‘Tis The Season For Overindulgence ♫

Many people overdo it at Christmas, celebrating with friends and family, non-stop eating, drinking and late nights can leave us feeling tired, sluggish and quite often, a little poorly if we’ve eaten or drunk too much.  A lot of people with HIV generally have a healthy diet and lifestyle, and may only overindulge once or twice a year, if that’s you, then you’ll have no problems going back to eating sensibly after the holiday season, festive excesses aren’t likely to have a long-term, damaging effect on your health or your weight.  However, the short term strain that too much rich food and alcohol puts on your body can still leave you feeling bloated and out of sorts, when all you need is your body to get back to normal.

An average person can consume as much as 7,000 calories on Christmas Day, (that’s three and a half times the recommended daily intake for a woman.)  As well as dehydrating us and putting a strain on our liver, excessive consumption of alcohol can also make us feel unwell, and ill-equipped to handle a detox correctly.

When the festivities are finally over, there are a few sensible, gimmick-free steps that you can take to help you and your body get back on the road to feeling better.

Get Moving

It’s a cliché, but exercise really is the best way to make your body and metabolism work together so it can make use of the nutrition it’s received over the past few days.  A 30 minute walk is good for your heart, lungs, muscles and bones, as well as improving your mood and giving you a sense of wellbeing.  So instead of watching reruns of Christmas TV, get yourself off the sofa and go out for a stroll!

Be kind to your body

If you’ve over-indulged in rich, fatty, sugary foods with alcohol, if your inclined, your body needs time to recuperate.  You should try to avoid red meats, dairy products and processed foods and opt for lots of fruit and vegetables and wholegrain foods instead.  And one of the best things to drink is water (no surprise there), but did you know that the additional salt and alcohol we consume dehydrates the body, so it’s best to re-hydrate.  If you can’t manage full glasses, frequently just try a glass of water with your cup of tea, coffee or soft drink.  Combined with exercise, you’ll start to feel the benefits almost immediately!

Don’t Forget Protein!

Proteins are extremely important for your diet as they are the building blocks of your cells, muscles, organs, and more importantly, your immune system!  If your body doesn’t get the protein it needs from food, it will start using the protein it has stored up which can result in a weakening of your immune system.  A good rule of thumb for a HIV positive person is 100 to 150 grams of protein per day for men, and 80 to 100 grams of protein per day for women.

Energy & Fat (yes, fat)!

You can rebuild your energy by eating complex carbohydrates, that’s food items such as grains and beans, rice and pasta.  While eating complex carbohydrates, try to focus on foods such as white bread, pasta and potatoes.  These carbohydrates are richer in nutrients and the body absorbs them slower, helping to sustain you while you are between meals.

While carbohydrates help you get energy, fat is what helps the body store energy for later use.  For HIV positive people, doctors recommend a fat intake of less than 30 percent of your daily caloric intake.  Also make sure you are getting the appropriate amounts of fat, sometimes, people with HIV experience an increase in cholesterol because of interactions with medications so it’s important to watch your fat consumption. It is recommended that of that 30 percent, 7 percent be saturated fat from foods like whole milk, butter and fatty meats. The rest of the fat should come from nuts, fish, seeds, canola oil and soy.

If you’d like to know more about HIV and Nutrition, visit Avert, who have comprehensive information and advice on diet, supplements and nutrition.

You can also visit Web MD, National AIDS Trust or Positive Nation for some helpful nutrition information or learn about about eating a balanced diet on the NHS Choices website at: www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/the-eatwell-guide.aspx.

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Healthcare Christmas Opening Times throughout Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland

At the time of year when the entire health system comes under increased pressure, people in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland are being reminded to choose the right health service if they or a member of their family begin to feel unwell this winter.

All GP practices across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland will be open until Friday 23^rd December. Practices will re-open on the 28^th December with normal service as well as 29th and 30th December, between Christmas and New Year. Practices will re- open again on Tuesday January 2, 2017. Where some practices in the city would normally close at lunch time on the Thursday before Christmas, in this case 22nd December, practices will be remaining open for the full duration of the day to provide more appointments to patients before Christmas.

In addition the following practices in the city will be opening on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve for their own patients only:

GP Practice	Date	Times
Parker Drive Manor Medical Centre	Saturday 24 December Saturday 31 December	8.00am – 1.00pm 8.00am – 1.00pm
Merridale Medical Centre	Saturday 24 December Saturday 31 December	8.30am – 12.30pm
The Practice, Beaumont Leys	Saturday 24 December Saturday 31 December	8.00am – 10.00am

Healthcare Hubs Over Christmas

Patients can get an appointment with a GP or an advanced nurse practitioner at one of the hubs everyday over the holiday period, including Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Patients that are registered with any Leicester City GP practice can use the Westcotes hub from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week, or the Belgrave and Saffron hubs, which open weekdays 6.30pm to 10pm and on weekends and bank holidays 12 noon to 8pm.

Healthcare Hub	Address
Westcotes Medical Practice	Westcotes Health Centre, Fosse Road South, Leicester, LE3 0LP.
Brandon Street Surgery	Belgrave Health Centre, 52 Brandon Street, Leicester, LE4 6AW.
Saffron Surgery	612 Saffron Lane, Leicester, LE2 6TD.

Appointments can be made by calling 0116 366 0560 or NHS 111 from 8am to 10pm, 7 days a week. It is the same number for all the hubs, which are located in three areas of the city. More information on the hub opening times can be found here: https://www.leicestercityccg.nhs.uk/find-a-service/healthcare-hubs/.

The three CCGs across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland want to ensure that people who need healthcare over the Christmas and New Year holidays are able to find the right service for their needs.

Anyone who needs immediate medical attention should call NHS 111, unless it is a life threatening emergency. Trained call handlers will assess any symptoms and direct patients to the most appropriate source of care.

Patients can also visit walk-in and urgent care centres across the city and county which offer quick, professional healthcare and can treat minor burns, cuts and wounds, infections and rashes, as well as stomach ache, vomiting and diarrhoea.

Merlyn Vaz Walk in Centre
Spinney Hill Road
Leicester
LE5 3GH
Tel: 0116 242 9450
Open: Daily 8am – 8pm

Leicester Urgent Care Centre
Balmoral Building
Infirmary Close
Leicester
LE1 5WW
Tel: via the NHS 111 service
Open: 24 hours a day, every day

Urgent Care Centre Loughborough
Loughborough Hospital
Urgent Care Centre
Hospital Way
Loughborough
LE11 5JY
Tel: 01509 568800
Open: 24 hours a day, 365 days a year

Market Harborough District Hospital
58 Coventry Road
Market Harborough
LE16 9DD
Open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 9pm
Saturday and Sunday 9am to 7pm
Bank holidays 9am to 7pm

Melton Mowbray Hospital
Thorpe Road
Melton Mowbray, LE13 1SJ
Open Monday to Friday 5pm to 9pm
Saturday and Sunday 9am to 7pm
Bank holidays 9am to 7pm

Oadby Urgent Care Centre
18 The Parade
Oadby, LE2 5BJ
Open 8am to 9pm
Saturday and Sunday 8am to 8pm
Bank holidays 8am to 8pm 

Rutland Memorial Hospital
Cold Overton Road
Oakham
Rutland, LE15 6NT
Open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 9pm
Saturday and Sunday 9am to 7pm
Open bank holidays 9am to 7pm

Professor Azhar Farooqi, a GP and Chair of Leicester City Clinical Commissioning Group speaking on behalf of the three CCGs, said:  “There are many health services available across the city and county. If you feel unwell but not sure which health service to use, call NHS111 whose trained call handlers can give you the right advice.

“Don’t forget your local pharmacy if you have a minor illness over the holidays. They can provide health advice and over the counter medicines conveniently in everyone’s local community.

“It is also important to remember that if you are very poorly, particularly if you are older or have a long term health condition, not to delay seeking treatment or advice. Often at this time of year people don’t want to bother busy services, but we would rather you did seek help to avoid your condition becoming very serious and you need to be admitted to hospital.”

Details of local pharmacy opening times over the Christmas and New Year holidays are available at

https://www.leicestercityccg.nhs.uk/find-a-service/which-service-is-best/your-local-pharmacy/.

LASS SEASONAL OPENING TIMES

We are closed throughout Christmas and New Year.  Our office closes this Friday, (23rd December).  We re-open on Tuesday, 3rd January 2017

EMERGENCIES

There are a number of places that you can turn to for HIV/AIDS related help and advice.  The following web page lists services and support available for HIV, AIDS and sexual health in Leicester and Leicestershire  http://www.leicestersexualhealth.nhs.uk/getting-tested-and-clinics/clinics/

PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis)

PEP is a course of HIV medication which you can take if you have been at risk of HIV infection. The course of HIV medication lasts 28 days and, if you start taking it within 72 hours of putting yourself at risk, it may be able to prevent you from becoming infected with HIV.  Further information on PEP can be found from the following link: http://www.aidsmap.com/Post-exposure-prophylaxis-PEP/page/1044883/

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Merry Christmas! (And our opening times over Christmas and New Year)!

As the Holiday Season is upon us, we find ourselves reflecting on the past year and on those who have helped to shape our organisation, our service users, volunteers and partner agencies.

We value our friendships with you and look forward to working with you in the year to come.

With appreciation to you all, the staff at LASS wish you a very merry Christmas and extend our best wishes for a happy New Year filled with peace and prosperity.

Seasonal opening times

We are closed throughout Christmas and New Year.  Our office closes on Friday, 23rd December.  We re-open on Tuesday, 3rd January 2017

EMERGENCIES

There are a number of places that you can turn to for HIV/AIDS related help and advice.  The following web page lists services and support available for HIV, AIDS and sexual health in Leicester and Leicestershire http://www.leicestersexualhealth.nhs.uk/getting-tested-and-clinics/clinics/

PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis)

PEP is a course of HIV medication which you can take if you have been at risk of HIV infection. The course of HIV medication lasts 28 days and, if you start taking it within 72 hours of putting yourself at risk, it may be able to prevent you from becoming infected with HIV.  Further information on PEP can be found from the following link: http://www.aidsmap.com/Post-exposure-prophylaxis-PEP/page/1044883/

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Prime Minister Theresa May’s message for World Aids Day

As Prime Minister, I am proud to wear a red ribbon on World Aids Day, to show my support for people living with HIV in the UK and all across the world.

I am proud too of the role that the UK has played in driving advances in the treatment and prevention of HIV, including of course through the brilliant care and support of our NHS which makes such a difference in the lives of people living with HIV.

But for all the progress in treatment and prevention, public attitudes have not progressed as far or as fast.

The latest UK HIV Stigma Index found that almost one in five respondents living with HIV in the UK have had suicidal thoughts in the past twelve months.

While around half reported feelings such as shame, guilt and low self-esteem in relation to their HIV status.”

This stigma is an unacceptable stain on our society and we have to wipe it out.

Stigma is not just profoundly wrong. It also prevents many of those affected from accessing the testing, treatment and support that they need.

Today around two in five people are diagnosed late – after the point at which treatment should have begun, with a significant impact on their long-term prognosis.

Tackling stigma is one of the ways that we can change this.

So I am proud to support this year’s campaign. HIV Stigma is not retro, just wrong.

I urge you to join me in taking a stand and leaving this stigma where it belongs: in the past.

World AIDS Day Message from Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS

Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations

Today, we commemorate World AIDS Day—we stand in solidarity with the 78 million people who have become infected with HIV and remember the 35 million who have died from AIDS-related illnesses since the first cases of HIV were reported.

Press Release from UNAIDS

The world has committed to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. We are seeing that countries are getting on the Fast-Track—more than 18 million people are on life-saving HIV treatment and country after country is on track to virtually eliminate HIV transmission from mother to child.

We are winning against the AIDS epidemic, but we are not seeing progress everywhere. The number of new HIV infections is not declining among adults, with young women particularly at risk of becoming infected with HIV.

We know that for girls in sub-Saharan Africa, the transition to adulthood is a particularly dangerous time. Young women are facing a triple threat: a high risk of HIV infection, low rates of HIV testing and poor adherence to HIV treatment.

Coinfections of people living with HIV, such as tuberculosis (TB), cervical cancer and hepatitis C, are at risk of putting the 2020 target of fewer than 500 000 AIDS-related deaths out of reach. TB caused about a third of AIDS-related deaths in 2015, while women living with HIV are at four to five times greater risk of developing cervical cancer. Taking AIDS out of isolation remains an imperative if the world is to reach the 2020 target.

With access to treatment, people living with HIV are living longer. Investing in treatment is paying off, but people older than 50 who are living with HIV, including people who are on treatment, are at increased risk of developing age-associated noncommunicable diseases, affecting HIV disease progression.

AIDS is not over, but it can be if we tailor the response to individual needs at particular times in life. Whatever our individual situation may be, we all need access to the tools to protect us from HIV and to access antiretroviral medicines should we need them. A life-cycle approach to HIV that finds solutions for everyone at every stage of life can address the complexities of HIV. Risks and challenges change as people go through life, highlighting the need to adapt HIV prevention and treatment strategies from birth to old age.

The success we have achieved so far gives us hope for the future, but as we look ahead we must remember not to be complacent. We cannot stop now. This is the time to move forward together to ensure that all children start their lives free from HIV, that young people and adults grow up and stay free from HIV and that treatment becomes more accessible so that everyone stays AIDS-free.

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

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It’s World AIDS Day and Leicester’s HIV Late Diagnosis rate is 13.8% higher than average.

As the world marks World AIDS day, we remind Leicester city MPs, Leicester City Council and local HIV Charities who have signed up to the Halve It campaign that there is still much work to be done.  (The Halve It Campaign aims to halve the number of new late HIV diagnoses by 2020.  Click here to learn more)

Reality Check

We need a reality check, incredible medical progress has been made in the last 20 years and HIV treatment is now very effective.  HIV is a manageable health condition and we can manage it well.  However, treatment for HIV is only available if you are diagnosed.

People whose HIV infection is diagnosed late have a ten-fold increased risk of dying from AIDS related complications within the first year of diagnosis compared to those diagnosed early.  It’s estimated that someone who is diagnosed very late with HIV has a life expectancy at least 10 years shorter than someone who starts treatment earlier.

Undiagnosed HIV has an impact on wider public health. People who don’t know they are HIV positive are at greater risk of passing the virus on to others through unprotected sex as they are not on appropriate therapy.

The earlier HIV it is detected the easier it is to manage and get treated which also makes the risk of passing on the virus to others much lower.  If you are diagnosed with HIV before it has damaged your body and you are put on effective treatment, you can expect to live as long as anyone else.

Late Diagnosis in Leicester

Late HIV diagnosis in Leicester is 13.8% higher than average in England and Leicester has the 6^th highest rate of late diagnosis of HIV in the country.  As a city with these statistics, we are responsible for doing everything we can to ensure these late diagnoses come down and to ensure that people know their HIV status.

The halve it pledge commits to:

• Making HIV testing easier to access and available in a variety of settings in the NHS, HIV charities and patient groups
• Ensuring there are a variety of ways to test for HIV, including home sampling and finger prick testing;
• Ensuring that people diagnosed with HIV are quickly referred to the right care to improve health and prevent onward transmission
• Working together to reduce the stigma that has been associated with HIV

We work all year round to help halve the number of people being diagnosed late, not just on World AIDS Day.  For more information on HIV Testing, please visit our website where you can find information about testing with us or other places in Leicester and Leicestershire around the UK.

want a hiv test at home? no problem!

If you prefer not to visit your GP or visit a local service like us, you can also for a FREE home sampling HIV kit or you can purchase your own self test kit.  An explanation on the differences between testing methods is available in our HIV Testing Pages.

Do you know your HIV status? – The only way to know if you have HIV or not is to get a HIV test.  You can do this for free at your doctor, free at an NHS clinic, free with charities like LASS and now you can even do a HIV test at home, at your convenience.

Leicester East MP Keith Vaz said:

“I welcome the fantastic work being done by LASS to promote HIV testing and fully support the important campaign to halve the late diagnoses of the virus in Leicester, and across the world. It is vital that more and more people become aware that testing is free and simple.

Enabling greater access to information around HIV and how it is contracted, tested for and managed is critical in reducing the spread of this virus.”

Assistant city mayor Cllr Abdul Osman, executive lead for public health for Leicester said:. “HIV testing is quick free and easy. We would urge people who think that they may have contracted HIV to take a test. “It’s better to know and get treatment early. Testing and treatment remain confidential and available via the NHS”

Jenny Hand, CEO of LASS “We’re delighted to see such strong support for this campaign. At LASS we see the impact of late diagnosis of HIV. HIV isn’t a death sentence – if caught in time people can live long and healthy lives. But we need people to be tested so we can provide the appropriate treatment, care and support.”

 HIV: the facts

• There were 103,700 people in UK were living with HIV in 2014 (Health protection agency)
• 17% (18,100) of that figure are unaware and at risk of unknowingly passing their virus onto others
• If diagnosed early, people living with HIV can expect a normal life expectancy
• Once people are accessing treatment the chance of passing the virus onto others are reduced to severe minimum
• HIV is mainly concentrated in two populations- men who have sex with men and black and African communities, but infection rates in other groups are rising
• The vast majority of HIV infections occur through unprotected sex.

In an age where Hospitals and GP practices fail to routinely test for HIV, can you really afford not to decide to take one yourself? – Here’s why you shouldn’t be afraid of taking a HIV test.

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