I want to address both. It is fine to be aware of health but with the internet, commercial advertising and health campaigns, it does get to the point of being paranoid at every ache, spot on you body, when you get a cold and oh look that lump you had; plan your funeral now. I think it is wise to be aware and seek advice, but it is now at the point where society not only is so scared of disease and pain one panics.

Second, the reasons why some don’t go for help are: the cost of mental health treatment, the ‘build a bridge and get over it’ mentality, remember gay men still harbour men’s I won’t talk about it mindsets, uncaring mental health workers who tell you go to a kid’s cancer ward to see real suffering and a gay society that has no understanding or empathy towards those that have mental illness and say they are ‘stalking’ them and all sorts of online and scene crap.

If one checks every single bump it takes away the joy of living. You message to support each other won’t happen if people especially gay men continue to discriminate against hiv positive people and those living with an illness as part of their bitchy mostly Sydney driven centric scene.