Re: Condoms.
 

Lettie mentioned the stigma attached to AIDS in the mid 80's. I thought I'd just remind us here that Accrington made the national papers when the owner of Plus-2 hairdressers hit the headlines and television news because of disinformation.They put up a signs in their window refusing the custom of any gays, because they thought they'd catch the virus from them.

Re: Condoms.
 

er, how did they know potential customers were gay?:rolleyes:

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They all looked like Daffyd from Little Britain of course, the only gay in the village.;)

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The mid 8o's were at time when because of hysteria in the press, particularly the Sun and The Sunday Times, cleaners and even some nurses refused to treat people with HIV, I had a friend whose meals were left outside his hospital door. Theatres were closed to some touring companies because they thought actors might bring infection with them.

Sad days. At least the government campaign at the time resolved some of the fears about how HIV was spread.

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never was a royalist,but what she did was a great help in my opinion.

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With the disease on the increase again then maybe its time for another campaign. I was one of those who was there in the 80's and saw and heard the ignorence first hand. There is now another generation that needs educating on this terrible disease and how to prevent it spreading. It does not discriminate against gender sexual tastes race colour or age. The quicker they learn this the better as too many think medical science has the answer.

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No matter what people thougt of Diana, she was the first public figure in the world to be seen in physical contact with an AIDS patient. She helped break down a lot of barriers.

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She had more balls and understanding of the pain and sufering that is caused by aids that it changed the views of many. Its a pity there are not more famous personalities with here attitude and willing to help. This does not just apply to AIDS but all killer diseases in the world especially concidering what is happing in Africa.

Re: Condoms.
 

Slinky and Willow.....if you suffered miscarriages I might have looked after you. Looking after women who wanted babies and those who didn't was always a contentious issue. What I would say to you both is that you were given the treatment that you needed....as were the women who wanted abortions. People used to ask me how I could work in such an environment and I used to tell them it was easy really......any one of us could be in the situation of being unhappily pregnant........and I felt that I could give help to both situations. I always gave contraceptive advice and information.......it was much harder if the girls came back for a second termination......they would say that they hadn't been given any condoms/pills/information/advice etc........I would flick back in their notes and show them where I had documented exactly what advice and contraception was given. That would stop them in their tracks......I would also explain very graphically that pregnancy wasn't the worst thing that could happen to them...I would outline the risks of STI's. HIV, Hepatitis, Genital Herpes and cervical cancer. I'm sure that some of them left feeling pretty scared, although it wasn't really my aim to scare anyone. I DO feel that without all the information you cannot make a realistic choice about sexual health. I also would point out that there is no such thing as safe sex.......only safER sex.

In relation to the women who lost babies through miscarriage, I, and my colleagues worked tirelessly to get information and support......I was instrumental in the provision of a memorial book and wrote the entries and provided parents with a copy of their own entry.......we wanted a memorial garden and eventually we were successful in getting that.
Women who had late miscarriages were given footprints, hand prints and photographs if this is what they wanted. I am sure that there were women who we couldn't help, but it was not for the want of trying.

And the women who opted for termination of pregnancy.......well, I think they just swopped one set of problems for another. Remember, they have to live for the rest of their lives with the guilt of what they have done......and even those women whose first initial reaction to ending a pregnancy is relief.......I think they MUST think about what they did throughout their lives.

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Blair on occasion goes to a Catholic church because his wife is a Catholic. Blair himself is not.

Under the current law, you are still not allowed a Catholic Monarch or Prime Minister!

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You are right. He does take Mass from a Catholic priest with his family, but he hasn't converted to Catholicism.

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Yes I know, I seem to make a habbit of that!

Still things could always be worse!

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I was certainly no fan of Mrs Thatcher, but at least her government faced the problem head on. The resulting advertising of the fact that you could help to protect yourself, contained the spread of sexually transmitted diseases in the late 80's, unlike now.

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Depends on what could be worse? Possible headline "Tony Blairs son gets society party girl pregnant " Downing Street issue denial as it is not possible. Maybe something like this is needed to spur them on.