Stigma still stops gay men from getting tested for HIV

11 July 2016 - 09:13 By FARREN COLLINS

Even though the number of new HIV infections has lowered globally, the rate of infection among gay men and men who have sex with other men remains disproportionately high.The higher risk from unprotected anal sex, as well as stigma and discrimination, are contributing factors that make the group particularly vulnerable, a new study by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health showed.The study was led by Chris Beyrer, the Desmond Tutu Professor of Public Health and Human Rights at the Bloomberg School.Beyrer, who is also president of the International Aids Society, will oversee the 21st International Aids conference in Durban next week.Beyrer said: "Stigma and discrimination continue to play a big role in these epidemics."In many countries these men are just not welcome in health clinics. The fear of discrimination stands in the way of not only treatment, but even testing, which can go a long way to stemming the spread of the disease."Beyrer pointed to a case in Malawi where a man being tested for sexually transmitted diseases was arrested after it was clear he had contracted the infection from another man."His arrest frightened other men from being screened for HIV and other infections," he said.James McIntyre of the Anova Health Institute, said South African studies showed that men who have sex with other men make up 10% of the total new infections in the country.Dr Yogan Pillay, the health department's deputy director-general, said the government was aware of the problem and was hoping to combat it through its Centres of Excellence, which offer a "full basket" of services to homosexual men."The key thing is not to know the exact number of infections, but to do something about it."We have a number of programmes at the department and are working with NGOs looking at mitigating the transmission of HIV in the gay community," Pillay said...

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