A penny for baby

There's a treat in store for anyone in Britain whose baby arrives on the same day that Prince William and his wife, Catherine, deliver a royal heir - the gift of a coin from the Royal Mint to celebrate the birth. The silver penny will be dated 2013 and come in a blue pouch for a boy or a pink one for a girl. To claim the silver coin, UK parents whose baby's birth coincides with that of the royal baby will have to register through the Royal Mint's Facebook page and upload a scanned copy of the birth certificate within 60 days. It is making 2,013 of the coins available. But what won't be available is a cheese that has mites in it. Indignation is growing among cheese-lovers in France and the US after Washington slapped an import ban on said cheese, known as mimolette, at the end of May, leaving 1.5 tonnes of the item impounded at a warehouse. American food inspectors object to the use of mites to refine its flavour. So what if the cheese has mites in it? That could be something worth trying. But what isn't worth trying is this new fad where men are secretly seeking and spreading HIV. The reckless practice, known as bug chasing, started in the US as a bizarre means of getting a ­sexual high from risk-taking. Now, according to one man who willingly caught the virus, hundreds of men in the UK are introducing themselves on online forums, Face­book groups, and Twitter. Many then meet up and try to transmit the potentially life-threatening virus, which attacks the ­immune system weakening the body’s ability to fight disease. Some bug-chasers actually claim the virus gives them a better quality of life because of the medication they subsequently have to take. This is stupid and highly irresponsible. Nobody should want HIV. Bug chasing needs to be ­addressed, and people need to be aware of the risks from a young age and receive the help they need if they are feeling compelled to act this way.