On the eve of World AIDS Day (Tuesday, 1 December), a landmark paper documents the failure of low and middle income countries to protect men who have sex with men from contracting HIV/AIDS.The research, led by academics from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), was commissioned by UNAIDS and presents the largest set of data available on HIV prevention in men who have sex with men (MSM) in low and middle income countries (LMIC).The research, which has just been published in a special issue of the Journal of AIDS, shows that on average fewer than a third of MSM in these countries have ever been tested for HIV (31 per cent), around a third have been reached by HIV prevention programs (33 per cent), fewer than half had correct HIV knowledge (44 per cent) and just over a half had used condoms the last time they had sex with a man (54 per cent).“Until now there has been no compilation of data describing levels of HIV testing, coverage of HIV prevention programs, HIV knowledge and condom use among MSM in low and middle income countries. Our work provides reliable global estimates,” says the lead author of the paper, Dr Philippe Adam, Senior Research Fellow at the National Centre in HIV Social Research (NCHSR).“These data indicate that in many poorer countries, HIV prevention responses in MSM need substantial improvement,” says Dr Adam.“These men still suffer from extreme discrimination,” says Professor John de Wit, the Director of NCHSR and one of the other authors of the paper. “In addition, some of these countries do not yet acknowledge that MSM exist in their countries and that they are at a substantially higher risk of being infected by HIV. This lack of recognition is also evident from the fact that only 45 per cent of low and middle countries reported on the HIV prevention needs and responses in MSM.“Effective HIV prevention responses to the epidemic among MSM are needed in all countries and they are needed now,” says Professor de Wit. “I hope that our paper will contribute to raising awareness of the problem within governments and will also give international donors the leverage to demand action.”Don Baxter, Executive Director of the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations said: “Since the last international AIDS Conference in Mexico last year the impetus to improve the health and human rights of MSM in low and middle income countries has become a global priority. This paper makes an important contribution to reducing the research gap that has existed until now and clearly sheds light on the needs of this group both in terms of public health and human rights.”
The study used data that is periodically collected as part of the monitoring of progress on commitments member countries made at the UN General Assembly Special meeting on HIV in 2001.University of New South Wales
HBO scored highest among 15 networks for its representation of gay characters last season, according to a report released Monday.In its third annual Network Responsibility Index, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation found that of HBO’s 14 original prime-time series, 10 included content reflecting the lives of gay, bisexual and transgender people. That totalled 42% of the network’s programming hours, in series such as “True Blood,” “Entourage” and “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency.”By contrast, on NBC and CBS only 8% and 5%, respectively, of prime-time hours included them, the report said.For the report, GLAAD reviewed all prime-time programming — totalling 4,901 hours — for inclusion of such characters or issues on the five major networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and the CW) from June 1, 2008, to May 31, 2009. The study also examined all original prime-time programming — 1,213 hours — on 10 prominent cable networks. The programming included dramas, comedies, unscripted fare and newsmagazines.Cable’s Showtime ranked second, with 26% of its programming hours featuring gay characters or themes. Series included “The L Word,” “Weeds” and “The United States of Tara,” a new comedy about a family whose teenage son is gay.ABC got the highest ranking of the five broadcast networks, with 24%. It was the second year in a row that ABC led the broadcasters.Among ABC series, the report cited newlyweds Kevin and Scotty on “Brothers & Sisters,” the engagement of Andrew to Dr. Alex Cominis on “Desperate Housewives” and bisexual Dr. Callie Torres on “Grey’s Anatomy.”The CW logged 20%, and the Fox network 11%, the report said.Among the sampling of cable networks evaluated, TNT showed the largest growth, jumping to 19% last season from 1% the year before. This was largely thanks to its new drama series, “Raising the Bar,” which features gay law clerk Charlie Sagansky as a regular character, GLAAD said.
“Television shows that weave our stories into the fabric of the series present richer, more diverse representations,” said Rashad Robinson, GLAAD’s senior director of media programs.
In September, GLAAD will release its annual report evaluating gay, bisexual and transgender inclusion, and other diversity, among scripted characters scheduled to appear during the 2009-10 season. Monday’s report said TV characters in general are predominantly white, regardless of sexual orientation.
Men and women who are gay or lesbian are more likely than their heterosexual counterparts to smoke, according to findings from a review study carried out by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.The findings, published in the August issue of the journal, Tobacco Control, show that as many as 37 percent of homosexual women and 33 percent of homosexual men smoke. That compares to national smoking rates of 18 percent for women and 24 percent for men in the 2006 National Health Interview Survey.The authors reviewed findings from 42 studies of the prevalence of tobacco use among sexual minorities in the U.S. published between 1987 and May 2007. The findings suggest smoking is a significant health inequality for sexual minorities.Recognizing and understanding the increased risk in a particular population can help policymakers, health-care officials and others provide support for people more likely to start smoking or who may want to stop smoking, said Joseph Lee, lead author of the review and a social research specialist with the Tobacco Prevention and Evaluation Program in the UNC School of Medicine.A number of small or geographically limited studies have suggested that sexual minorities have higher rates of tobacco use than the general population, said Lee, who conducted the review as a master's student in collaboration with Cathy Melvin, Ph.D., at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and UNC's Sheps Center for Health Services Research, and Gabriel Griffin, a medical student at the Duke University School of Medicine."The underlying causes of these disparities are not fully explained by this review," Lee said. "Likely explanations include the success of tobacco industry's targeted marketing to gays and lesbians, as well as time spent in smoky social venues and stress from discrimination.""Tobacco is likely the number one cause of death among gays and lesbians," Lee said, "but there is hope. Many gay and lesbian organizations are starting to reject addictive funding from the tobacco industry, and the community is organizing itself to address this health inequality through the National LGBT Tobacco Control Network." —StaffNational LGBT Tobacco Control Network: http://www.lgbttobacco.org/Tobacco Control journal: http://www.tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/
On the eve of World AIDS Day (Tuesday, 1 December), a landmark paper documents the failure of low and middle income countries to protect men who have sex with men from contracting HIV/AIDS.
The research, led by academics from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), was commissioned by UNAIDS and presents the largest set of data available on HIV prevention in men who have sex with men (MSM) in low and middle income countries (LMIC).
The research, which has just been published in a special issue of the Journal of AIDS, shows that on average fewer than a third of MSM in these countries have ever been tested for HIV (31 per cent), around a third have been reached by HIV prevention programs (33 per cent), fewer than half had correct HIV knowledge (44 per cent) and just over a half had used condoms the last time they had sex with a man (54 per cent).
“Until now there has been no compilation of data describing levels of HIV testing, coverage of HIV prevention programs, HIV knowledge and condom use among MSM in low and middle income countries. Our work provides reliable global estimates,” says the lead author of the paper, Dr Philippe Adam, Senior Research Fellow at the National Centre in HIV Social Research (NCHSR).
“These data indicate that in many poorer countries, HIV prevention responses in MSM need substantial improvement,” says Dr Adam.
“These men still suffer from extreme discrimination,” says Professor John de Wit, the Director of NCHSR and one of the other authors of the paper. “In addition, some of these countries do not yet acknowledge that MSM exist in their countries and that they are at a substantially higher risk of being infected by HIV. This lack of recognition is also evident from the fact that only 45 per cent of low and middle countries reported on the HIV prevention needs and responses in MSM.
“Effective HIV prevention responses to the epidemic among MSM are needed in all countries and they are needed now,” says Professor de Wit. “I hope that our paper will contribute to raising awareness of the problem within governments and will also give international donors the leverage to demand action.”
Don Baxter, Executive Director of the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations said: “Since the last international AIDS Conference in Mexico last year the impetus to improve the health and human rights of MSM in low and middle income countries has become a global priority. This paper makes an important contribution to reducing the research gap that has existed until now and clearly sheds light on the needs of this group both in terms of public health and human rights.”
The study used data that is periodically collected as part of the monitoring of progress on commitments member countries made at the UN General Assembly Special meeting on HIV in 2001.
University of New South Wales
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