PLAY SAFE CAMPAIGN

The PLAY SAFE Campaign, initiated at the end of 2007, is based on international findings that substance use/abuse plays a direct and indirect role in the transmission of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Research generally shows that substance use/abuse is related to impairment of judgement, a decrease in inhibitions, an increase in sexual risk-taking, an increase in number of sexual partners, and an increase in the odds of engaging in unprotected sex. Research conducted by OUT (in collaboration with the Centre for the Study of AIDS and Mambaonline) in 2004/5 revealed that:

Based on these research findings, it was felt that a targeted long-term intervention was needed. The PLAY SAFE Campaign is just such an intervention. As part of this campaign, outreach workers and nurses were trained to provide a professional service. This consisted of voluntary counselling and testing (VCT), substance use screening, risk reduction counselling, and if necessary, follow-ups and referrals. These services were provided at three clinics/sites, in Joburg, in Pretoria and in Mamelodi. In addition to the services offered at these clinics/sites, nurses and outreach workers also provided VCT at a number of participating nightclubs in Joburg and Pretoria. The response and support from community members has been incredible. With such favourable responses in mind, a decision has been taken to continue the campaign for another year. The aim now is to upscale the intervention on much a larger scale, by increasing capacity (including outreach workers, nurses and referral networks), sites/clinics, club testing, and marketing and promotion. Look out for more information in a club near you or contact OUT directly to find out more.

PRISM PROJECT

The word PRISM is an acronym for ‘Prevention and Research Initiative for Sexual Minorities’. The PRISM Project (as it is referred to in Southern Africa) forms part of a collaborative effort between 17 organisations in the global south (including Southern Africa, and Central and South America) and the Schorer Foundation (in the Netherlands). Partner organisations collaborating in Southern Africa include: OUT LGBT well-being (Pretoria), Triangle Project (Cape Town), Durban Lesbian and Gay Centre (Durban), GALZ (Zimbabwe), The Rainbow Project (TRP), and Bonela/LeGaBiBo (Botswana). The aim of the project is to increase the quantity and quality of HIV/STI prevention for men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) and women-who-have-sex-with-women (WSW).

As part of the first phase of the project, each partner organisation had to select one or two target groups and conduct a needs assessment on them. OUT selected resourced and under-resourced lesbian women, as well as, resourced gay men. A needs assessment was conducted towards the end of 2007 and report was compiled at the beginning of 2008. Based on those results, OUT developed an intervention strategy (phase two) to cater to the mental and sexual health needs of both lesbian women and gay men. A proposal was submitted and funding was obtained for programmatic work to begin in July 2008. The following activity areas were included:

  1. To develop and distribute appropriate (i.e., sexy, fun, appealing, user-friendly) barrier methods (e.g., condoms, flavoured lube, femidoms, dental dams etc) to both gay men and lesbian women. Currently, OUT distributes safer sex packs (Ready to Play?) to a range of venues in Gauteng (Tshwane and Johannesburg) that are utilised mostly by gay men. These packs include safer sex messaging, condoms and flavoured lube. Up to this point there has been little consensus around what barrier methods to provide lesbian women. An important first step in dealing with this was an expert meeting to help us understand and reach consensus around lesbian womens’ actual sexual risks, perceptions of risk, and their uptake of appropriate barrier methods. An outcome of this meeting is a report that will guide us on the type of barrier methods to distribute and the important messaging that should be included.
  2. To provide lesbian women and gay men an alternative safe social space that will cater to their needs specifically. Such a space would provide an opportunity for people to congregate and build meaningful interpersonal connections (that don’t centre purely on sex and clubbing) and access much needed services. The aim of the centre is to provide increased services (e.g., face-to-face counselling/therapy, support groups, interest groups, voluntary counselling and testing, selected primary healthcare etc), self-development workshops (e.g., life skills, sex positive etc), and group events or activities (e.g., yoga, art exhibitions, cooking classes, mosaics, entertainment, DIY etc). A variety of holistic services, workshops, events and activities will be made available more often and at convenient times. Community members are invited to provide input on what they would like to be offered at the PRISM Community Centre. Community members are also invited to volunteer their skills and showcase their talents at the Centre (be it through art or through facilitation). Community members will finally have a place to call their own. OUT is currently in the process of setting up the Prism Community Centre and will likely open its doors to the public by the end of September. More information on the services and activities planned will follow shortly.
  3. OUT launched the Men2Men website in May of 2007. The website targets young resourced gay men (between the ages of 18 and 35) who make use of the internet to access lifestyle information pertaining to a range of gay-related health and social aspects. Devised in collaboration with the Centre for the Study of AIDS at the University of Pretoria, the site aims to provide advice and information about male sexuality, safer sex and sexual health. The site currently contains basic information on a few select topics but plans are under way to develop it further. New sections will be added shortly, making the site more interactive and comprehensive. Plans are on the table to develop a similar site for lesbian women next year. You can log onto this site by going to www.men2men.co.za.
  4. To make voluntary counselling and testing visible, convenient and accessible via a mobile unit. Staff at OUT have increasingly realised that it is simply not enough to initiate a service (at the clinic) and wait for people to access it. With this realisation came the need to be more pro-active and go out and meet people where they are at…in their spaces and in their communities. With a limited budget, we tested this hypothesis at Pride in 2007. To our amazement, people were willing to come forward and be tested. Since then, the uptake of testing has increased dramatically. It would appear that this centres on accessibility and convenience as key factors for the increase in uptake. This presents a new and exciting direction for us. We aim to continue taking our professionally run mobile testing unit to a range of spaces in order to reach a broad cross-section of gay and lesbian individuals.

VCT CLINIC AND WELLNESS CENTRE

In August 2006, OUT launched a Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) clinic. The aim of the clinic is to offer LGBT individuals with a friendly alternative for counselling and testing. The VCT clinic initially ran on Saturday mornings. This has changed and is now offered on Tuesday and Thursday evenings by warm professional staff. Sessions are approximately an hour long, consisting of 30 minutes pre-test counselling, 10 minutes actual testing, and then post-test counselling as per the clients need. These sessions are strictly confidential and are conducted on an appointment basis only. From the end of September, the Clinic will no longer be situated at the OUT offices, but be housed in the new PRISM Community Centre (more details and new operating times to follow shortly).

Attached to the VCT Clinic is the Wellness Centre, which was launched in July 2007. The aim of the Wellness Centre is to provide LGBT individuals with a holistic and affirmative environment where they can access and receive primary health care services (including HIV testing, select STI testing and diagnosis, PAP Smears, Base-line testing, ARV treatment literacy, and referral and follow-up). The Wellness Centre currently operates on Tuesday and Thursday evenings between 5 and 7pm. The Wellness Centre will be operated by a professional primary health care nurse. From the end of September, the Clinic will no longer be situated at the OUT offices, but be housed in the new PRISM Community Centre (more details and new operating times to follow shortly).

PLAY SAFE ZONES

OUT is currently in the process of developing a working relationship with managers of two sex clubs based in Tshwane. The aim of this relationship is to ensure that the sex clubs develop and maintain high standards of hygiene and easy access to condoms and lube, while obtaining support and input from OUT. By developing and maintaining the standards agreed upon, OUT will endorse the venue as Play Safe Zone, thus promoting and maintaining a norm of safer sex. This will be re-inforced through visible messaging and a variety of goodies.

ON-LINE CONTRIBUTIONS

Jacques Livingston currently a regular contributor to Mambaonline. Articles written include:

To read these articles and more then log onto www.mambaonline.co.za

IN THE PIPELINE

The following activities/products are in the pipeline:


For more information on the Sexual Health Programme, please contact Jacques Livingston, the Sexual Health Manager, on 012-344-5108 or send an email to wellbeing@out.org.za