Bisexuals Sexual Health Action (BSHA)
Aims
To promote the sexual health of people who have sex with both men
and women however they identify, and of people who are self-identified
bisexuals.
History
BSHA is a successor organisation of ``Bisexuals Action on Sexual Health"
(BASH).
It retains the same aims and objectives as BASH, and can provide copies of
leaflets produced by BASH, at cost price.
An example is our student leaflet.
See also a fact-sheet on other STD's.
BASH was formed from a group of bisexual activists and AIDS workers
gathered together by the Health Education Authority in 1992. BASH was
originally named the Bisexual Development Group, helping to develop
HIV prevention initiatives with the HEA. This culminated in the 1993
Bisexuality and HIV Prevention report, which looked at what HIV work
was being done by or for bisexual people, and what ought to be done.
The group then met independently of the HEA, and was for people
working in, or who wanted to work in, HIV/AIDS, whether as paid or
voluntary workers. BASH met in London, but aimed to work nationally, with
members coming from all over England. Fares were refunded. The aim of BASH
was to promote the sexual health of people who have sex with men
and women however they identify, and of people who are self-identified
bisexuals. It sought to do this through working with statuatory and
voluntary agencies, and with the bisexual and lesgay communities.
In 1994 BASH received a grant of 19,500 pounds from the Red Hot AIDS trust
to carry out peer education work for bisexual people, via local bisexual
groups. This resulted in a successful one-year project which trained
over 30 peer educators from bisexual groups, and resulted in a number of
safer sex workshops and ongoing education work.
BASH also carried out workshops, training, advice, consultancy and activism,
and produced a general and a student-oriented
safer sex leaflet.
The group was open to people who wanted to work on
HIV/AIDS issues.
BASH Provided:
- Safer-sex workshops which take account of bisexual identity and
behaviour as well as gay and straight identities
- Bisexuality awareness training
- HIV prevention initiatives and projects
- Research and international contacts
- A means of accessing the bisexual community for sexual health
- Expertise on strategies for sexual health promotion to bisexuals.
BASH Achievements
- Input to HIV prevention initiatives for bisexuals developed by HEA;
- Bisexuality and HIV Prevention report;
- Leaflets and workshops;
- National coordination and consultancy.
BASH Projects
- Peer Education Project: enabling bi groups to carry out peer
education work on sexual health within the bi community;
- Safer Sex Workshops in Higher Education: carrying out safer
sex workshops in student environments;
- Needs Assessment: carrying out needs assessment for bisexual
sexual health promotion work;
- Health Authorities Promotion: promotion of the BASH report and
capabilities to local health authorities (in the North West and
Scotland).
Current Work (1997)
We are supporting an internship student who is developing the following
projects:
- Peer education in nightclubs and bars
- Campaigning for improved, peer-education style, safer sex education
in schools
- Improving the links between AIDS education organisations and the
bisexual community
Please contact us (klano@hotmail.com or mjv9@cornell.edu) if you are
interested in these areas.
Organisation and Contact Information
We can be contacted at:
- BSHA, PO Box 10048, London SE15 4ZD
- klano@hotmail.com
Other useful resources are: