Report Back By The Northern Ireland Gay Rights Association
Dublin Core
Title
Report Back By The Northern Ireland Gay Rights Association
Subject
LGBTQ+ magazines
STDs
Sexual health
Health care for LGBTQ+ people
Gay men
Decriminalisation
LGBTQ+ civil rights
Description
A "Report Back By The Northern Ireland Gay Rights Association," as entitled on the front page. Second page is an article from page 3 of Gay Star magazine, dated September/October 1980 and entitled "The Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Disease". Opening statement says: "We hope this will be the first of a series of articles by Dr Reginald Maw, of the Special clinic at the Royal Victoria Hospital, dealing with the subject that is of great importance to all of us." States the purpose of this article is to provide "a brief background to the workings and aims of the Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) service in Great Britain, with special reference to the situation in Northern Ireland." Discusses the establishment of the service, the advent of the wonder drugs, sulphonomide and penicillin, used for treating gonorrhoea and syphilis, which "showed a dramatic fall in the years following World War II until the mid fifties, when it was even considered the that the clinic service could be shut down in the near future, having fulfilled the purpose for which it was established." Also discusses the phases involved in first encountering with patients on a first come first served basis: the matter of privacy and confidentiality with clinic records that are "totally separate from other hospital records and do not leave our department"; history and full physical examination; taking of tests and examination in their laboratory on site; and making a diagnosis and giving treatment on the day. Notes that they are "chronically understaffed".
Third page is page 4 of same article. Discusses the homosexual community: how "male homosexuals at least are statistically more likely to contract STD than their heterosexual counterparts"; the need for regular sexual health screening check-ups; and encouraging gay men to "discuss problems openly with the doctors in the clinic" and disclosure of sexuality with their own doctor. Concludes with a request for participation in a survey about homosexual patients. Second column of third page is a report on the progress at Strasbourg regarding the decriminalisation of homosexuality. Notes that "[a]ll 20 member states commissioners - including Britain and Ireland - were agreed that homosexual acts should not be prohibited!" Includes a "Pen Friend Request" at the end. Fourth page is a handwritten note by Sean Mcgovern(?)
Third page is page 4 of same article. Discusses the homosexual community: how "male homosexuals at least are statistically more likely to contract STD than their heterosexual counterparts"; the need for regular sexual health screening check-ups; and encouraging gay men to "discuss problems openly with the doctors in the clinic" and disclosure of sexuality with their own doctor. Concludes with a request for participation in a survey about homosexual patients. Second column of third page is a report on the progress at Strasbourg regarding the decriminalisation of homosexuality. Notes that "[a]ll 20 member states commissioners - including Britain and Ireland - were agreed that homosexual acts should not be prohibited!" Includes a "Pen Friend Request" at the end. Fourth page is a handwritten note by Sean Mcgovern(?)
Creator
Northern Ireland Gay Rights Association
Source
Arthur Leahy Collection
Date
1980-09/1980-10
Rights
Digitising these community resources in a publicly accessible digital archive can be seen as fair dealing and reasonable use of these materials (as defined in the 2000 Irish Copyright Act) and in keeping with the ethos and purpose with which they were produced. In addition to this, Permission to Use has also been granted by the owners of the collections and by the relevant community organisations. Items in this digital archive are covered by a Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No-Derivatives License. Please credit Cork LGBT Archive and provide a link back to this site.
Format
application/pdf
Language
eng
Type
report
Text
Identifier
2017.21.5.1.374
Coverage
1980
Northern Ireland
Citation
Northern Ireland Gay Rights Association, “Report Back By The Northern Ireland Gay Rights Association,” Cork LGBT Archive, accessed May 9, 2024, https://corklgbtarchive.com/items/show/777.