Simon Latimer and Don Barclay Two gay New Zealand athletes, competing in this year's 7th Gay Games in Chicago and the inaugural Out Games in Montreal, are baring almost all, in a new AIDS Foundation campaign aimed at appealing to body conscious gay and bisexual men. The campaign, 'My Health Is My Greatest Asset,' features discus thrower and six-time Gay Games gold medallist Don Barclay, 53, of Wellington, and competitive diver Simon Latimer, 24, of Auckland. Barclay is a competitor in both Chicago and Montreal, while Latimer joins him for the Montreal games. "Many gay men spend time watching what they eat and going to the gym, something especially important for athletes," says Douglas Jenkin, Gay Men's Health Team Co-ordinator for the NZAF. "What these guys are saying is that making sure you remain HIV-negative should also play a part in taking care of your overall health and well-being. The easiest way of doing this, of course, is to use condoms for anal sex." Latimer was chosen to appeal to younger gay and bisexual men. "I don't mind posing in my Speedos for a good cause," he chuckles. "I know that competitive diving is a sport that appeals to gay and bisexual men, for its sheer spectacle, and anything I can do to enforce the safe-sex message through my diving, is a positive contribution I can make." Latimer, shose trip has been supported by GayNZ.com, is being co-sponsored by the NZAF in return for the campaign. He is making a comeback in competitive diving after injury forced him to retire from his preparation for the Commonwealth Games. The safe-sex message is particularly important for older gay and bisexual men, who make up a disproportionate number of the new HIV infections in New Zealand. "I keep hearing my late grandfather's words: 'If you haven't got your health, you haven't got anything'," says Barclay. "We only have one shot at life, so to enhance that life we have to try and keep our level of risks in all facets to a minimum. Having safe sex is a prime example." Barclay certainly walks the talk, keeping fit and healthy and competing in four successive Gay Games. HIV infections among men who have sex with men have now reached an all time high, with one new infection for men who have sex with men being diagnosed, on average, every four days through 2005. Of the 89 new cases of HIV last year, 3 out of 4 were for men who have sex with men in Auckland. Jenkin urges gay and bisexual men to consider their health and their future. "If you want to maintain a stress-free lifestyle, no matter what your age, then it's far easier to use condoms for anal sex with everybody, rather than thinking you can reassess the risk with each new sexual partner." Chicago's Gay Games closed last Sunday, and the world's first Out Games opens tomorrow (NZ time) in Montreal. Barclay and Latimer will appear on condom packs, light boxes and posters throughout New Zealand for the duration of the campaign. David Parrish - 29th July 2006