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HIV Immunity – Interesting stuff

Author: October 21, 2011 0 Comments

What if you’re immune to HIV?
OPEN WIDE
What would you do with that knowledge?
Bill Coleman     Vancouver      Thursday, September 22, 2011
In the last decade, studies have shown that a very small percentage of people seem to be almost totally immune to HIV.In 2005, American journalist Randy Dotinga summarized the early findings like this: “An estimated one percent of people descended from Northern Europeans are virtually immune to AIDS infection… All those with the highest level of HIV immunity share a pair of mutated genes — one in each chromosome — that prevent their immune cells from developing a ‘receptor’ tht lets the AIDS virus break in. If the so-called CCR5 receptor — which scientists say is akin to a lock — isn’t there, the virus can’t break into the cell and take it over.”“To be protected,” Dotinga continues, “people must inherit the genes from both parents; those who inherit a mutated gene from just one parent will end up with greater resistance to HIV than other people, but they won’t be immune.”One study from 2001 in Science Daily reported that persons with the CCR5 gene from only one parent “had a 70 percent reduced risk of HIV infection.”Reports that I have read suggest that between one and three percent of Northern Europeans are “immune” overall, and about 10 to 15 percent have greater resistance to HIV. So it seems as if a few people are genetically predisposed to block the virus from their bodies almost, but not quite, 100 percent of the time. We just don’t hear about them very often.Thousands of organizations around the world broadcast HIV messages on a regular basis, but very few of them talk about immunity, probably because they’re concerned that some people might take the possibility of immunity as a licence to practise unsafe sex.Two organizations were so alarmed they reportedly pressured a genetic testing company to stop offering a CCR5 test to gay men. A 2007 brief from the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations describes an Australian company, delta32.com.au, that advertised CCR5 testing on gaydar.com.au but closed its website after receiving complaints about the test being offered to gay guys.

I found links to other websites that test for the CCR5 gene, but they too have closed down or did not reply to my emails. Still, the test is available to the public.

But before we discuss where to find it, there are a few important questions to consider: Would you want to know if you are immune to HIV? What would you do with that knowledge?

Would you stop using condoms?

Would you believe someone who tells you they’re immune to HIV so they don’t have to use a condom to fuck you? (What about other STIs?)

If you are an HIV-positive guy, would you want to know if you had one of the genes that make it less likely to have complications from HIV?

How much would it be worth to you to find out if you are immune to HIV?

These are all interesting and difficult questions. But I think the real question is: should you have the right to know that you might be immune to HIV?

Is it better that we not know that HIV immunity exists? Does this make a better and safer society?

I have no clear answers. But I tend to believe that honesty and transparency make for a better society. I do not think there are many times that hiding information from the public is a good idea.

So I did a great deal of searching online to find someplace where you might find out if you have the CCR5 gene and, if you do, whether you have it from one parent (partial immunity) or both (almost complete immunity).

There is a company in the US called 23andme that does a broad range of genetic tests, including testing for the CCR5 gene. To order the kit and for instructions on how to send them a saliva sample, go to  23andme.com/store. The test costs $209 (US). To see an example of the report you will receive, look at: https://www.23andme.com/health/resistance-to-hiv-aids/.

I assume there are other places that test for HIV immunity, too, but I could not find them. I hope that readers will post addresses of other places, if they find them, on xtra.ca as a comment to this column.

Do I think that, armed with the knowledge of immunity, people might practise more unsafe sex? Probably.  Is it their right to make that decision for themselves? Yes, that’s always been our right.

HIV STI info, Interesting stuff for gay guys, Xtra newspaper columns

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Gay guys and drugs

Author: October 21, 2011 0 Comments

Using drugs to feel free
OPEN WIDE / No surprise that many gay people use to feel uninhibited
Bill Coleman / Vancouver / Thursday, October 20, 2011

Is there anything wrong with using drugs occasionally? Only when they cause problems for the person using them, leading to destructive choices, unsafe behaviour and disrupted relationships.

Personally, I’d like to try most drugs in my lifetime, but I haven’t reached that goal yet.

The common (and, it seems to me, flawed) way to approach substance use is to focus on the drug rather than the user’s reasons for consuming it excessively. These can vary, but often we’re hoping to feel free and uninhibited.

Crystal meth is a good example of this. It can allow guys to feel sexually free and give them the chance to be the sex pigs they long to be but can’t when they’re sober.

Alcohol also allows people to feel less inhibited, while cocaine can help us feel less vulnerable and more in control. Marijuana can leave us more mellow and relaxed.

So the common theme behind much of this substance use is the way it compensates for feeling inhibited. In other words, we do not feel free enough to be ourselves without drugs.

Many of us learned at an early age to hide our sexuality, to conceal our true selves, to inhibit our natural feelings. It is no surprise, then, that many members of our community seek drugs that help us feel freer to be ourselves.

Those of us of a certain generation grew up knowing there were very real risks to revealing our sexuality. We could be bashed, bullied, cast out by family and friends, and denied career advancement.

Some of us are made stronger by these experiences; they make us confident that we can handle what comes our way. Others remain afraid of a world that seems unsafe and unfair. For most of us it is a bit of both. (I think part of the reason I got a PhD was to prove I was okay and acceptable.)

Excessive drug use is not the problem; it’s a symptom of trying to cope with the fears and inhibitions in our lives.

So the question is, if we’re doing drugs to compensate for our inhibitions, how can we get the same result without the problematic substance use?

Or, put another way, how can we feel free enough to unleash our inner sex pig without resorting to crystal meth? (Most guys say the actual orgasm on meth is less important than the feeling of sexual freedom.)

We all use substances to help us feel better, whether it’s coffee, alcohol, chocolate or meth. Do these substances bring us closer to being the person we feel good being? Do they make us happier, freer people?

If these substances do not contribute to our ultimate happiness, then we may want to make some changes. We may want to drop the dose or try a different drug, or try a drug-free encounter altogether. We may need a hand in making these choices.

But we’d be wise to face and understand our fears and inhibitions, even as we work on ways to change our habits.

Drug use isn’t a bad thing as long as it’s compatible with our being our best selves; it shouldn’t be a crutch to feel freer without facing our fears.

Regardless of your level of drug consumption, dare to seek your true, strong self. Ultimately, it will be more freeing than any drug you ingest.

Bill Coleman is a psychotherapist who has worked in STI clinics for 20 years. His column runs monthly in Xtra Vancouver.

Xtra newspaper columns

About Bill Coleman

Author: October 21, 2011 0 Comments

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Bill Coleman

Trained in psychology, Bill has devoted a major portion of his career to treatment, training and program development in the field of sexually transmitted disease with a particular focus on HIV. Working in North America, Europe,Africa and Asia he has cultivated his craft in many different cultural settings.

 

In practice and in life, he combines frank realism with unflinching humanism.  He believes in people, whatever their particular circumstance, and their capacity to find their way.  Bill has developed keen sensitivities for authenticity and fairness.  He is alert to ways in which organizations and systems may exert power over individuals, or for that matter, how one individual may exercise power over another.  Fittingly, his model for peer counselling specifically address these issues. His basic working premise is that when people feel safe, understood and supported, the will naturally enter into honest self-exploration and change.He currently operates a private practice and lives in Vancouver providing counselling to clients as well as consultation and training to agencies and organizations.Bill has worked as a psychologist for over 20 years working with gay men and forensic patients.  He moved to Amsterdam in 2001 and  returned to Vancouver in 2008.Bill wrote monthly columns on gay health  in Xtra – a local gay newspaper.  He is continuing his work as a psychotherapist, mostly with gay guys in Vancouver. Bill has taught counselling and has developed a video of his training method for peer counsellors.  The videos are available for viewing on this blog. Below is Bill’s resume and qualifications.

 

 

 

BILL COLEMAN, PhD
1160 Burrard St.
Vancouver BC  V6Z 2E8
778 320 4850
Email:  bcxca@yahoo.com

 PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors                 Registration number 3287

Canadian Psychological Association                                         Registration number 3099

 

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Clinical Counselling and Consultation, Vancouver, Canada                   September 2008 – present

Private Practice

  • Provided clinical counselling to clients with a focus on: sexuality, men’s health, HIV, gay issues, and relationships
  • Delivered consultation services to Amerisourcebergen,  , Spectrum Health and Downtown Infectious Diseases Clinic to provide counselling for HIV positive persons who are taking Kaletra
  • Provided workplace mediation consultation services  to clients including the Positive Living Society
  • Contributed to a monthly column in Xtra West sharing expertise in gay men’s health

 

The University of British Columbia Medical School                                          August 2008 – 2012

British Columbia Centre for Disease Control

Faculty Appointment

  • Provided consultation on research design and development of a 5 year CIHR funded grant investigating the provision of social support for newly infected HIV+ gay men
  • Developed a training program for training peer counsellors
  • Supervision of peer counsellors working with newly diagnosed HIV+ gay men

 

British Columbia Persons with AIDS Society                                         October 2009 –November 2009

 

  • Provided training to peer counsellors to support people living with HIV through Lighthouse Society in the Fraser Valley

 

Health Imitative for Men (HIM), Vancouver, Canada                                    October 2010 – March 2014

Vancouver, Canada

Counsellor Trainer

  • Trained peer counsellors to provide counselling to  HIM’s clients and supervised peer counsellors

The NANNIE Method, Vancouver, Canada                                                                         November 2010

Peer Counselling training DVD development and production

  • Developed the NANNIE method of peer counselling
  • Produced hour long DVD training video to demonstrate use of the NANNIE method amongst peer counsellors.  Funded by Health Canada Grant

 

Artsen Zonder Grenzen, Amsterdam, Netherlands                                       April 2004-August 2008

(Doctors Without Borders)

Clinical Psychologist and Counsellor Trainer

  • Provided training for peers to support those suffering from post-war trauma
  • Provided training for peers to support to persons with HIV
  • Trained field counsellors and health professionals to support patients in war affected areas

 

Dr. Peter Centre, Vancouver, Canada                                                                April 2000- August 2002 Clinical Psychologist

  • Consulted with management on harm reduction and provided staff counselling training in harm reduction and safe injection sites

 

British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, Canada         April 1991- August 2002

Clinical Psychologist   

  • Counselled patients and provided risk reduction training to patients newly diagnosed with sexually transmitted diseases and/or HIV

 

Canadian Psychological Association, Ottawa, Canada              November 1997 – September 1999

Chair and Organising Committee Member

  • Organized “AIDS IMPACT, International Conference on the Psychosocial Aspects of HIV Infection”

 

Adult Forensic Psychiatric Outpatient Services, Canada                          January 1986- April 2002

Ministry of Health  BC

Clinical Psychologist

  • Provided group and individual therapy to individuals including sex offenders, drug and alcohol abusers and persons with antisocial personalities
  • Performed comprehensive assessments and prepared court reports

 

Prince George Health Unit, Prince George, Canada                        October 1992 – November 1998

PWA / HIV+ Counselling

Prince George AIDS Society, Prince George, Canada                                                                1991-1996

Consultant and Trainer

Mental Health Services, Prince George, Canada                                           August 1988 – April 1989

Clinical Psychologist

  • Assessed and treated young offenders

 

Mental Health Services, Kamloops and 100 Mile House, Canada                May 1984 – April 1987

Clinical Psychologist

  • Young offender assessment and treatment.

 

Children’s Service Centre, City of Calgary, Canada                          September 1982 – August 1983

Clinical Psychologist/Administrator

  • Provided individual and group counselling, staff training, consultant to staff, supervise social worker. The centre housed 102 children from age 8 – 19.

 

Solicitor General Alberta & Calgary General Hospital, Canada       April 1981 – September 1982

Clinical Psychologist, Forensic Outpatient Clinic

  • Assessed and treated inmates on remand
  • Assessed and treated offenders in Calgary and other communities and jails in southern Alberta

 

Corrections Canada, Drumheller and Bowden, Canada                             May 1977 – January 1981

Clinical Psychologist

  • Provided parole assessments, group therapy, individual treatment, local staff training, member of a team that designed a national prison guard hostage negotiating training package

 

 

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Counseling Europe, Den Haag, Netherlands                                     February  2003 – January 2006

  • Taught advanced counselling skills in the last year of a 3 year certificate course in counselling
  • Provided supervision of advanced counsellors in Training

 

Health Canada Grant, Prepare and publish a training program for teaching counselling skills to persons in Canada on HIV and AIDS                                                                 April 1995 – July 2000

  • Chaired the working group and prepared modules on: HIV and Substance Use, and Counselling Recently Diagnosed Persons with HIV; in Phase, A Program in HIV/AIDS Education, Psychological Aspects of HIV/AIDS, Training Modules.

 

Vancouver Community College, Vancouver, Canada                            April 1989 – December 1989

Instructor Counselling Skills Program: Group Therapy Course

Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada                                                January 1988 – April 1988

Instructor Criminology Department:  Criminology 417 “Special Topics -The Sex Offender”

Cariboo College, Kamloops, Canada                                                          September 1983 – April 1984

Instructor Psychology Department:  Introductory Psychology

Northern Lights College, Dawson Creek & Ft St John, Canada         September 1976 – April 1977

Counsellor for Student Services

Psychology Instructor: Social Psychology; Psychology of Adjustment

Okanagan College, Vernon, Canada                                                                      August 1975 – May 1976

Psychology Instructor: Introductory Psychology; Social Psychology; Psychology of Adjustment

 

ACAEDMIC Publications

Taylor,D., Steinberg, M., Harris, P., Doupe, G., Coleman,B., Spencer, D., Rees, J., Tigchelaar, J., Sandstra, I.,Oglvie, G., Rekart, M. L., BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, (2007) Psychological Influences on Sexual Risk-Taking Among HIV Positive MSM, International Society for Sexually Transmitted Diseases Research, Seattle, USA.

Coleman, B. (2002) Understanding Risks, Canadian Association of Nurses in AIDS Care Conference, Vancouver, BC.

Preece, M,  Viljoen, H, Coleman, B., (2001), Development of an Instrument to Assess Psychosocial Programming Needs in a Forensic Psychiatric Population: Some Preliminary Findings.  Poster session, Presented to the Founding Conference of the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services, Vancouver April 2001.

Coleman, B. and Miller, M. L. (1996) Emotional reactions and safe sex practices of individuals who are newly diagnosed HIV+. Canadian Health Psychologist 4, 27-29.

Coleman, B. (1996) Learning to talk about sex (workshop at International AIDS Conference, Vancouver.)

Coleman, B. (1996) Tri-National “Response to AIDS” (developed Canada’s presentation at International AIDS Conference, Vancouver.)

Coleman, B. (1995) Emotional needs of HIV+ persons (poster presentation, International Biopsychosocial AIDS conference, Brighton, England).

Coleman, B. (1995) Legal and ethical issues raised by HIV/AIDS (panel member, BC HIV/AIDS Conference).

Coleman, B. (1994) Dealing with death and illness with our clients (presented to Networking Workshop in HIV and AIDS).

Coleman, B. and Miller, M. L. (1994) Counselling in HIV/AIDS (organisers of satellite conference at the BC HIV/AIDS Conference)

Coleman, B. (1993) Psychological and social issues in HIV disease/AIDS (presented to the Northern BC HIV Disease/AIDS Conference).

Coleman, B. (1992) AIDS in the workplace: caring for friends and co-workers (presented at the AGM for the Professional Theatre Assn. of Canada, St. Johns, Newfoundland).

Coleman, B. (1980) Psychological description of medium security federal Inmates. Presented to the Psychological Association of Alberta.

Coleman, B. (1980) Training correctional staff in human relations skills. Presented to the Psychological Association of Alberta.

Proctor, S. and Coleman, B. (1971) A volunteer crisis intervention centre on a University campus. Present to the American Psychological Assn. (Rocky Mountain Division).

 

EDUCATION

Ph.D. Clinical and Community Psychology, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada    1985

Thesis: The Personality and Social Support System of the Property and Violent Offender

 

M.Sc. Clinical and Counselling Psychology, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada    1975

Thesis: Effects of Counsellor-Client Conceptual Systems in Counselling

 

B.Sc. Clinical and Social Psychology, University of Utah, Utah, USA          1972

 

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

Elected to co-chair with the Chief of Police the Diversity Advisory Committee                                       2001 – 2002

Invited to be participate in International “Think Tank” on Gay Health Issues                                        2001 – 2002

Board member of Community Based Research Society of Vancouver                                                        1999 – 2003

Member, appointed to Vancouver City Police “Diversity Advisory Committee” to advise the Chief of Police on diversity Issues                                                                                                                                                         1996 – 2002

Chair, “Working Group” for Canadian Psychological Association, (funded by Health Canada), to prepare and present HIV/AIDS training for counsellors across Canada                                                                            1995 – 1997

Pacific Foundation for the Advancement Of Minority Equality, (The Gay and Lesbian Centre):  Chair of the Board                                                                                                                                                                           1994 – 1995

Pacific Foundation for The Advancement Of Minority Equality, (The Gay and Lesbian Centre):  Member of the Board                                                                                                                                                                           1993 – 1997

AIDS Vancouver:  Treasurer                                                                                                                                  1992 – 1993

AIDS Vancouver:  Member of the Board                                                                                                            1989 – 1993

Pacific Foundation for the Advancement of Minority Equality, (The Gay and Lesbian Centre):  Established a “Free Counselling Centre;” volunteer counsellor at the “free clinic.”                                                                       1988                                                                         B. C. Psychological Association:  Board Member – Chair of Member Services Committee; adjudicated ethics complaints                                                                                                                                                                              1988

Amnesty International:  Facilitator for amnesty groups in the BC region                                                  1986 – 1990

Thompson Valley Credit Union:  Member of Board of Directors                                                                  1986 – 1987

North Thompson Recreation Society:  President of Society                                                                            1985 -1986

 

SKILLS & INTERESTS

  • Word, PowerPoint, Front Page, Access, Excel, SPSS
  • Squash, Skiing, Biking, Hiking, Volleyball, Walking, Camping, Travel

 

Interesting stuff for gay guys

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