Clever Dick

There are now more men with HIV on the gay scene than ever before, one in four of whom remain undiagnosed and therefore more likely to pass the virus on. To combat rising rates, THT is calling for gay businesses and individuals to help halt the spread of HIV on the scene by placing a renewed focus on condom use.

To create the Clever Dick / Smart Arse campaign, THT invited eight gay men from across England to take part in a photo shoot and talk about why they use condoms when having sex. Men came from all areas of the gay community – from a Soho bar manager to a rugby player with the Kings Cross Steelers – to lend their voices to the campaign, which will run via print and online press advertisements, posters in gay venues, and on 100,000 condom packs to be distributed across the scene.

Clever Dick / Smart Arse has been funded by the Department of Health through CHAPS, a partnership of community organisations, which is coordinated by THT and carries out HIV prevention work with gay men in England. Other areas of the campaign include an online SexScore survey at www.clever-dick.org, where gay and bisexual men can receive tailored information on how risky their sex lives are, along with advice on how to stay safe. All men who complete the survey can choose to be entered into a prize draw to win an iPad 2 and one of ten pairs of Monkee Jeans.

THT has also linked up with Freedoms (www.freedoms-shop.nhs.uk) to offer discounted prices on condoms and lube to men who visit the campaign’s website.

For further information on the campaign, or to request posters or other materials, please email richard.scholey@tht.org.uk.