{"id":553,"date":"2011-12-12T14:52:55","date_gmt":"2011-12-12T14:52:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.savinglivesuk.com\/?p=553"},"modified":"2011-12-12T14:52:55","modified_gmt":"2011-12-12T14:52:55","slug":"west-bromwich-albion-support-saving-lives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beyondpositive.org\/sluktest\/west-bromwich-albion-support-saving-lives\/","title":{"rendered":"West Bromwich Albion Support Saving Lives"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>West Bromwich Albion spread the Saving Lives word at the weekend, when both they and the club they were playing, Wigan Athletic, wore our t-shirts during their warm-up. Saving Lives goalkeeper patron Ben Foster led the coverage on the Baggies’ website<\/a>:<\/p>\n

ALBION’S players will today be showing their support for the ‘Football Saving Lives’ campaign during the pre-match warm-up.<\/p>\n

The 18-man squad will wear promotional t-shirts to highlight the launch of the pioneering new HIV awareness charity as they finalise their preparations for the Wigan game (ko 3pm).<\/p>\n

Football Saving Lives is a public health campaign focused on promoting the importance of HIV testing.<\/p>\n

By 2012, more than 100,000 people in the UK will have HIV – and a quarter will be unaware they have the infection.<\/p>\n

That means they cannot access today’s life-saving treatment – and may also be unknowingly passing on the infection.<\/p>\n

The launch of Football Saving Lives began on World AIDS Day – December 1 – and keeper Ben Foster has this week voiced his support for the charity’s work.<\/p>\n

“This is a fantastic campaign,” he said.<\/p>\n

“It makes things so simple.<\/p>\n

“Get tested and, if you are negative, you can concentrate on staying healthy.<\/p>\n

“If you are positive, getting diagnosed early could save your life.<\/p>\n

“The campaign is aiming to get to a stage where HIV testing is just another routine blood test and where everyone feels okay about having a test.”<\/p>\n

Dr Steve Taylor, HIV Consultant at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital and Medical Director of Saving Lives, said: “Football clubs have a huge influence on young people’s behaviour and attitudes.<\/p>\n

“By talking more about HIV and HIV testing, hopefully we will slowly start to break down the stigma associated with this infection.<\/p>\n

“This in itself could be lifesaving.<\/p>\n

“Through education and testing, our aim is to get those people with the infection onto life-saving treatment.<\/p>\n

“Getting them onto treatment also prevents the infection spreading.<\/p>\n

“The more we can do to emphasise the benefits of taking an HIV test, the sooner we will get on top of the epidemic and save lives.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

West Bromwich Albion spread the Saving Lives word at the weekend, when both they and the club they were playing, Wigan Athletic, wore our t-shirts during their warm-up. Saving Lives goalkeeper patron Ben Foster led the coverage on the Baggies’ website: ALBION’S players will today be showing their support for the ‘Football Saving Lives’ campaign […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-553","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-football","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t