Clinic aids gays

After 18 years of providing medical advice and treatment to female prostitutes, the "Anonymous Clinics" operated by the Thai Red Cross Society (TRCS) are now offering a new service - helping gay men.

TRCS Aids Research Centre chief Prof Dr Praphan Phanaphak, who supervises the project, said the 10,000 "patients" that visit the clinics are more or less divided equally among the "three sexes" - women of all professions, straight men, and gay men. The rise in the number of HIV/Aids cases among gay men is the main reason for the new service, he added.

At the clinics located in Bangkok and major provinces, the men can have their blood checked for the possible HIV/Aids virus without having to produce identity documents - a condition required in general cases, especially for minors. He said the number of positive HIV/Aids cases was on the rise, with 17 per cent among women, 10 per cent among straight men and 30 per cent among gay men.

Staff at these clinics are educated in sexrelated terminology known widely among gay men. It helps these patients not to feel awkward when explaining about their sex activities - which can possibly lead to the contraction of HIV - and leads to a more comfortable treatment.

The terms used are explicit, but clear definitions of their sex activities are needed so that doctors and the medical staff can analyse and diagnose each case more easily. Also, a number of staff themselves are also gay; they either volunteer or are hired by the clinics.

Apart from HIV/Aids, the most common diseases found among gay men is anal cancer, especially those who perform the feminine role widely known as "queen gays". It is caused by human papillomavirus, the same virus that is responsible for cervical cancer in women. But there are more than 30 variants found in gay men through sodomy.

Anal cancer is rare and most cases are reported among gay men, whose chance of contracting it is 40 times higher than straight men. Gay men with HIV/Aids face a risk twice greater than gay men without HIV/Aids, or 80 times more than straight men.

Dr Praphan has urged gay men to visit the clinics to check for several venereal diseases; the service fee is only Bt200. He adds that anal cancer is curable if detected in early stages. People who bleed from their anus and experience pain or mucus from the rectum are advised not to mistake them as hemorrhoids.

Sara, a clinic client, said he felt comfortable with likeminded staff.  He was always worried about meeting friends when visiting other hospitals to check for HIV/Aids. He said he was happy with the gay staff members, who were familiar with gay sex and its terminology.