Health
Let's keep our minds and bodies fit! Here you can find news and articles about gay and queer health.
Most gay boys don't go for an HIV test often enough, says AIDS-Hilfe. It was the other way round for me. I really got on the nerves of the health authority in my home town of Magdeburg. And this is how it happened:
Ulrich was probably one of the first Germans to take an HIV test, which must have been in the mid-1980s.
It may sound strange, but my first HIV test was a holiday for me. I was 20, newly in love and my new boyfriend wanted to make things clear, just like me.
Although the "pills to protect against HIV" are not paid for by health insurance companies, more and more gay men here are "on PrEP". Matthias*, 38, spoke to us about his experiences.
"Please do it quickly," Philipp asks his GP when he picks up the result of his very first HIV test. No elaborate explanations! Just know: "Do I have HIV"?
I live with my boyfriend in Berlin in an open relationship. We therefore take it for granted that we should get tested for HIV at least once a year. I now even ask my gay GP for a test every six months.
Transition refers to the harmonisation of trans* people with their actual gender. To put it somewhat casually, it means making visible to the outside world what has long been clear on the inside. Transition is usually a year-long process - which can be very challenging for the trans* person. The three typical levels are briefly outlined below.
Many HIV-positive people experience discrimination in the healthcare sector of all places, i.e. where they are most likely to expect competent, professional handling of their infection. We spoke to those affected who have turned to AIDS-Hilfe. Kerstin Mörsch is a full-time campaigner for the equal treatment of people with HIV.
This shouldn't be a concern for anyone: The Robert Koch Institute is currently reporting an increase in cases of hepatitis A among gay men. This is particularly true for Berlin, but there are also more cases in other cities. The simplest protection: get vaccinated.
