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Between Men: Men who have sex with men, HIV and sexual health from International HIV/AIDS Alliance, 2003, courtesy NSWP

This manual, produced by the Naz Foundation India Trust, provides training modules on issues related to the sexuality and sexual health of men who have sex with men (MSM) and gay men. The training is intended for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and community-based organisations (CBOs) in South Asia, and can be used to train participants who have no prior knowledge on the issues affecting MSM and gay men.

Part one of the manual focuses on raising awareness of issues affecting MSM and gay men in relation to their sexual health. It covers human sexuality, and the sexual behaviours, social context, behaviours and identities, and sexual health of MSM and gay men. Part two Integrating Services for Men Who Have Sex with Men and Gay Men into Existing Programs – which can be downloaded separately – looks at how to integrate issues related to MSM and gay men into NGO programmes. It deals with integrating services into existing programmes, developing specific programmes for MSM and gay men, networking, and formulating a short-term action plan. It also addresses related aspects of agency vision, mission, policy and programming.

This report from UNAIDS details a stakeholder consultation held in 2005 on men who have sex with men (MSM), in relation to HIV prevention and care. The objectives of this meeting were to identify: the key needs and priorities in HIV prevention, treatment care and impact mitigation work with MSM; ways of strengthening programming and policy actions; and the roles of key stakeholders in this process. The report provides an overview of what is known about MSM and knowledge gaps in Africa, Asia and South America. Key issues identified include the need to use internationally agreed human rights instruments; advocating for those who might be marginalised; promoting recognition of the role of culture, religion and gender stereotypes in negative responses to MSM; and being proactive in the needs of MSM in HIV programmes.

The report concludes that national government responsibilities are essential and identifies a number of key elements in national level responses. There needs to be commitment to protect the rights of MSM, these rights and needs have to be prioritised in national strategic HIV and AIDS plans and there needs to be genuine MSM community participation and representation in planning and implementation. Participants also highlighted the need to increase coverage and fully fund programmes for MSM and to create a vocal constituency for MSM as well as build alliances. [adapted from author]

This publication, from the Monitoring the AIDS Pandemic (MAP) Network, reviews the situation of men who have sex with men (MSM) in Asia. The report summarises the key findings about the epidemiology of HIV and AIDS among Asian MSM and discusses the programmatic implications of these findings. Key findings show that in 2003, 17 per cent of MSM in Bangkok, Thailand were HIV positive. By 2000, 15 per cent of MSM in Phnom Penh, Cambodia tested positive for HIV. The prevalence of HIV among transgender sex workers in Jakarta, Indonesia increased from 6 per cent in 1997 to 22 per cent in 2002. While these findings represent the most at risk segment of the MSM population, they give cause for alarm in Asian countries that continue to neglect MSM prevention, care, support and treatment.

The report highlights four areas that programme managers addressing male-male sex need to consider. These include increasing condom use in male-male sex, and introducing prevention methods to those engaging in high-risk activities, such as men and transgendered people who sell sex to men. Managers also need to consider issues of drug use and men who have sex with men and women. [adapted from author]