A charity has urged black and Asian men in east London who have gay sex to be tested for HIV.

Positive East, which is based in Tower Hamlets, has launched a confidential text service and website to raise awareness about the issue.

The Taking the Test campaign targets all men including married men who also have sex with men and those who do not classify themselves as gay or bisexual.

The campaign is backed by Tower Hamlets and Newham Primary Care trusts.

The campaign will publicise the number and website to which men can text to get information about centres where they can get tested for the disease anonymously.

Breaking barriers

Fazal Mahmood from Positive East said there was a need for anonymity with testing because of the stigma attached.

"It's about identity and fear of being identified. so we are trying to break those barriers down... its all confidential, you don't even have to give your real name if you don't want to."

The charity said it had also come across married men who do not describe themselves as either gay or bisexual, but have sex with men.

They call themselves MSM (men who have sex with men), a term that has come from India. The campaign is also targeting these men.

Mr Mahmood said: "We are seeing an increasing amount of married men who are engaging in gay sex. But they don't say that they are gay men as they have emotional ties with women, they go back home to their wives."

The charity is also urging men to wear condoms when they engage in gay sex.

Courtesy of the BBC