HIV prevalence is significantly higher amongst men who
have sex with men in Laos (Lao People’s Democratic Republic) than any other group in the country, according to a study published in the January 28th edition of AIDS.The study was conducted in the capital, Vientiane, and found that 6% of men who have sex with men were HIV-positive, and that attempted suicide was associated with HIV infection, a finding that the investigators believe “may point to the mental health needs of men who have sex with men.”
HIV prevalence in Laos is low compared to neighbouring countries such as Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. Research has suggested that 0.1% of the adult population in Laos are HIV-positive, and that approximately 1% of female sex workers are infected with HIV.
Investigators were concerned that there were no data on HIV prevalence amongst men who have sex with men in the country. They therefore designed a cross-sectional (or snapshot) study involving men reporting sex with other men recruited from commercial venues in Vientiane in 2007.
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Photo - An outreach worker (right) with PSI (Population Services International) Laos discusses condom use and safe practice as part of the organization's outreach to the MSM (men who have sex with men) community in a nightclub in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. See more like this.
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