22 February 2008 

Cape Town is in party mode today and will continue until March 2 celebrating Gay Pride. Pride encourages equal rights and benefits for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and the transgender community. The movement has three main premises: that people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity, that sexual diversity is a gift, and that sexual orientation and gender identity are inherent and cannot be intentionally altered. 

In support of Gay Pride, New Start, an HIV counselling and testing NGO will be spreading the word about the importance of HIV testing for gay people, especially amongst gay men.  New Start will be distributing vouchers for free HIV counselling and testing services at New Start's centre at 58 Strand Street in the Cape Town city centre.  

According to New Start Technical Advisor Scott Billy, "HIV prevention amongst men who have sex with men has received little attention in South Africa.  In fact, there are almost no statistics on the issue.  A small study done in the Eastern Cape showed that men who reported same sex sexual contact were more likely than others to be HIV positive.  But internationally, male-to-male sex is a well established risk for HIV transmission.  For example, men who have sex with men make up 68% of men living with HIV in the United States, and gay men make up 45% of all HIV cases in the UK."

Billy continues, "Although New Start is not a specifically gay service, we want all gay people to know that they are welcome at New Start."

People who attend the event will increase their chances of knowing their status as they will be given vouchers entitling them to free testing at any of New Start's mobile voluntary counselling and testing HIV centres at the Pride.  

New Start is a walk in service - no appointment is needed.  New Start's strict confidentiality policy means that clients are not required to give their name.  The HIV test results take only 15 minutes and the entire counselling and testing process takes approximately one hour.  The New Start programme is managed by the Society for Family Health and funded by the South African and United States governments.  For more information on New Start, please go to www.newstart.co.za.