PrEP is a pill taken by HIV negative people that protects you against HIV. It has been a life-changer for me because it gives me confidence and lets me just enjoy sex.
It’s important that we take our sexual health seriously. Not everyone feels like this though. Especially in the Black queer community, it seems that some are too scared to come into the light and have worries around staying anonymous.
The reasons for this can be complicated, but some men I’ve spoken to on dating apps are not ‘out’ and are nervous that it could somehow come back to their friends or family.
I was recently talking to a guy on an app who was extremely anxious about protecting his identity. As a result, all his body pics have the head cut off and his face pictures are sent as ‘disappearing’ head shots.
“As Black queer men, we need to take control of our sexual health by getting on PrEP and testing regularly.”
This is in case, somehow, someone may find out that he has been using a gay app. He even messaged me on a burner phone.
When I mentioned PrEP, he told me it wasn’t for him. He still lives at home and was worried that the hospital or clinic might send correspondence using his house phone or by letter and that his parents would see it.
I tried to assure him that, in the years I have been taking PrEP, clinicians are always extremely discreet and only contact people via text message – unless directed otherwise. In fact, if you are concerned about being ‘outed’, they can take any steps required to protect your anonymity.
But he was too scared. This is something I battle with on a daily basis when speaking to Black men on dating or hook-up apps.
Unfortunately, Black gay and bisexual men in the UK are disproportionately more likely to be diagnosed with HIV than white men. Something needs to change and I want to do whatever I can to help. That’s why I’m sharing my story.
As Black queer men, we need to take control of our sexual health by getting on PrEP and testing regularly.
It’s so much safer to take care of your sexual health, than completely ignore it.
Remember, every single vote counts. We can’t afford to take any result for granted. The only way to ensure our community’s interests are represented is by showing up and marking those ballots ourselves. As Williams noted, “There are no masses; there are only ways of seeing people as masses.” Let’s prove we’re not a faceless mass, but a vibrant, diverse community of individuals whose votes add up to real power.
You might think your single vote won’t make a difference, but history has shown time and again that elections can be decided by razor-thin margins. Your vote could be the one that tips the scales. By voting, we’re choosing hope over despair, action over inertia.
Since the National Health Service (NHS) imposed restrictions on treatment for young trans people, the number of deaths has surged dramatically. These restrictions, initially triggered by the 2020 High Court ruling in the Bell case, asserted that it was “unlikely” young people could give informed consent to puberty blockers. The NHS responded by shutting down access to vital healthcare for these vulnerable youths. Despite the Court of Appeal overturning this decision a year later, the NHS kept these restrictive measures in place, ignoring the dire predictions of healthcare professionals.
Staff at the Tavistock clinic, alarmed by this increase, planned to voice their concerns through an open letter but were silenced with threats of disciplinary action. Evidence suggests a deliberate attempt to suppress these figures, an accusation supported by Tavistock board minutes. These minutes reveal a stark contrast: only one “apparent suicide” in the three years before December 2020, followed by a sudden and sharp rise in deaths post-ruling.
In the wake of these tragic deaths, the lack of accountability is appalling. The conservative government’s actions, spurred on by gender-critical activists, have created a hostile environment where the health and well-being of trans youth are sacrificed for political gain. These young people, already struggling with their identities in a world that often rejects them, are now further isolated and endangered by policies that deny them essential medical care.
But the fight is far from over. The government’s recent ban on puberty blockers from regulated European prescribers is yet another blow to an already besieged community. This ban, imposed without regard for the well-documented benefits of these treatments or the severe consequences of their removal, further exemplifies the government’s disregard for the lives of trans youth.
TNBI youth are dying. We must hold the government accountable for its decisions and push for immediate changes in policy. Access to gender-affirming care is a matter of life and death, and it is imperative that we act now to prevent further loss of life.
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