Terrence Higgins Trust, the UK’s first and largest charitable trust for HIV/ AIDS, offers advice and emotional suport to people living with HIV and AIDS.

JULIE WATSON spoke to us about their work with women in Yorkshire.

The Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) formed to highlight the needs of people living with and affected by HIV, and this has been fundamental to the development of THT as an organisation. As the shape of the AIDS pandemic changed and continues to change, THT has responded, existing services have been developed and new services introduced to meet the ever-changing demands.

THT states its three main aims as:

• to reduce the spread of HIV and promote good sexual health;
• to provide services which improve the health and quality of life of those affected
• to campaign for greater public understanding of the personal, social & medical impact of HIV/AIDS

THT Yorkshire provides a number of services and resources for those affected in this region. These include employment and training, housing advice, welfare benefits advice, respite care, access to complementary and one to one support. THT also organises support groups for those living with HIV and AIDS.

The Women's Group provides a safe and comfortable space to promote friendships and peer-support for women living with HIV and AIDS in the Yorkshire area. It is used as a source of emotional support for those who are newly diagnosed as well as an informal and relaxed social setting for people living with HIV and AIDS.

At the moment, the vast majority of women participating in the women's group are women who were bon on the African continent who now live in the UK as Asylum Seekers, Refugees or naturalised UK citizens. In fact, 40% of all THT Yorkshire's clients are now of African origin, and this percentage is much more like 90% for female clients. In recent years, there has also been an increase in the number of women from other EU countries.

The women's group is especially important for these vulnerable client groups. Extra support can be given to understand any written information with respect to treatments, benefits etc. The peer support aspect has been shown to go a long way towards helping women accept and live with their HIV positive status. After all, many of these women have come to this country alone and can feel very isolated. There also quite often remain echoes of the stigma attached to HIV from their country of origin.

Should demand for these services remain high, THT may consider seeking to fund a specific "African Worker" post in the new year. In the mean time, THT remains a valuable resource for Supported Housing Workers who may have little experience or expertise in dealing with clients with HIV and AIDS.

The work of THT Yorkshire will be highlighted in a Channel 5 "Fly on the Wall" documentary early in the new year, which follows the efforts of a person with HIV in raising awareness.

THT Asylum Seekers CampaignTHT has launched an e-campaign against compulsory HIV testing for Asylum Seekers in the UK, following statements made by UK government ministers that suggest they may be prepared to break international treaties and require all asylum seekers to test for HIV. This breaks international agreements and would do nothing to protect the existing UK population. For more information visit www.tht.org.uk and click on "Campaign".