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Little j
Queer health
What is "queer health"? Well, here at Little j we recognise everyone has a unique perspective of health and what that means to them, including terms/titles used to describe themselves and others.
Now with that said! We are NOT health experts, what is a good healthy lifestyle to one person could be something completely different to another. As such, we have identified some issues that we feel are particularly prominent in our community and want to signpost to better organisations that have the expertise we lack and let individuals pick what support they need at this time to be their best selves.
Mind is a charity-run organisation that deals with a wide variety of mental health issues.
Poor mental health occurs for a vast array of distinct reasons. Because of this, Mind have catered to the queer community and created pages specific to different identities, including Lesbian/Gay, Bi+, Trans and non-binary, Intersex and Ace and Aro, with relevant support and advice as well as further links/support to access for those in need.
They say: “Being LGBTQIA+ isn't a mental health problem. And it doesn't cause mental health problems. But those of us who are LGBTQIA+ often face difficult experiences, like discrimination and stigma. These experiences can affect our mental health.”
Queer health is a fantastic resource with a wide variety of queer health resources for the community by the community. They have a funky vibe aimed at a younger audience, but the information is well researched and of excellent quality!
"Many of the narratives around queer health relate to biomedical interventions: testing, probing, prodding, diagnosing us, treating us, pathologising us and our bodies. Given the history and politics of The Love Tank, and the people we work alongside, 'health' means way more to us than the absence of disease. Health - and actions to enable us to be healthier - includes making our worlds safer and more nurturing; making sure we can live and thrive without fear of discrimination and harm; ensuring our streets, 'hoods and our planet aren't polluted; fighting against poverty, inequalities and hatred; and building services and resources by us and for us."
I’m sure to most people, MESMAC need no introduction. However, they offer a vital sexual health service for the community, among other services. Although they don't have a footprint in York, they can still be seen around events, including Pride.
They say: "Yorkshire MESMAC is one of the oldest and largest sexual health organisations in the country. We offer services to various communities across Yorkshire, including men who have sex with men, people of colour and other marginalised races, people misusing drugs, sex workers and LGBT+ young people and adults."
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Yorkshire MESMAC provides a range of services across Leeds, Bradford, Rotherham and Hull.
All of their offices provide:
Free, rapid and confidential HIV testing / Condoms and lubricant / Consultancy / Counselling / Information and resources / Meeting rooms and training space / Outreach to the commercial gay scene, cruising areas and public toilets / Support for individuals and community groups / Training."
PrEP
PrEP is a huge topic, and as we have already said, we're no experts, so here are some excerpts and further resources. We fully encourage you to perform your own research from varied reputable sources to make an informed health decision prior to starting PrEP.
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NHS - "Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is used to reduce the risk of getting HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). PrEP works by stopping HIV from getting into your body and making copies of itself (replicating). You'll only be protected from HIV infection if there are high enough levels of PrEP in your body, so it's important to take it correctly."
i-base - Is a HIV i-Base is an HIV treatment activist organisation, founded in April 2000. They offer a full UK guide to PrEP.
"PrEP is more than 99% effective. Very few people become HIV positive when taking PrEP as prescribed."
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MESMAC - "PrEP is now available for free on the NHS through your local sexual health clinics to anyone, regardless of your immigration status. There may be a slight waiting list, and the easiest way to get on that list is to call your local clinic and ask to speak to someone about PrEP. They will take your details and a consultant will call you back to discuss how appropriate PrEP is for you. If you'd like help accessing PrEP, contact your local MESMAC office."​​
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