News – Gay Sexual Health
Gay men fuelling HIV/AIDS spread in Asia, says WHO, NewKerala.com.
Desite the inflammatory headline, the article makes some good points about how few prevention initiatives reach the gay populations at large, and how stigma and discrimination contribute to the lack of adequate services and education. The headline should be “Stigmatization fuelling HIV/AIDS spread in Asia,” such as the study Stimatization fuelling Chinese HIV: married homosexual men could make sex significant route of transmission in China.
“Studies show that at present, the proportion of HIV infections being transmitted among men who have sex with men is larger and more significant than what we originally believed,” said Massimo Ghidinelli, WHO regional AIDS adviser.
“Action needs to be taken now if a major increase in HIV/AIDS cases is to be averted,” he said. “We need to target HIV-prevention strategies, together with better access to health services, for men who have sex with men.”
The latest UNAIDS report showed that targeted prevention interventions are reaching one percent of the gay population.
The report also showed that in most Asia-Pacific countries, national strategic plans for HIV/AIDS do not cover interventions for men having sex with men and transgender individuals.
WHO said the lack of access to HIV/AIDS services can be traced to stigma and discrimination associated with homosexuality, which is frowned upon in some societies in the region.
