During the Gay Games, Cologne will be meeting point of ten thousand women and men who will participate in sports and events and celebrate together. It is a wonderful opportunity to get to know like-minded people from all over the world. We hope you come home healthy after the games, with or without medals but definitely without bad experiences and “souvenirs”: Sexually-transmitted diseases are increasing all over the world.
Nevertheless it might happen that you are unlucky. A twisted ankle while a shopping-tour in Cologne, a ruptured appendix just that week: If anything goes wrong everyone will get help in Cologne. This is the most important information you should know.
Aber es kann natürlich auch sein, dass du einfach Pech hast. Umgeknickt bei einer Shopping-Tour durch Köln, ein Blinddarm, der ausgerechnet in dieser Woche Ärger macht: Falls etwas schiefgegangen ist, findet in Köln jeder Hilfe. Hier die wichtigsten Informationen, die du kennen solltest.
Central emergency contact: 112
In Germany there is a central emergency contact number, 112. In Deutschland gilt eine zentrale Notfall-Rufnummer, die 112.
Special trained persons answer your call and help immediately or forward you to the responsible emergency contact (as ambulance, fire department or police). The person who calls has to identify who has called. Please give your name, address and phone number. Do not hang up when you called 112 by mistake! Tell your contact person that everything is fine. Otherwise an ambulance might be sent out to see if there is any problem. In Germany emergency calls by dialing 112 are only possible if you have an activated SIM-card.
You can contact our volunteers at any time during the Gay Games. They are informed about the most important emergency contact numbers and will help you to get in contact with the right persons.
General medical care for our guest from abroad.
Guests not residing in a country of the EU should purchase a (private) travel health insurance in their home country. Treatment expenses usually are paid directly in cash and refunded at home afterwards. It is not common to pay the doctor`s bill by credit card.
During off-time consulting hours, at night or at the weekends you can contact the emergency hotline (phone: +49-(0)-1805-044100) or the dental emergency hotline (phone: +49-(0)-1805-986700).
Emergency treatment at the Public Health Department Cologne.
At the information center for sexual-borne diseases including AIDS, the Public Health Department Cologne offers medical treatment for persons with urgent diseases who do not have health insurance. (Address: Neumarkt 15-21, Tel. +49-(0)-221-221-24602, consulting hours without appointment: Monday 9am to 12am, Wednesday 2pm to 5pm, Friday 8am to 11am).
HIV & Safer Sex
Safer Sex still is the best way to protect yourself – not just HIV but every kind of sexual-borne diseases in general:
• Use condoms and sufficient lube for vaginal and anal sex
• In case of oral sex please remember not to get sperm into the eyes or mouth
Fairplay, because I KNOW WHAT I`M DOING!
• better understands his own risks and
• is honest with himself /herself and his / her sexual partners
You will run into employees of the project I KNOW WHAT I`M DOING and the FAIRPLAY-project of the campaign “Herzenslust” many times during the Gay Games. The campaigns stand for responsible and fun interaction with each other. To keep fun as part of having sex without consequences.
Fair Play
The Fairplay Campaign helps you have fun while staying active and responsible through fitness and health. None of us is alone on the field. How is your team spirit and fair play inside the community? The slogan Fairplay offers a lot of possibilities. Who stays on the bench as a substitute? Where in the community does team spirit work pretty well? In which situation you would like to pull out the red card? We want to give you some food for thought with these questions to help start conversations.
Good training, good warm up – injured anyway?
If you have further questions please contact one of our Fairplay-teams. They are present at the sports facilities, at parties and at the villages. You recognize them by their red and white outfit with the Fairplay emblem. Or call our information hotline:
+49-(0)-180-33-19411*
You can contact the hotline Monday to Friday from 9am to 9pm and Sundays from 12am to 2pm for 9 ct./min. by the German landline, maximum 42 ct./min. by German mobile network.
Forgot or lost HIV-medications?
If your medications get lost during your stay for any reason please contact our nationwide hotline. We will help you getting alternate medications for the time of your stay. The advisors of the hotline will choose an expert doctor or pharmacy that can supply your medications. But please note: You should have travel health insurance that will refund this emergency. But we will find a solution for your problem anyway. It is important to have proof of the medications you require. Please have the exact description and dosage with you!
No entry restrictions
There are no entry restrictions in Germany for visitors who are HIV positive. All necessary medications can be brought with you. All approved medications are available at specialized pharmacies in Cologne or can be ordered quickly. There is no guarantee for medications that are not approved. To be sure please ask your doctor about the availability of your medications in Germany.
