- In the United States alone, HIV infections among gay men have risen 75% over the last 15 years (news report from CDC).
- Globally, men who have sex with men, or MSM (regardless of sexual orientation), are 19 times more likely to be infected with HIV compared to the general population.
- They are 18 times more likely to be infected with HIV compared to the general population in Asia alone.
- The Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) studied 128 countries. 44% (nearly half) of them failed to provide any data whatsoever on MSM.
- 71% did not have any information on the percentage of MSM reached by HIV prevention program.
- These statistics include Malaysia.
(Source: “MSM, HIV, and the Road to Universal Access – How Far Have We Come?” August 2008, Special Report by the Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR))
While initiatives pertaining HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness have made significant strides among high-risk communities such as with intravenous drug users and sex workers, there is a worrying noticeable trend among the men who have sex with men (MSM) community.
This has prompted WHO Director-General Margaret Chan, and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, to call for governments to target the epidemic among MSM. According to the report released by amfAR, much of the failure to tackle the endemic in MSM communities can be attributed to a lack of leadership from both national governments and the institutions charged with leading the global response to HIV/AIDS.
The task is further hampered by the many social and cultural taboos, government and public prejudice, and media victimization on the community; these factors may be responsible for forcing many individuals of the community into underground and non-mainstream alternatives to continue their lifestyles, making prevention and outreach work increasingly difficult.
Tilted World, through its posts and work, should continue to bring such issues to the mainstream of society, albeit beginning with the online community. Misconceptions such as those found in several mainstream media publications, the criminalising of sodomy, and police raids on lgbt-related events should be addressed immediately, on and off-line.
