"Don't exclude seropositives" 06/12/2007 00:00

Targeted action is now needed because more and more gay men in Belgium are becoming seropositive.

Targeted action is now needed because more and more gay men in Belgium are becoming seropositive.

Saturday was World AIDS Day. This year the emphasis is on ensuring that carriers of the HIV virus that may cause AIDS are not excluded by society.

In Flanders, as across the globe, people are eager to show support for those of us who are seropositive.

Special events calling for the inclusion of HIV positive people were staged across the land. In Brussels people marched to City Hall where a special ceremony was held in support of AIDS victims.

On Friday Princess Mathilde visited the Tropical Medicine Institute in Antwerp.

She talked with several sufferers including one boy who became seropostive following a blood transfusion.

Starting next year visitors to a gay sauna and gay club in Antwerp will be able to get an HIV test on the spot.

The tests are being organised by the sexual health organisation Sensoa, Antwerp University and the Antwerp Tropical Medicine Institute.

Tom Platteau of Sensoa says targeted action is now needed because more and more gay men in Belgium are becoming seropositive.

Visitors will not be obliged to undergo the test. Everything will be voluntary.

Sensoa also intends to promote the initiative by handing out flyers.

The number of gay me who are seropositive doubled in the past 5 years.

At least one in thirty-three gay men in Belgium is believed to carry the virus that may cause AIDS.

(copyright flandersnews.be)