for eMaxHealth
HIV infection rates among gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) in some African countries are 10 times that of the general male population, and stigma, poor access to treatment or testing are to blame, according to a recent study.
University of Oxford researchers looked at published studies to examine HIV prevalence rates between 2003 and 2009.
The difference varies a lot across Africa, but in most of the countries studied, MSM HIV prevalence rates were substantially higher than among heterosexuals.
The higher prevalence is driven by cultural, religious and political unwillingness to accept MSM as equal members of society. There is a profound stigma concerning sex behaviours among homosexuals and as a result it becomes extremely difficult to reach out to this group.
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