Looking for the next BiCon? See here!
Looking for the next BiCon? See here!
Health thread
Health - Grant - Thu Jan 15, 2004 3:33 pm
What are the most important health issues in our communities?
As I understand it, the top killers in the country are tobacco, cars, alcohol and heart disease (which can be linked to bad diet / lack of exercise). Perhaps we could have some information / support / ideas around each of these.
When I look around certain friends and events, safer sex is an issue as are drugs other than alcohol and self-harm.
Safer sex can include sexually transmitted disease prevention and cure / mitigation and HIV/AIDS continue to be a major issue but herpes and other serious illnesses are hardly unknown in our community. I would also like to see training and support on how to work out what we and our partners want and how to arrange that. As an example I'd personally like to better understand both how to negotiate condom use in the wordless environment of a gay sauna and also how to help a female friend access a "morning after" pill or safe abortion if she needs one.
Overall, I'd like everyone to be in the position to make free and informed decisions about risks and rewards and to get community and outside support where they want it. I'd like to see BiCon help that.
Grant
(reply) - Marcus - Fri Jan 16, 2004 10:47 am
Last year we looked at getting literature on alcohol and adding it to the safer sex materials. Unfortunately I was overstretched at the point when I would have needed to remember to organise those.
I'd like all of those addressed eventually at some future BiCon, as you point out it's not just bisexuality related risks (STDs) that kill bi's.
(reply) Lonely dreams and desires - biwonderful4u - Feb 20, 2004 10:07 am
I run an on line community for bisexual women for three years now. The most important issue I see in that community is lonely bisexual women looking for contacts with other bisexual women. I see very clearly that the e-mails they are sending to eachother mean a lot to them and sometimes it seems such a relief that they are sharing their dreams and desires. I think it makes them feel less lonely.
So far the psychological health, now the physical side.
One day I received the question "can women having sex with women get STD's too?" Then I realised how badly my knowledge about safer sex amongst women is these days. One year ago it was totally opdated, because I took part in a research about exactly that subject, but nowadays... aiaiai! So I am writing an article for this community to explain how women can have safer sex with women.
Providing a place for bisexuals to meet eachother. like organising a BiCon or other community meetings, is a very good thing to do for psychological health. Information on safer sex also seems very useful for us all at all times and can be provided at those places. It should not overstretch bi-activists, though!
(reply) - Guest - Tue Mar 16, 2004 12:13 pm
"What are the most important health issues in our communities?"
I think mental health is a big one in our community, how many people that attend BiCon or are part of our community through email list etc have had professional help for example ? Are we doing enough ? Can we do enough ? What are the issues of the so called safe space and mental safe space at an event such as bicon ?
I've been to a few BiCons now, and nearly everyone that I've been to I've seen at least one person in a state of distress.
Laurence
(reply) - Grant - Thu Mar 18, 2004 11:58 am
BiCon can be an emotional time and bring up some difficulties. I think that can be a good thing, but are people getting the support they want then and over the rest of the year?
I'd very much like to be part of a bi community where I can look around each year and see people being less fucked up than last time.
Grant
(reply) - Guest - Sun Apr 18, 2004 10:31 am
Um, I'm a Holistic Therapist, so there are some aspects of health that i am qualified and able to assist with. Not sure how this would translate for Bicon though.
Perhaps i should explain what i do..
Holistic comes from the Greek "holos" meaning whole, and means to treat a person as a whole. I use Aromatherapy, Massage (Swedish, Indian Head, Sports and Aromatherapy), Reflexology and Reiki, as well as a good amount of health related knowlege to try to do that. The usual scenario is that someone will come to me, i will do a through (and i do mean through, sometimes it can take 2 or more hours) consultation to find out where they're coming from, and suggest a course of treatments and homecare advice to help them