Burundi: Discriminatory Laws Hinder Burundi's Response to HIV

Speaking anonymously to protect against criminal charges and discrimination, Burundi health workers and social support workers spoke out against criminalization of same sex relationships and the detrimental effect laws have on providing healthcare to their communities:

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people (LGBTI), as well as sex workers, are among those most at risk of HIV infection. "Laws that criminalise consensual sexual conduct and real or perceived sexual orientation increase the risk of HIV/AIDS among the sexual minorities in Burundi," said Minani*, a member of Burundian Youth Network of HIV Positive (RNJ+).

"It makes sexual minorities afraid of showing themselves and afraid to visit the health clinics. They don't dare to go into government health agencies to request assistance, treatment or prevention services." Read More

Philippines: Closure of gay bars “to end AIDS” looms in Baguio

Health officials asked the city government on Wednesday to close down gay bars to prevent the spread of the dreaded disease AIDS, which showed an upsurge in the past several months. Dra. Celiaflor Brillantes, head of the social hygiene clinic, said 80 percent of the 60 AIDS cases in the city have been traced to men having sex with men and returning overseas workers, who got infected abroad.

“We have to close down the gay bars and strictly regulate the operation of nightspots in order to prevent the further increase of individuals contracting the dreaded disease,” Brillantes said. Read More

California men shed condoms in favor of Gilead's HIV prevention pill

The good news: A pill from Gilead Sciences Inc. stops HIV infection among people at high risk of contracting the AIDS virus. The bad news: Men taking the drug to prevent HIV appear to be having more sex without a condom, putting them at risk of contracting other sexually transmitted diseases.  Read More

UK: HIV most often passed on by younger gay men who have undiagnosed HIV, are not on treatment, and have an ongoing partnership

A modelling study based on the UK’s HIV epidemic among gay men estimates that two-thirds of infections originate in men with undiagnosed HIV, 85% in men who are not taking treatment and 90% within the context of an ongoing sexual partnership.

Moreover, HIV transmissions most frequently involve men under the age of 35 who report relatively high levels of sexual activity, according to the study published online ahead of print in AIDS. Read More

Website for MSM health launched in East Africa

Men who have sex with men (MSM) living in East Africa, where homophobia is on the rise, now have access to a unique website, Afya4Men.info, which contains comprehensive sexual health information targeted to their specific needs.

“Specific MSM medical competence has already been developed in these countries but due to often hostile environments, in many instances including criminalisation of male-to-male sex, has resulted in a lack of localised relevant information being freely available to MSM themselves,” said Prof James McIntyre, CEO of Anova.  Afya4Men.info is entirely bilingual, offering information in both Swahili and English. Read More 

Zimbabwe Government to create HIV programme for gays

The government is going to create a specific HIV /AIDS programme targeting homosexuals and sex workers as a way of controlling the infection rate, a senior government official has revealed. This is the first time the government has publicly acknowledged the existence of this minority population sector and said it would include it in its national programmes.

Homosexuality has been politicized by President Robert Mugabe who is on record denouncing the practice. As a result of Mugabe’s anti-gay stance officials have routinely reserved their comments on gay issues. The Zimbabwean gay community has continued to complain about being left out of government programmes, saying that this fuels the spread of the HIV virus. Read More

Reaching gay men: the next big test in HIV/AIDS prevention in China

In the last few decades medical advances have transformed AIDS from a death sentence into a chronic disease. It can be treated and controlled – provided, of course, that a person with the HIV virus is diagnosed. By far the fastest growing group of new cases in China is among male homosexuals, and it’s there that many health experts are concentrating their efforts to check the disease’s spread.

Government figures have revealed nearly half a million people are living with HIV and 25% of new infections are among gay men. For Wu Zunyou, director of the National Centre for Aids/STD Control and Prevention, the critical and most difficult task now to prevent or control the disease is reaching these men, in particular the students.  Read More 

Europe’s HIV response falls short in curbing the epidemic

Europe will miss its 2015 targets for curbing the spread of HIV, says the WHO, with an 80% increase in HIV transmission in 2013 compared with a decade earlier.  “Europe has not managed to reach the 2015 Millennium Development Goal target to halt and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS, and time is running out. While we are facing emerging health threats, this reminds us that we cannot afford to drop our guard on HIV/AIDS,” says Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe.

“Why we have not seen any significant progress in reducing HIV infections during the last decade? Looking at our data, we clearly see that across Europe the populations most at risk of HIV infection are not reached effectively enough, particularly men who have sex with men,” explains ECDC Director Marc Sprenger. In the EU/EEA, sex between men is still the predominant mode of HIV transmission, which accounted for 42% of newly diagnosed HIV infections in 2013.  Read More 

Gay dating app helps spread AIDS awareness in China

A gay dating app in China has received a $30m investment as it becomes increasingly popular among the homosexual community, with 15 million users to date.

In a country where homosexuality has been a taboo subject and authorities often restrict lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-gender (LGBT) groups, the Blued dating app has become hugely popularity without any restrictions.

In fact, some Chinese officials welcome the app because it is proving a useful tool in spreading information about AIDS prevention. Read More

The 15 shocking HIV and AIDS myths people still believe today

The myths about HIV and AIDS grow each year – making the fight against the virus even harder.
So here is the annual GSN myth buster, with help from our friends at National AIDS Trust.
It’s dedicated to breaking down the prejudices and rumors and giving you some surprises, however much you think you know about the virus. Read More

AIDspan releases first-ever documentary, "I didn't want to bring shame on my family": growing up gay in Ghana

The documentary short is the story of a young HIV positive gay man in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, whose journey through the public health system -- which is largely supported by international donors led by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and malaria -- reflects the challenges inherent in reaching those who are most vulnerable to infection by the disease. Watch Now