CHAPS off-message

I hadn't seen this one before I was asked about it in one of the monthly Sigma Panel surveys. IDIDIT.org.uk is a microsite aimed at "gay or bisexual" (it uses Flash, so you can't copy text from it easily, sigh) men. But it was the ad that made me go 'argh': "I did it for […]

From the THT news feed (if I thought it'd stay constant, I'd give a URL): July 25, 2011 THT reminds local LGBT community to look after their sexual health at Telford Pride July 26, 2011 Terrence Higgins Trust reminds gay men to stay safe at Brighton Pride (italics mine)

The new Sigma Panel, a cohort of over three thousand gay and bisexual men in the UK who have said they're willing to fill in monthly online questionnaires for Sigma Research, got an email about the first one yesterday. Another 13 will follow. It asks about relationships, sex life, risks and precautions, and use of […]

Ooh, 'bisexual' in the title for once. Well, the title of the 2007 booklet, anyway. The intro says it's important for you to know about [the healthcare system], even if you are not ill, and why being gay or bisexual is relevant to your healthcare. and says 'More detailed information is available at www.tht.org.uk/gpsandgaymen'. That […]

Because the person in charge of the THT website does not understand the importance of keeping links valid, they've been broken several times since writing the original articles. I'll have download links from here soon…

There are three in the series, produced by the then 'Living well with HIV team', and not all of these are part of the CHAPS partnership. But see what they are: Relationships and Sex for Gay Men – perhaps surprisingly, the first edition of this did have "to have children" as one of the reasons […]

"The website for young gay men" and, again, that's what it means. The front page has "gay men" four times, plus "gay scene" and "gay pubs and clubs". The gay scene section has nothing to say about mixed gender venues or the existence of 'no bisexuals' door policies in some places. The coming out section […]

When I did a search for 'bisexual' on the THT website, forty or so local 'and bisexual' groups come up along with things like the brand new Sector Summary Report on improving sex and relationships education (SRE). There's no specific section on bisexual issues and most of the sections "for gay men" don't appear either. […]

Interestingly, the booklet that Out and About replaced was in some ways much better. True Colours was first published in 1997, with a second edition in 1999. Apart from a superficial redesign, the only three differences between the two I can spot are a mention in the second edition that the age of consent will […]

This booklet is for young men under 18 who think they might be gay or bisexual. Designed with professionals in mind (teachers, school counsellors, youth workers), this accessible and non-explicit resource covers common anxieties that young gay or bisexual men may face such as telling people, meeting others, sexual health and where to go for […]

Written for men who don't have HIV, this booklet is for men who have sex with other men. It provides basic information about sex between men, has tips that can make sex better and information about how to make sex safer. This was the one that had me jumping up and down in anger and […]

Designed to be given out at cruising sites and venues by outreach workers, this credit card sized leaflet provides information and support for men who have sex with men. The exception. As far as I can see, this is the only really worthwhile publication for bisexual men (albeit aimed at non-identified ones using public sex […]

"All you'll ever need to know about your arse and his (sic)" Written in a friendly and accessible style, this gay man's guide to anal health covers a wide variety of topics. Using a mixture of illustrations and graphics it explains how the arse works, what it does, how it relates to other parts of […]

This sister publication to The Bottom Line, deals with the penis and testicles and how to stay healthy. It covers anatomy; sexual activities; sexual problems; and a range of issues from testicular cancer to sexual dysfunction, and oral sex technique to HIV and sexually transmitted infections. Complete with information about useful books, web sites and […]

A guide to sexually transmitted infections. Many men will get a sexually transmitted infection at some time – even if haveing (sic) safer sex or sex with only a few men. This helpful manual takes an in-depth look at sexually transmitted infections, exploring what they are, how they are passed on, how to tell if […]

That CHAPS should work with bisexual men is still clearly acknowledged. The Field Guide is the CHAPS manual on applying Making It Count, the strategic overview of CHAPS, to health promotion activity with homosexually active men. Both are now in their third editions. It distinguishes (p64) "between those who are exclusively homosexually active men (ExHAM), […]

THT has received millions of pounds from the Department of Health for work with gay and bisexual men as part of the CHAPS partnership. My complaint is that it has either ignored or at best paid lip service to the "and bisexual" bit. There's some history behind this, including the whole story of the initial […]

CHAPS is was the Community HIV and Aids Prevention Strategy, a partnership of several organisations led by the Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) coming together for health promotion to gay and bisexual men. If you want the official website, it's www.chapsonline.org.uk (Update: it was – that site no longer exists and presumably all the content is […]