CNWL’s CLASH, Young People and PrEP outreach teams attend the Afro Hair and Beauty Show Live

CNWL’s CLASH (Central London Action on Sexual Health), CAMISH (Camden and Islington Young Peoples Sexual Health Service) and PrEP outreach teams attended the Afro Hair and Beauty Show Live last weekend to provide free and confidential sexual health checks, information and support.

The Afro Hair and Beauty LIVE describes itself as the biggest hair, beauty and lifestyle event in Europe for Black and mixed heritage women. 

This is the sixth year CLASH have attended. Chantel Sealey, CNWL’s Health Promotion Specialist Lead for Black African, Black Caribbean and Racially Minoritised and EDI Champion for Diggory said:

“It is and continues to be a privilege and honour to reflect on how having our service present at an event of this scale has evolved over time especially within this community. This would not have been possible without having built a strong and trusting working relationship with the Event Directors who continue to support our work”.

The CAMISH team provided screening to 30 people and gave information and advice to over 100 young people aged under 25. They were also able to sign up to the c-card scheme allowing them to get free condoms at c-card venues including clinics and pharmacies.

The event also saw the launch of a new co-produced HIV prevention resource for Black African Communities, which can be accessed online here. The resource was created based on insights from a listening exercise conducted with over 100 people of Black African ethnicity in North Central London. The content for the booklet was then iterated with the help of community partners Umoja Health Forum and Embrace UK, CNWL staff from African backgrounds and with experience of working with African communities. Establishing baseline knowledge around HIV transmission, the resource covers HIV testing options, PrEP, PEP and condoms, with local signposting information.

PrEP is a medication available free on the NHS that protects people who are HIV negative from contracting the virus even if they come into contact with it. Alongside PrEP, the resource provided an important opportunity to highlight the stigma-busting message of “Undetectable = Untransmutable” (“U=U”); that people who are living with HIV and on effective treatment cannot pass the virus to other people.