands has responded in a hysterical way to attempts to discuss this strategy.

Gay Scene

Visibility for HIV infected Gays is at an all time low. Drug therapy makes it possible to hide infection for nearly all gay men.

Hiding their infection is however becoming increasingly difficult for some gay men who experience 'passing for healthy' as a denial of their needs and rights.

Many gay men with HIV are, it seems, ready to 'come out' as 'Poz' and this threatens to polarize the gay community.

Getting Older

Gay men with HIV now have a life expectancy 1 year less than gay men wthout HIV.

However, the Netherlands is still geared up to a view of gay men with HIV as terminally ill patients insytead of chronically, but still functioning, people.

Growing old with HIV is something that 10 years ago would have been unthinkable, but there is now a generation of 50 - 60 year old gay men who are ready to retire from work but not from life. The problem is becoming less a medical and more a social one in this case. No government or council institution has adressed this problem at all.

Therapy

Therapy drugs are still being rushed onto the market without a realistic idea of the long term consequences. This was acceptable in the early stages of the epidemic but the medical world must start to look at the long term damage that these drugs do. Gay men with HIV are increasingly unhappy about their role as guinea pig for the pharmaceutical industry.

Public Awareness

Violence and aggression towards gay people in general will also in the future be aimed at gay men with HIV. Its a logical progression. Gay men with HIV will be targeted by groups and individuals who will feel justified by their religion or faith in ridding the community of potential danger.