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389
In this edition
From The Editor
As it goes into its 30th year, there’s a very good reason for GCN’s survival, against the odds
Meet Our Contributors
This month’s issue is packed with some pretty meaty content. Here are the people who wrote some of it
Focál Up!
This month we’re having words about…
Friends Like These
In the space of less than a year, dance-pop duo Soi Tukker have gone from unknowns to Grammy-nominated blockbuster hit makers, but before that they’d already built a devoted queer following. It’s a case of mutual admiration, they tell Cian Carroll
Visage Voyage
Michelle Visage has a reputation for tough talking on RuPaul’s Drag Race, a reality talent show that has blossomed into a pop culture phenomenon like no other over the past decade. Will she be bringing the same style of judging to her new role on the panel of Ireland’s Got Talent? And what does Michelle think of the situation back home in America, where the Trump administration is rolling back on many of the things Drag Race stands for? She talks to Brian Finnegan
PrEP Update
While new HIV diagnoses continue to be at an all-time high for gay and bisexual men in Ireland, the government needs to make sure PrEP is fully accessible, says Andrew Leavitt of ACT UP Dublin. Image by Will St Leger
Roma & LGBT+
At a low estimate, there are approximately 500 LGBT+ Roma people living in this country, yet not one has come forward to the organisations that support Travellers and Roma people. This invisibility is rooted in the overall challenges Roma people face in Ireland, as Chris O’Donnell reports
On The Front Lines
In countries where members of the LGBT+ community are systematically attacked, arrested, tortured and murdered, there are courageous activists who stand up to advance queer rights, sometimes at great personal cost. Here Stephen McCabe meets just six poweful individuals on the frontlines of the ight for a world of acceptance
Made In Southeast Asia
A state-sponsored visit by Panti Bliss last year to speak in Southeast Asia about the marriage referendum has put the region on the map for queer Irish travellers. Andrew Byrne checks out two destinations with his gay hat on: Vietnam and Hong Kong
The Intimacy Crisis
While physical sexual health is prioritised and highlighted in the LGBT+ community, emotional sexual health is o en le by the wayside. In a culture that’s increasingly de ned by technological advances, our relationships, or lack thereof, are taking a queer turn, say therapists Sarah Gilligan and Fi Connors
Last Chance To Have Your Say In Sex Survey
An urgent call has been made for men who have
Outing The Past
February will see the debut of Northern Ireland’s first LGBT+
Opinion: Ray O’Neill
“Don’t x your life so that you’re le alone when you come to the middle of it,” is a sage piece of advice given by an older gay man to a young woman in a lm I watched over Christmas. It’s something we could all do well to listen to
Shirley’s Burn Book
This month, Chloe Krumholtz is a fugly fag hag and…
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PrEP Update

While new HIV diagnoses continue to be at an all-time high for gay and bisexual men in Ireland, the government needs to make sure PrEP is fully accessible, says Andrew Leavitt of ACT UP Dublin. Image by Will St Leger.

As of January 2018, preliminary figures released by Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE) show 506 newly reported HIV diagnoses in Ireland in 2017. These latest figures match closely with record high figures of 508 in 2016. It’s clear Ireland has a HIV crisis and one that is disproportionally affecting gay and bisexual men. The good news is that we have the best tools that science can offer to prevent HIV and halt its onward transmission.

PrEP & Clinical Support

Although PrEP has not been widely available or accessible in Ireland, we know that a considerable number of people here have been self-sourcing generic versions of PrEP via online suppliers. With the recent availability of generic PrEP from Irish pharmacies, we expect the number of people using PrEP in Ireland to continue to increase. Getting proper medical support is a crucial part of safely using PrEP, and a number of medical tests are needed before you start and while you continue to use it.

The Gay Men’s Health Service on Baggot Street in Dublin opened the first clinic specifically for people using PrEP in Ireland in November. This walk-in clinic offers users information on how to get and use PrEP, along with a consultation with a supportive doctor who can answer questions about PrEP and provide a prescription. It runs every Thursday morning from 10am to noon.

Just a few weeks later, the Mater Hospital announced the start of its own Prevention Support Clinic for PrEP users. This clinic is by appointment, and to make one you can email psc@mater.ie.

Having access to these dedicated clinical services is a big step forward in meeting the needs of those of us already using PrEP, and in preparing the health services for delivering PrEP when the HSE begins to provide it directly.

Generic PrEP in Ireland

Teva Pharmaceuticals began marketing their generic PrEP product in Irish pharmacies from Monday, December 4, last year. Although prices will be set by individual pharmacies, it’s expected that it will cost between €85 and €100 for a bottle of 30 pills. This is about the same price-range as a similar product that recently became available in the Netherlands. Currently there are over 100 pharmacies in 20 counties stocking generic PrEP. The number of pharmacies stocking PrEP will likely continue to grow and competition between pharmacies may mean prices fall a bit further.

Some key points about this development:

• PrEP is not yet available through the HSE. This product is only available at full retail price. There is no discount for medical card holders or anyone else.

• It’s vital that any potential prescribing doctors and dispensing pharmacists are properly informed about what tests are needed to support PrEP users, and that they understand the different dosing regimens so that they can offer informed guidance to users.

• The availability of generic PrEP in community pharmacies is a result of a private company taking the opportunity to directly market a product because the health service has failed to make it available. Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, the Department of Health or the HSE did not do anything to make this happen.

• It’s imperative that we keep the pressure on the Department of Health and the HSE to make PrEP available and accessible immediately. Teva’s shown that generic companies can offer their product at a fraction of what Gilead asks, removing the biggest obstacle to PrEP access. It’s time for the Department of Health and HSE to become proactive and take advantage of this historic opportunity to deliver PrEP in Ireland.

GetPrep.online

GetPrEP.online is a new website created and launched by a Dublin-based group of individuals to provide information specifically for people living in Ireland about getting and using PrEP. It is entirely volunteer-run and independent of the HSE or any NGOs. All costs related to creating this site were paid using their own funds. GetPrEP.online creators want to ensure that current or potential PrEP users in Ireland can find clear and up-to-date information to support them in making informed decisions about their sexual health.

Visit www.getPrEP.online and see if PrEP is right for you

Visage Voyage
Michelle Visage has a reputation for tough talking on RuPaul’s Drag Race, a reality talent show that has blossomed into a pop culture phenomenon like no other over the past decade. Will she be bringing the same style of judging to her new role on the panel of Ireland’s Got Talent? And what does Michelle think of the situation back home in America, where the Trump administration is rolling back on many of the things Drag Race stands for? She talks to Brian Finnegan
< Go to Previous Article
Roma & LGBT+
At a low estimate, there are approximately 500 LGBT+ Roma people living in this country, yet not one has come forward to the organisations that support Travellers and Roma people. This invisibility is rooted in the overall challenges Roma people face in Ireland, as Chris O’Donnell reports
Go to Next Article >
Roma & LGBT+
At a low estimate, there are approximately 500 LGBT+ Roma people living in this country, yet not one has come forward to the organisations that support Travellers and Roma people. This invisibility is rooted in the overall challenges Roma people face in Ireland, as Chris O’Donnell reports
Go to Next Article >
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338
Go to Page View
From The Editor
As it goes into its 30th year, there’s a very good reason for GCN’s survival, against the odds
Meet Our Contributors
This month’s issue is packed with some pretty meaty content. Here are the people who wrote some of it
Focál Up!
This month we’re having words about…
Friends Like These
In the space of less than a year, dance-pop duo Soi Tukker have gone from unknowns to Grammy-nominated blockbuster hit makers, but before that they’d already built a devoted queer following. It’s a case of mutual admiration, they tell Cian Carroll
Visage Voyage
Michelle Visage has a reputation for tough talking on RuPaul’s Drag Race, a reality talent show that has blossomed into a pop culture phenomenon like no other over the past decade. Will she be bringing the same style of judging to her new role on the panel of Ireland’s Got Talent? And what does Michelle think of the situation back home in America, where the Trump administration is rolling back on many of the things Drag Race stands for? She talks to Brian Finnegan
PrEP Update
While new HIV diagnoses continue to be at an all-time high for gay and bisexual men in Ireland, the government needs to make sure PrEP is fully accessible, says Andrew Leavitt of ACT UP Dublin. Image by Will St Leger
Roma & LGBT+
At a low estimate, there are approximately 500 LGBT+ Roma people living in this country, yet not one has come forward to the organisations that support Travellers and Roma people. This invisibility is rooted in the overall challenges Roma people face in Ireland, as Chris O’Donnell reports
On The Front Lines
In countries where members of the LGBT+ community are systematically attacked, arrested, tortured and murdered, there are courageous activists who stand up to advance queer rights, sometimes at great personal cost. Here Stephen McCabe meets just six poweful individuals on the frontlines of the ight for a world of acceptance
Made In Southeast Asia
A state-sponsored visit by Panti Bliss last year to speak in Southeast Asia about the marriage referendum has put the region on the map for queer Irish travellers. Andrew Byrne checks out two destinations with his gay hat on: Vietnam and Hong Kong
The Intimacy Crisis
While physical sexual health is prioritised and highlighted in the LGBT+ community, emotional sexual health is o en le by the wayside. In a culture that’s increasingly de ned by technological advances, our relationships, or lack thereof, are taking a queer turn, say therapists Sarah Gilligan and Fi Connors
Last Chance To Have Your Say In Sex Survey
An urgent call has been made for men who have
Outing The Past
February will see the debut of Northern Ireland’s first LGBT+
Opinion: Ray O’Neill
“Don’t x your life so that you’re le alone when you come to the middle of it,” is a sage piece of advice given by an older gay man to a young woman in a lm I watched over Christmas. It’s something we could all do well to listen to
Shirley’s Burn Book
This month, Chloe Krumholtz is a fugly fag hag and…
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