Sex, Drugs and HIV - with special guest Dr Indrajit Ghosh

The Bloomsbury Clinic Peer Support Team in collaboration with Nick Adams and Hendrik de Vries, volunteers from the Club Drug Clinic, have devised a series of events exploring the journeys of people living with HIV and struggling with addiction, focusing on Chemsex and recovery.

Over a cuppa, Nick and Hendrik will chat with their guests about their personal journeys of recovery and the work they do supporting others struggling with addiction.  They would like to showcase the support available and get up close and personal to some of the health professionals who inspired and continue to inspire Nick and Hendrik in their on-going journeys of recovery.

Sex, Drugs and HIV will kick off their series with first guest Dr Indrajit Ghosh, a Specialty Doctor in GUM/HIV/Hepatitis at Central and North West London Foundation Trust, working at the Bloomsbury Clinic, Mortimer Market Centre and providing outreach healthcare to Camden’s homeless community. Dr Ghosh will talk about his personal and professional experience supporting people struggling with addiction, social and health inequalities.

Nick Adams arrived in London at the age of 17 after a childhood of bullying and sexual abuse. These deep-seated traumas, along with a lack of formal education, left him with few options. He soon discovered the dark underworld of drugs, sex and prostitution which offered him, for the first time in his life, a sense of belonging and community. What followed was 30 years of drug abuse, from ecstasy and acid in the 90’s to Crystal meth and G in the 2000’s. Nick is now over 2 years clean and sober, lives a healthy lifestyle and volunteers for HIV and substance abuse charities and the NHS, namely CNWL’s Club Drug Clinic.

Hendrik de Vries has been living with HIV since 2006. Following an emotionally abusive relationship he slipped into drug use to try to find “intimacy”.  His diagnosis increased his recreational drug use during sex, which enabled him to avoid thinking about HIV. His drug use escalated after he started taking treatment. He believes that he was self-medicating to mitigate the side effects of medication, but acknowledges that his drug use spiralled out of control. 

• Event title: Sex, Drugs and HIV

• Event date: 29 September 2022

• Event time: 18:30 – 20:00

• Zoom link: us02web.zoom.us/j/82312864983?pwd=OE4wc21KYmQrdmduTkdwRmExekRSdz09

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