Gay Health Action (GHA)

Gay Health Action (GHA)

AIDS (Disease)

HIV (Viruses)

AIDS organisations

AIDS information centres

AIDS activists

Safer sex

Safe sex in AIDS prevention

AIDS Awareness

AIDS education

LGBTQ+ health education

HIV/AIDS

Gay Health Action (GHA) was Ireland's first AIDS activist organisation. Founded in January 1985 to combat growing concerns about the presence of AIDS in Ireland, it became the locus of information about HIV and AIDS. Lesbian Health Action, a sister group, was also established to work on the health issues in the lesbian community. GHA played a leading role in the establishment of AIDS Action Alliance, Cairde and AIDS Helpline. They were also represented on the Roman Catholic Bishops' National Task Force On AIDS.

GHA's AIDS campaign focused on disseminating accurate, and often explicit, health information among the gay communities in Ireland. A prominent part of GHA's campaign was to modify the sexual behaviours of gay men through their publications. GHA adopted a harm reduction model that promoted "safer sex" and lower risk sexual practices. In May 1985, GHA published their first AIDS information leaflet. The first edition of GHA’s newspaper, AIDS Action News was published in 1987. GHA disbanded in 1990.

Arthur Leahy Collection

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