Men who have sex with men and HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa (105Kb) Globally, men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to bear a high burden of HIV infection. In sub-Saharan Africa, same-sex behaviours have been largely neglected by HIV research up to now. The results from recent studies, however, indicate the widespread existence of MSM groups across Africa, and high rates of HIV infection, HIV risk behaviour, and evidence of behavioural links between MSM and heterosexual networks have been reported. Yet most African MSM have no safe access to relevant HIV/AIDS information and services, and many African states have not begun to recognise or address the needs of these men in the context of national HIV/AIDS prevention and control programmes. Posted: 2010-11-23 | Published: 8/1/2009 Organisation: Lancet 2009 Vol 374 Contributor/s: A D Smith MSc,Prof H W Jaffe MD; P Tapsoba MD; N Peshu MPH; E J Sanders PhD; E J Sanders

Gay and Bisexual Men in Kampala, Uganda (275Kb) Abstract: HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects gay and bisexual men around the world; however, little is known about this population in sub-Saharan Africa. We conducted a respondent-driven sampling survey of gay and bisexual men in Kampala, Uganda (N = 224). Overall, 61% reported themselves as ‘‘gay’’ and 39% as ‘‘bisexual’’. Gay and bisexual men were 92% Ugandan; 37% had unprotected receptive anal sex in the last six months, 27% were paid for sex, 18% paid for sex, 11% had history of urethral discharge. Perception that gay and bisexual men are at risk for HIV infection was low. Posted: 2010-11-23 | Published: 1/2/2007 Organisation: Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2007 Contributor/s: Phoebe Kajubi, Moses R. Kamya, H. Fisher Raymond, Sanny Chen, George W. Rutherford, Jeffrey S. Mande

Men who have sex with men: A neglected HIV risk population in Africa (459Kb) Although men who have sex with men (MSM) are generally not considered to be a high HIV infection risk group in Africa, recent studies have shown that this may not be the case. Recent research has revealed alarmingly high HIV prevalence rates amongst MSM in Africa. These findings bring into question the decision made by many HIV & AIDS organisations and African Governments to focus primarily on heterosexual individuals in their HIV & AIDS campaigns, often completely excluding MSM from these initiatives. This CAI brief takes a closer look at the reasons behind the neglect of MSM in HIV & AIDS campaigns in Africa, their vulnerability to HIV infection as well as what can be done to reach this often ignored high risk group. Posted: 2010-11-23 | Published: 10/1/2009 Organisation: Consultancy Africa Intelligence Contributor/s: Marinda Kotzé

Meeting the Sexual Health Needs of Men Who Have Sex With Men in Senegal (508Kb) Research conducted in many countries has highlighted the vulnerability of men who have sex with men (MSM) to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Yet in Africa, they receive little attention in HIV/AIDS programming and service delivery because of widespread denial and stigmatization of homosexual behavior. In Dakar, Senegal, a study conducted by researchers from the National AIDS Control Council (CNLS), Cheikh Anta Diop University, and the Horizons Program used ethnographic and survey methods to elicit information about the needs, behaviors, knowledge, and attitudes of MSM. In the ethnographic phase, the researchers conducted group discussions and interviews with MSM and people who interact with them, such as bartenders, female sex workers, and taxi drivers. In the second phase, the researchers surveyed a convenience sample of 250 MSM, ranging in age from 18 to 53 years. Posted: 2010-11-23 | Published: 1/2/2002 Organisation: Institute of Enironmental Sciences, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Senegal National AIDS Control Council (CNLS), Horizons Program Contributor/s: Cheikh Ibrahima Niang, Moustapha Diagne, Youssoupha Niang, Amadou Mody Moreau, Dominique Gomis, and Mayé Diouf; Karim Seck and Abdoulaye Sidibé Wade; Placide Tapsoba; Chris Castle

Stigma and discrimination experiences of HIV-positive men who have sex with men in Cape Town, South Africa (173Kb) Since the primary mode of HIV transmission in sub-Saharan Africa is heterosexual, research focusing on the sexual behaviour of men who have sex with men (MSM) is scant. Currently it is unknown how many people living with HIV in South Africa are MSM and there is even less known about the stigmatisation and discrimination of HIV-positive MSM. The current study examined the stigma and discrimination experiences of MSM living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Anonymous venue-based surveys were collected from 92 HIV-positive MSM and 330 HIV-positive men who only reported sex with women (MSW). Internalised stigma was high among all HIV-positive men who took part in the survey, with 56% of men reporting that they concealed their HIV status from others. Posted: 2010-11-23 | Published: 10/1/2008 Organisation: Human Sciences Research Council of SA; Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut Contributor/s: A. Cloete; L. C. Simbayi; S. C. Kalichman; A. Strebel; N. Henda

Engaging New Partners and New Technologies to Prevent HIV among MSM. (4 547Kb) The evening is warm and humid on the coast of Ghana, and in a secluded courtyard near an urban marketplace in Takoradi, a small gathering is taking place. A handful of young men are meeting with a peer educator from the Maritime Life Precious Foundation to discuss HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). On the agenda tonight: how to protect yourself and your partner during sex, how to use a condom, and how to get tested and seek treatment when needed. HIV prevention workshops take place every day throughout the country, but this one is different. The participants are men who have sex with men (MSM), a population that faces frequent scorn and almost universal criminalization throughout Africa, and for the first time in their lives, they are learning about the serious risk they face from HIV. Posted: 2010-11-23 | Published: 1/2/2010 Organisation: AIDSTAR-One; CEPEHRG and Maritime, Ghana Contributor/s: James Robertson

Estimating The Level of HIV Prevention Coverage, Knowledge and Protective Behavior Among Injecting Drug Users: What Does The 2008 UNGASS Reporting Round Tell Us? (119Kb) Objectives: The 2001 Declaration of Commitment from the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS (UNGASS) set the prevention of HIV infection among injecting drug users (IDUs) as an important priority in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. This article examines data gathered to monitor the fulfillment of this commitment in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) where resources to develop an effective response to HIVare limited and where injecting drug use is reported to occur in 99 (of 147) countries, home to 75% of the estimated 15.9 million global IDU population. Posted: 2010-11-23 | Published: 12/1/2009 Organisation: J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Volume 52, Supplement 2 Contributor/s: Bradley M. Mathers, MBChB,* Louisa Degenhardt, PhD, Philippe Adam, PhD Igor Toskin, MD, PhD, Magomed Nashkhoev, MD, PhD, Rob Lyerla, PhD, and Deborah Rugg, PhD

HIV Prevalence, Risks for HIV Infection, and Human Rights among Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in Malawi, Namibia, and Botswana (100Kb) Background: In the generalized epidemics of HIV in southern Sub-Saharan Africa, men who have sex with men have been largely excluded from HIV surveillance and research. Epidemiologic data for MSM in southern Africa are among the sparsest globally, and HIV risk among these men has yet to be characterized in the majority of countries. Posted: 2010-11-23 | Published: 3/26/2009 Organisation: PLoS ONE Contributor/s: Stefan Baral, Gift Trapence, Felistus Motimedi, Eric Umar, Scholastika Iipinge, Friedel Dausab, Chris Beyrer