Sex frequency and sex planning among men who have sex with men in Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract + full, open access article

Sex frequency and sex planning among men 

who have sex with men in Bangkok, Thailand: 

implications for pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis 

against HIV infection

Journal of the International AIDS Society 2010, 13:13doi:10.1186/1758-2652-13-13

Objective
Daily HIV anti-retroviral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is being evaluated in clinical trials among men who have sex with men (MSM). However, daily PrEP may not be congruent with sexual exposure profiles of MSM. Here we investigate sex frequency and sex planning to identify and inform appropriate PrEP strategies for MSM.

Methods
We evaluated sex frequency and sex planning in a cohort HIV-negative MSM in Bangkok, Thailand. chi2 test was used to compare reports of sex on different weekdays; logistic regression was used to identify predictors of sex frequency and sex planning.

Results
Of 823 MSM (mean age 28.3 yrs) 86% reported sex on 2 days per week or less and 65% reported their last sex to have been planned. Sex on the weekend (~30%) was more often reported than sex on weekdays (~23%). In multivariate analysis, use of alcohol, erectile dysfunction drugs, group sex, sex with a foreigner, buying and selling sex and a history of HIV testing were associated with having sex on 3 days per week or more; age 22 to 29 years, not identifying as homosexual, receptive anal intercourse and not engaging in group sex were associated with unplanned sex.

Conclusion
Intermittently dosed PrEP (as opposed to daily) may be a feasible HIV prevention strategy and should be considered for evaluation in clinical trials. Predictors of sex frequency and sex planning may help to identify those in need for daily PrEP and those who may not be able to take a timely pre-exposure dose.

Open Access.

Anal HPV in hetero men common

via Health24.com

Contrary to what's traditionally been believed, anal infection with the virus that causes genital warts is common in heterosexual men, a new study confirms.

Until recent years, there had been little interest in studying the prevalence of anal infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) in men who have sex exclusively, or primarily, with women -- the belief being that they were unlikely to harbour an anal infection.

However, in the new study, researchers found that among 902 men from the US, Mexico and Brazil, 12% had an anal HPV infection.

All had had sex exclusively with women in recent months, though some said they had had sex with a man in the past -- ranging from 6.5% of the US men to 17% of the Brazilian men.

Read the rest. 

China lifts 20 year old travel ban on people with AIDS

via NY Daily News, by The Associated Press

BEIJING - China has scrapped a 20-year travel ban that barred people with HIV and AIDS from entering the country just days ahead of the opening of the Shanghai Expo, which hopes to welcome millions of overseas visitors.

The decision follows similar moves by the United States and South Korea to eliminate travel restrictions for people with the HIV virus. Both lifted their bans on visitors with HIV on Jan. 1.

Read the rest.

What gay men can teach straights about safe sex

via Salon.com, by Tracy Clark-Flory

Women are skipping the condoms when it comes to, well, the backdoor.

It seems women have a safe sex blind spot when it comes to anal sex, according to a new report by the New York City Health Department. Far fewer women consistently use condoms during anal sex than men who sleep with men; 23 percent and 61 percent, respectively.

It's easy to understand how some women might rationalize condomless anal sex, much like virginity pledges who, conveniently enough, don't count oral or anal sex as sex. If it doesn't "count" as sex sex, and there is no risk of pregnancy, why use protection? But, boy, does it ever count: As the report's press release explains, "past studies suggest that anal exposure to HIV poses 30 times more risk than vaginal exposure." Sadly, the new study finds that women who have anal sex without condoms are less likely to get regular STD tests than women who consistently use protection.

Read the rest.

Update: Imprisoned Malawi Same-Sex Couple Speaks Out

via Edge, by Kilian Melloy

Last December, a male same-sex couple in Malawi who celebrated their engagement to one another were arrested under that country’s "decency" laws. Ever since, Steven Monjeza, 26, and his fiancée, Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 20, have been held in prison in Blantyre, Malawi, and reportedly have been subjected to intrusive medical examinations to determine whether they have engaged in anal sex.

The couple’s arrest has led to international protests and warnings that Malawi, which relies heavily on international aid, could risk alienating nations that provide crucially needed funds. However, the government has refused to yield in the case, with Information Minister Leckford Mwanza Thoto saying in January that Monjeza and Chimbalanga were "clearly breaking the laws of Malawi," and adding, "As [a] government we cannot interfere in the court process." Thoto went on to say, "We depend on our Western friends, yes, but we are a sovereign country."

Read the rest.

STI, HIV Counseling Inadequate in Male Teens

via Johns Hopkins Children's Center, by media team

Despite national guidelines aimed at improving sexual health services for teenagers, most sexually active boys — even those who report high-risk sexual behaviors — still get too little counseling about HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) during their visits to the doctor, according to a study led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.

The study, published online ahead of print in the Journal of Adolescent Health, analyzed data from the 1995 National Survey of Adolescent Males and the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, found that only 26 percent of teens who reported high-risk sex — such as having sex with a prostitute or an HIV-infected person or having sex while high or drunk — said they received HIV/STI counseling at the doctor’s office in the year preceding the survey. Twenty-one percent of all sexually active boys, regardless of risk, said they discussed HIV and other STIs with their doctors.

 

Read the rest.

Bisexual concurrency, bisexual partnerships, and HIV among Southern African MSM

Bisexual concurrency, bisexual partnerships, and HIV among Southern African men who have sex with men (MSM)

Beyrer C, Trapence G, Motimedi F, Umar E, Iipinge S, Dausab F, Baral S.

Center for Public Health and Human Rights, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

Abstract

Objectives
The sexual behaviour of men who have sex with men (MSM) in southern Africa has been little studied. We present here the first data on bisexual partnerships and bisexual concurrency among MSM in Malawi, Namibia and Botswana.

Methods 
A cross-sectional probe of a convenience sample of 537 men who have ever reported anal sex with another man using a structured survey instrument and rapid-kit HIV screening.

Results 
34.1% of MSM were married or had a stable female partner, and 53.7% reported both male and female sexual partners in the past 6 months. Bisexual concurrency was common, with 16.6% of MSM having concurrent relationships with both a man and a woman. In bivariate analyses, any bisexual partnerships were associated with lower education (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.3), higher condom use (OR 6.6, 95% CI 3.2 to 13.9), less likelihood of having ever tested for HIV (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.3), less likelihood of having disclosed sexual orientation to family (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.32 to 0.67) and being more likely to have received money for casual sex (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.3 to 2.7). Bisexual concurrency was associated with a higher self-reported condom use (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.0 to 3.1), being employed (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.2 to 2.9), lower likelihood of disclosure of sexual orientation to family (OR 0.37, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.65) and having paid for sex with men (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.2 to 3.2).

Conclusions 
The majority of MSM in this study report some bisexual partnerships in the previous 6 months. Concurrency with sexual partners of both genders is common. Encouragingly, men reporting any concurrent bisexual activity were more likely to report condom use with sexual partners, and these men were not more likely to have HIV infection than men reporting only male partners. HIV-prevention programmes focussing on decreasing concurrent sexual partners in the African context should also target bisexual concurrency among MSM. Decriminalisation of same-sex practices will potentiate evidence-based HIV-prevention programmes targeting MSM.

Source.

KENYA: Bisexual male sex workers run big risks

via African Press International

At a nightclub in Mombasa, on the Kenyan coast, Tito Bakari* a local man, and Leonard Smithberger, a tourist, make out in a dark corner before the bouncer asks them to leave. Hand in hand they walk to another bar nearby, where they party through the night.

“My love from Germany has been here since Easter – the party has just begun,” Bakari told IRIN/PlusNews. Smithberger visits Kenya a few times every year and showers gifts and money on Bakari, who moves out of the house he shares with his wife and child and into his lover’s hotel.

Up to 60 percent of male sex workers in Mombasa also have female sexual partners, according to a recent study presented at the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in San Francisco.

“Although most sex partners of MSM-SW [men who have sex with men sex workers] are men, sex with local women is also common, usually transactional, and often unprotected,” the study noted.

Read the rest.

Microbicides 2010 registrants - join us for a reception Sunday, May 23 and help launch IRMA's new report!

click to enlarge the image

RSVP here

Meet Xiaoyan, A Friendly Rectal Microbicide Advocate

Xiaoyan Zhang
Shanghai, China

Xiaoyan Zhang is a scientific researcher in Shanghai, China who has taken a vital role in the fight against HIV/Aids.

“The micro-environment and mucosal surfaces of the genital tract and the gastrointestinal tract are very different. It was reported that vaginal and intestinal macrophages display distinct phenotype and HIV-1 permissiveness profiles, therefore, it is necessary to establish rectal microbicides,” Xiaoyan says.

Xiaoyan got her was introduced to IRMA's work after attending the International Aids Society meeting in 2007. Since this meeting Xiaoyan has been working on rectal microbicide research, more specifically she evaluates the microbicide model system. As if this does not keep her busy enough Xiaoyan has also been actively working on HIV infection among MSM projects since 2005.

“Together with local CDC people, we established an MSM cohort, investigated the risk factors related to HIV infection, identified the prevalent HIV-1 strain, and characterized the subtypes and co-infections with HIV. We transferred the ideas from both behavior intervention and biomedical intervention strategies which should be implemented to control HIV transmission in the local MSM community.”

Through her advocacy at each scientific meeting and her relationship with MSM, Xiaoyan has begun to pave a significant path in the goal towards preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS.


Read about more Friendly Rectal Microbicide Advocates here.
Click here for information about IRMA membership.

Billboard of the Day

Health Department Highlights Health Risks of Unprotected Anal Sex among Heterosexual Women in New York City

[press release]

New survey suggests that women are less likely than men to use protection during anal intercourse

Unprotected anal sex poses well known health hazards for men, but new research suggests that the practice is a significant health issue for women as well. More than 100,000 New York City women engage in anal intercourse each year, according to a new report from the Health Department, and many are not taking the steps needed to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
Read the rest.

Inconsistent condom use among young men who have sex with men, male sex workers, and transgenders in Thailand

AIDS Educ Prev. 2010 Apr;22(2):100-9.

Chemnasiri T, Netwong T, Visarutratana S, Varangrat A, Li A, Phanuphak P, Jommaroeng R, Akarasewi P, van Griensven F.

Thailand Ministry of Public Health-U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Collaboration, Patong Hospital, Phuket, Thailand. tareeratc@th.cdc.gov

Abstract

Young men who have sex with men (MSM) are at risk for HIV infection. We investigated inconsistent condom use among 827 sexually active young MSM (15-24 years), enrolled using venue-day-time sampling in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket, Thailand. Data was collected using palmtop computer-assisted self-interviewing. Of participants, 33.1% were regular MSM, 37.7% were male sex workers (MSWs) and 29.1% were transgenders (TGs). Of MSM, 46.7%, of MSWs, 34.9% and of TGs, 52.3% reported recent inconsistent condom use. In multivariate analysis, receptive anal intercourse (MSM, MSWs), receptive and insertive anal intercourse, living alone and a history of sexual coercion (MSWs), not carrying a condom when interviewed (MSM, TGs), lower education, worrying about HIV infection and a history of sexually transmitted infections (TGs) were significantly and independently associated with inconsistent condom use. Interventions for young MSM are needed and must consider the distinct risk factors of MSM, MSWs, and TGs.

Good sex, good marriage, less HIV

via The New Vision Online, by Catherine Watson


A campaign on good marriage could explain that sometimes a man may have less sex than he would like but that this trade off is worth it to maintain family harmony and avoid acquiring or transmitting HIV. Many men think falsely that going without sex will harm their bodies, that semen will accumulate. Neither is true. But the campaign would need to assuage men's fears.


Finally, a campaign on good marriage could explain that sex changes over a lifetime. Often we get problems because reality does not meet our expectations. Women may have less interest in sex in late pregnancy after birth and menopause. Men who are reassured of this may be less likely to take a "side dish". Both men and women need a better understanding of how their body works. Sex when we are older is not like sex when we are just married. And let us not over sexualize men: they can want less sex sometimes too.

Read the rest.

Meet Bachir, A Friendly Rectal Microbicide Advocate

Bachir Sarr
Ottawa, Canada

“If proven safe and effective, rectal microbicides will no doubt relieve condoms of the heavy burden of protection while keeping the pleasure principle of sexuality,” says Bachir Sarr, a program consultant for the Canadian AIDS Society (CAS), the first national AIDS organization in the country. Through this organization Bachir has aided in efforts to develop, coordinate and distribute resources for member groups on issues including microbicides, providing information on HIV/AIDS to the general public via publications, telephone enquiries and the internet.

In the course of conversations with his colleagues at CAS Bachir’s interest in rectal microbicides sparked, which led to his decision to join the IRMA family.

As an IRMA member, Bachir has advocated for rectal microbicides through a CAS-sponsored list serve covering microbicides and prevention technologies.

“Rectal microbicides will not just benefit a key population but will address vulnerability factors that continue to fuel the epidemic such as condom negotiation and use,” he says.

Read about more Friendly Rectal Microbicide Advocates here.
Click here for information about IRMA membership.

Few Young Men Counseled on Sexual Health, Study Finds

via TheBody.com

Adolescent males continue to be overlooked by health care providers in terms of reproductive health services, new research shows.

Dr. Arik Marcell, assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and colleagues compared data from the 1995 National Survey of Adolescent Males and the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth to determine whether improvements have been made in the delivery of STD/HIV counseling services to male teens. They found that fewer than one-quarter of boys ages 15-19 received STD/HIV counseling by a provider during the previous year, according to the 2002 survey of 1,121 young men. These results represent no significant change from 1995, when a similar proportion received such counseling.

Males who reported three or more female partners, anal sex with female partners, or oral/anal sex with male partners were more likely to have received counseling, with roughly one-third saying they had been counseled about STDs in 2002. A similar proportion of those engaging in risky sex received counseling in 1995, the study found.

However, even fewer young men, less than one-fifth, discussed contraception with a health care provider in 2002. That compares with nearly two-thirds of sexually active young women, according to other surveys.

"The medical system is really set up to serve women and maternal-child health in ways that aren't addressing young men's needs," said Marcell.

The study, "Prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infection/Human Immunodeficiency Virus Counseling Services Received by Teen Males, 1995-2002," was published online in the Journal of Adolescent Health (2010; doi:10.1016/j.adohealth.2009.12.002).

Gen Y women facing pressure to have sex

via Sydney Morning Herald, by Mary-Anne Toy

Excerpt:

Melbourne psychologist and sex therapist Sarah Calleja says the bombardment of sexual imagery and concepts through music videos and other media was giving young girls the message that anal sex is common and oral sex is no longer even first base and was encouraging boys to be aggressive sexually.

Read the whole item.

Tip one back at the Rectum Bar?

Come Inside The Rectum Bar For A Slow Comfortable Screw Up Against The Wall
via Gizmodo, by Kat Hannaford

Here I was, thinking Europeans were meant to be classier than Americans—but have you ever heard of a Rectum Bar outside of Vienna, Austria? Do you even know what a rectum is? The whole digestive system is there—the tongue, stomach, small and large intestines and then the money-shot—the anus. All anatomically correct (apart from the large intestine), all enough to turn you off your G&T.

Source.

New HIV Vaccine and Microbicide Advocacy Society releases new report on MSMs

The New HIV Vaccine and Microbicide Advocacy Society (NHVMAS) released its "Report on the 5 days training on HIV Prevention,Treatment, Research Literacy for MSMs" on March 29, 2010.

Read the whole report here.

Executive summary

A five days training for MSMs in Lagos on HIV prevention, treatment and research literacy was organised for 25 participants. The training ran for 5 days with 28 participants participating in the five days training.

Prior the training, a one day planning meeting was held between NHVMAS and IRMA on the 19th of March 2010. The meeting addressed selection of participants, venue of the training, timing of the training and facilitators. Email and telephone communications between NHVMAS, NARN, NACA and Population Council had also gone on for one week prior to the planning meeting date.

The NACA draft MSM training manual was used for the training. The training served as a pilot for the training manual. Lessons from the training would feed into the review process. At the end of the training, the pre and post test analysis showed that there was a significant improvement in knowledge and understanding about HIV as a whole. Most importantly, people did come to better understand the need to use condom consistently and correctly. The exercise of having trainees share information with peers and bring feedback on their peer outreach to the meeting also helped practically feed into the last session of the training meeting.

Lessons learnt include:

1. Focus of MSM training should emphasis on correct and consistent use of condoms. MSMs will always have multiple sexual partners for multiple identified reasons.

2. The use of peers as trainers also makes a lot of difference. Peers are able to identify with and share their own life experiences with the trainees. This helps to create an interactive environment and much more learning for the participants.

3. This training had VERY little didatic sessions. Having peers share made a significant difference to as everyone of them learnt from each other thereby enabling them see themselves as possible peer leaders.

4. Collaboration is possible and enriches programmes. NHVMAS collaboration with IRMA helped with reaching out to persons NHVMAS will not have hitherto being able to reach out too. Collaboration with NARN and Population Council also ensured that the training did not lead to a dead end – trainees will be absorbed into the Pop Council and NARN MSM peer education training programme in the Near future.

Meet Prince Goodluck, A Friendly Rectal Microbicide Advocate

Prince Goodluck Obi
Lagos, Nigeria

“Unprotected anal intercourse is 5 to 80 times more likely to result in HIV transmission compared to unprotected vaginal intercourse. To stop this ugly development, it becomes imperative that a safe, effective and acceptable rectal microbicide for women and men is developed”

Prince Goodluck Obi was born in  Ubulu ihejiofor, Nigeria who has inhabited all regions of Nigeria. Though stationed in Lagos, Nigeria Prince’s position as the National Executive President of United Nations of Youth Network Nigeria (UNOY) allows him to travel all over the country.

He had already gotten a start in the field of microbicide research through his work as a Human Rights Activist for sexual minorities, in addition to being a founding member of the New HIV Vaccine and Microbicide Advocacy Society (NHVMAS). However, he became more heavily involved with IRMA after the 2006 Microbicide Conference in South Africa.

“I face a lot of challenges and opposition in trying to disseminate the information at home because MSM is criminalized in our constitution, but that does not stop me,” he says.

As a devoted member of IRMA, Prince Goodluck has raised awareness locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally through his various leadership positions. Through the use of public announcements, IRMA telephone conferences, participation in multiple AIDS conferences and three accepted abstracts on rectal microbicides, Prince Goodluck has shed light on how vital rectal microbicides are in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

Read about more Friendly Rectal Microbicide Advocates here.

Click here for information about IRMA membership.

Meet Javier, A Friendly Rectal Microbicide Advocate

Javier Arellano

Mexico City, Mexico

Born in Mexico City, Mexico, Javier Arellano has taken a “full force” approach in the mission of advocating for rectal microbicides. Serving as the Deputy Director of Clinical Prevention of the Mexico City AIDS program, Javier was introduced to IRMA while attending the 2008 International AIDS Conference in Mexico City.

“I am absolutely sure about the microbicides as new technologies to prevent STDs, including HIV. I think microbicides are a complementary tool against fighting HIV,” he says.

Since getting involved with IRMA Javier has continued his research on the sexual health of MSM, advocated for rectal microbicides in his presentations and training sessions, and he also contributed to Life Lube’s “How are you healthy?” project, which has been one of the most popular posts on this gay men's health blog.

Read about more Friendly Rectal Microbicide Advocates here.
Click here for information about IRMA membership.

Casual Sexual Encounters Among Gay Men: Familiarity, Trust and Unprotected Anal Intercourse

Iryna B. Zablotska1, Andrew E. Grulich, John De Wit and Garrett Prestage

Published online: 8 April 2010

Abstract:

Familiarity with and a history of prior sex with casual partners is associated with unprotected anal intercourse and may increase the risk of HIV transmission among gay men. Using data from the Sydney Gay Community Periodic Survey 2007, we explored the relationship between familiarity and unprotected anal intercourse with the last casual partner (UAI-LC). 51% of the men knew their last casual partner and 49% had previously had sex with him. Men were more inclined to engage in UAI-LC if they had previously had sex with this partner. HIV-negative men were more likely to have UAI-LC with a more familiar partner independent of his serostatus. Familiarity with and a previous history of sex between casual partners may result in a false sense of trust and may increase the risk of HIV transmission. HIV prevention services should address this issue and develop programs to improve men’s skills in negotiating safer sex.

HIV prevention research focus of International Microbicides Conference May 22-25

via EurekAlert!


HIV prevention researchers, policy makers and community advocates from more than 35 countries will be in Pittsburgh, May 22-25 to attend the 2010 International Microbicides Conference (M2010).

Unlike previous meetings, M2010 will encompass a broader spectrum of HIV prevention research and related topics, hence the theme Building Bridges in HIV Prevention. In addition to discussing the latest research on microbicides – substances designed to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV when applied topically on the inside of the rectum or vagina – M2010 will also be a forum for discussions on male circumcision, pre-exposure prophylaxis and vaccines.

The size of the meeting, with about 1,000 participants, will afford media easy access to the field's leading investigators and newsmakers in global health, basic science, behavioral science and clinical trials research. Many of the meeting's participants are working on the front lines of the epidemic in parts of the world hardest hit by HIV and AIDS.

The scientific program includes six invited plenary and state-of-the-art lectures, nine cross-cutting symposia on emerging issues and trends in HIV prevention and more than 500 oral and poster abstract presentations reporting on original research. Among the findings to be presented and topics to be covered at M2010 are:

• Results of the first clinical trial to evaluate the safety of a vaginal microbicide in pregnant women and findings from a large prospective study in seven African countries looking at whether pregnancy can increase the risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV.
• Results of studies looking at the behavioral and biological factors that may help explain why HIV rates are so high among men and women who engage in unprotected receptive anal intercourse. These include studies looking at the effects of different over-the-counter lubricants on HIV risk and research focused on the development of rectal microbicides.
• New research aimed at expanding the pipeline of antiretrovirals (ARVs) for prevention, including results of the first primate study evaluating an integrase inhibitor as a topical microbicide. ARVs are drugs used in the treatment of HIV, and ARV-based prevention approaches are being tested in several ongoing clinical trials, with results of completed trials expected in the coming months. One concern is that these studies all involve the same drug. The challenges and promise of ARV-based strategies are key issues to be discussed.

All sessions will take place at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh. A staffed press room will be available on site and media briefings will be held each day, with some available by teleconference. Information about media registration is available at http://www.microbicides2010.org/general-media-information.

The scientific program will be posted later this week at www.microbicides2010.org To receive e-mail updates and news releases or to request abstracts or additional details about the meeting, please contact Lisa Rossi at rossil@upmc.edu or +1-412-916-3315.

M2010 is the sixth biennial meeting of the International Microbicides Conference and marks the first meeting in the United States since the 2000 inaugural gathering in Washington, D.C. Other previous meetings have been in Antwerp, Belgium; London, England; Cape Town, South Africa; and New Delhi, India. Co-chairs of this year's conference are Sharon Hillier, Ph.D., and Ian McGowan, M.D., Ph.D., both of the University of Pittsburgh; and Gita Ramjee, Ph.D., of the Medical Research Council of South Africa.

More than 33 million people are living with HIV, more than two thirds of them in sub-Saharan Africa, according to UNAIDS. The number of new infections continues to outstrip advances in treatment: For every two people who begin treatment, five are newly infected. Globally, women account for half of all HIV infections, and in sub-Saharan Africa, women comprise 60 percent of all infected adults. Young women are especially vulnerable. In southern Africa women aged 15 to 24 are at least three times more likely than their male peers to be infected with HIV. Meanwhile, men who have sex with men (MSM) bear the burden of the epidemic in the United States and in other parts of the world, such as Europe, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, MSM of all races is the only risk group in the United States in which new HIV infections are increasing. Black heterosexual women represent the third highest risk group in the United States, after white MSM and black MSM, respectively.

[IRMA is going to be at this meeting in a BIG way - for one, we will be releasing our 2010 report here, titled "From Promise to Product: Advancing Rectal Microbicide Research and Advocacy."]

Meet Oliver, A Friendly Rectal Microbicide Advocate

                                                                        

 Oliver Anene

 Abuja, Nigeria

Oliver Anene is a Social Health Worker from the capital of Nigeria, Abuja, who has been an advocate for rectal microbicides in Nigeria since 2005. It was through his advocacy work there that Oliver got involved with IRMA.

Oliver realizes that, “Vaginal microbicides might only be useful to women, but a rectal microbicide will be useful for men and women alike.”

Since Oliver’s involvement with IRMA, he has advocated for rectal microbicides by conducting focus group discussions with MSM in three Nigerian states to learn their views about a potential rectal microbicide. Oliver has also written and published a rectal microbicide advocacy tool with the support of the UNAIDS Nigeria office.

Read about more Friendly Rectal Microbicide Advocates here.

Click here for information about IRMA membership.

Should we care about MSMs?

via Jamaica BSERVER, by Patricia Watson

"The threats of criminal indictment and socio-religious discrimination against man-to-man sexual relationships have contributed to the increased vulnerability of MSMs to HIV," said Cruickshank.

 "Consequent to such discrimination, many MSMs are afraid of going to a pharmacy to purchase condoms and personal lubricant which are sometimes so precariously placed close to the cashier, in full view of other customers. Hence, negotiation of safe sex becomes seriously compromised."

Read the rest.

Bodies of gay men desecrated in Senegal

via SDGLN.com, by SDGLN staff

Madieye Diallo

Last May, one such mob dug up the body of Madieye Diallo, who had died of HIV-related complications, and the incident was recorded on video by someone holding a cell phone. The video was sold in the town market in Thies, where Diallo had lived.

The Associated Press reported that “Madieye Diallo's body had only been in the ground for a few hours when the mob descended on the weedy cemetery with shovels. They yanked out the corpse, spit on its torso, dragged it away and dumped  it in front of the home of his elderly parents.”

Read the rest.

HIV Travel and Immigration

via Immigration Equality

On January 4, 2010, the rule ending the HIV immigration and travel ban went into effect. After two decades of discrimination and stigma, the HIV travel and immigration ban is history!

Immigration Equality and The AIDS Institute would like to share the vital new informational brochure on the repeal of the HIV immigration and travel ban. The brochure answers questions for clients, attorneys, AIDS service providers, and others. It is available electronically and in print, in both English and Spanish.

Have Questions? Read the rest here.

Will the Female Condom Ever Catch On?

via The Daily Beast, by Joyce C. Tang

The first version of the female condom made a weird noise, fell out, and was expensive, too. Now public health experts are pushing a new and improved version in American cities. Can it overcome stigma?

Made from polyurethane, which is less pliable than latex, the female condom could be uncomfortable and resulted in a less-than-intimate sexual experience. Users complained of a "crinkling" or "squeaking" noise—not to mention a tendency for the condom to slip out if not inserted properly.

But last year's FDA approval of the second-generation female condom, called FC2, has prompted two U.S. cities, Chicago and Washington, D.C., to launch campaigns to reintroduce the contraceptive. Now made of nitrile, the crinkling and squeaking have been nearly silenced, and the FC2 costs 30 percent less than its predecessor did.

Read the rest.

Microbicides, vaccines may need to repel HIV contact at mucosa

via Aidsmap News, by Keith Alcorn

Scientists have been faced with the question of how HIV actually gets underneath epithelial cells to infect other cells that are susceptible to HIV. "It's not the cells on top," Kaushic said. "It is the immune cells underneath that have all the receptors that HIV likes to latch on to and that allow the virus to replicate and establish infection. But it has to cross the epithelial barrier first!"

"This is a significant step forward in defining where prevention strategies, such as microbicides and vaccine, need to focus. Instead of trying to stop HIV from infecting the target cells underneath the epithelium, we need to think about ways to stop the virus from attaching to epithelial cells themselves," said Charu Kaushic.

Read the rest.

Factors Associated With Event-Level Anal Sex and Condom Use During Anal Sex Among Adolescent Women

Source

Hensel DJ, Fortenberry JD, Orr DP. Factors associated with event level anal
sex and condom use during anal sex among adolescent women. J Adolesc Health. 2010 Mar;46(3):232-7. Epub 2009 Aug 28.

In the current study, the team set out to examine the distribution of and factors associated with event-level heterosexual anal sex, and of event-level condom use during anal sex, in a group of adolescent women.

A total of 387 women, ages 14 to 17 at enrollment, were recruited from primary care clinics for a longitudinal study of STDs and sexual behavior. Data were taken from daily sexual diaries; the likelihood of anal sex or condom use during anal sex on any given day was assessed using generalized estimating equation logistic regression.

"Heterosexual anal intercourse is a small but nonrandom event-level component in adolescent women's sexual behavior," the authors wrote. Approximately 30 percent of anal sex episodes were condom-protected. Mood, partner, and situational factors predicted anal sex but not condom use during anal sex. The strongest influences on both outcomes were within-day and recent behavior factors.

"Our findings suggest the importance of providers' screening adolescent women patients during office visits about anal sex and about condom use during anal sex, as well as asking questions about the context of these behaviors to appropriately tailor risk reduction counseling," the authors concluded.

Gay and lesbian parents: Teaching kids it’s OK to be different

via dallasvoice.com: Instant Tea, by Tammye Nash & Elizabeth Farr

As the child of a gay parent, I have decided to come out of the closet. I have finally “grown up” enough to realize that letting others know my dad is gay is a relief. I have never been ashamed of my father’s homosexuality but I have never openly acknowledged it either.

I was never brave enough to stand up and say, “Yeah my dad is gay. So what?” But I am now.        

                                                                              

Read the rest.

Poll finds majority in California support gay marriage; where do Times readers stand?

via Los Angeles Times, by Gerrick D. Kennedy

Less than two years after Californians approved a ban on gay marriage, a new poll found that more residents support same-sex unions than oppose them.

A poll from the Public Policy Institute of California released in March found respondents backing gay marriage 50% to 45%. And a Times/USC poll last November found a 51%-to-43% division on the issue.

The poll shows Democrats and liberals supporting same-sex marriage by large margins and Republicans and conservatives opposing it by equally lopsided margins. There is also a huge variation by age, with registered voters younger than 30 supporting same-sex marriage by roughly 3 to 1, while a majority of those 64 and older were opposed.

Here what others have to say about this and Read the rest.

New Fleet enema for health, cleanliness

via Joe.My.God

“We’ve always known that some of our consumers were using Fleet enemas for reasons other than to relieve constipation, so we wanted to develop a product that would meet the needs of those users and provide them with a safe way to cleanse and frequently if desired,” [Fleet brand manager Emily] Klopp said. Fleet sells about $30 million in enemas annually and dominates the market, Klopp said. It’s unclear the exact size of the market because Wal-Mart and other stores sell private-label brands and do not disclose their sales. The new version hits shelves at CVS drug stores and Target this month, followed by Walgreens next month and Rite-Aid in June. Wal-Mart is the only major retailer so far to balk at carrying it, Klopp said.

Read the whole post.

Uganda's Anti-homosexuality Bill

via National Association of Social Workers of Uganda 

(who support this atrocious bill, by the way)

Statement On The Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2009


 The object of the Bill is: "to establish a comprehensive consolidated legislation to protect the traditional family by prohibiting (1) any form of sexual relations between persons of the same sex; and (2) the promotion or recognition of such sexual relations in public institutions and other places through or with the support of any Government entity in Uganda or any non-governmental organization inside or outside the country".

Read the rest.

via Reverend Rowland Jide Macaulay

Leading African clergy, jurists and civil society groups call on Uganda to stop the Anti-Homosexuality Bill

Press Release:

March 31, 2009

The Anti-Homosexuality Bill provides for severe punishment, inclusive imprisonment, for those engaging in same sex relations, as well as for members of the public who fail to report such activities to the authorities. The original draft also provides for the death penalty and life imprisonment. The Bill has already gone through the first reading in Parliament and is now before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee.

“We are very concerned that it could become law within a few weeks or months”, said Adrian Jjuuko, Coordinator of Uganda's Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and Constitutional Law.

Read the rest.

Gay Iranians increasingly fleeing their country after June's crackdown

via The Washington Post, by Anthony Faiola

"For a moment, it felt so powerful," Farzan said through an interpreter. "We were marching in the streets. There were not that many of us -- maybe 150 in a crowd of thousands. But we were gay, and we were together, and we were calling for freedom."

Read the rest.

‘Queering the Census’ Seeks Inclusion of Sexual Orientation in Decennial Count

via Global Shift, by Ashley Michelle Papon

“Even in the absence of federal recognition of our relationships, we have an opportunity to say on an official form that, ‘Yes, we are married,’ ‘Yes, our relationships are every bit as equal to everyone else’s,’ ” Josh Friedes, executive director of Equal Rights Washington, a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) advocacy group in Seattle, tells the March 30 edition of The Seattle Times.

Click here to read the rest.

Mississippi School Violates LGBT Student's First Amendment Rights

via The New York Times, by The Associated Press

18-year old Constance McMillen of Fulton, Mississippi (U.S.) is a senior in high school.  She is a lesbian.  But when she asked to wear a tuxedo and bring her girlfriend to her senior prom, the school board cancelled the much-anticipated event.  McMillen was "one of only seven students to show up at a private event chaperoned by school officials last Friday night. [The] rest of her peers went to another private event where she wasn't invited.

'It was not the prom I imagined,' she said Tuesday. 'It really hurts my feelings. These are still people who I've gone through school with, even teachers who loved me before this all started. I've never been a bad student and I don't feel like I deserve to be put through this.'"  Read more about her experience.

However unfilfilling her prom was, the ACLU took the case to Mississippi Federal Court which ruled that McMillen's First Amendment rights had been violated.  This is a "'win for all the students at her school, and for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students who just want to be able to be themselves at school without being treated unfairly,' said the Legal Director of the ACLU of Mississippi."

You can take action too!  Join many others to support Constance McMillen's rights by signing this petition.

Elizabeth Pisani: Sex, drugs and HIV -- let's get rational - via TED

Read more about Elizabeth on this blog...

'Anal sex' phone hacking advert banned by ad watchdog

"Although the ad's image was not explicit, the 'access denied' sign across the naked woman's bottom implied anal sex..."

via inthenews.co.uk, by Emer Martin

Read.

Hostility, not homosexuality, flies in the face of true Koranic teachings

via Fridae, by Bramantyo Prijosusilo

The recent cancellation of a planned Asian-wide conference of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people in Surabaya reveals how far our society is from respecting human rights — and how close it is to slipping into religious fascism, writes Bramantyo Prijosusilo.

The police, who had earlier issued a permit — which is not really required by law — chose to bow down to Islamo-fascist groups such as the notorious thugs known as the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), who stormed hotels where they thought delegates of the conference were staying on Friday and demanded that all non-heterosexuals leave Surabaya. Reading journalists’ reports on the commotion and comments on news Web sites and on Facebook walls, it is obvious that any sexual orientation other than hetero is widely believed to be an illness that is contagious and immoral. Homophobia is alive and well in Indonesia.

Read the rest.

Risk, writing and arithmetic on campus in South Africa

Low HIV Prevalence Rates on Campus
via PlusNews

Excerpt:

Risk, writing and arithmetic

The research revealed that about 60 percent of sexually active students had been tested for HIV before, and a similar percentage reported using a condom the last time they had sex.

Still, campus life is risky. Study researcher Dr Warren Parker said the self-administered questionnaires allowed under-researched topics to be explored, such as risky sex, and same-sex relationships, reported by 6 percent of male students.

About 8 percent of all students reported engaging in anal sex; Parker told IRIN/PlusNews that some participants mistakenly perceived anal sex as less risky than vaginal intercourse.

Other high-risk student behaviours that failed to raise red flags included multiple concurrent partnerships and inter-generational sex, where male and female students took partners at least ten years their senior, often for material gain.

"Some new students, especially those from poor backgrounds, may show up to campus with no accommodation. They may have their school fees paid, but no money for food," said Dr Kevin Kelly, director of the Centre for AIDS Development, Research and Evaluation (CADRE), and part of the research team. "This question of students' basic needs cannot be separated from the HIV question."

Read the rest.

Homophobia divides Africa

via afrol News, by afrol staff

afrol News, 23 March - Homophobic laws in Uganda and an anti-gay court case in Malawi are only two current examples demonstrating a conservative wave regarding sexual minorities in Africa. But in other countries, in particular South Africa, gays and lesbians are enjoying increased freedom.

There is a belt of current conservative reactions to homosexuality spanning from Zimbabwe to Ethiopia, including most of Southern and East Africa. One after another, countries in the region hit international headlines over homophobic actions.

International human rights groups are busy condemning what seems to be a wave of gay bashing in the region. Some northern donor nations, including the UK, Sweden and Norway, have included discrimination against homosexuals in their lists of unacceptable human rights violations, threatening to cut aid if the bashing goes on. Church communities are split in a north-south division over accepting homosexuals. It all looks like a war of values between Africa and Western nations.

But that is only at a superficial level. Indeed, the issue of gay rights in Africa is greatly advancing. Even repressive headlines, such as the Malawi court case against a gay couple accused of "unnatural offences", can be read the other way, as an advance for gay rights.

Malawi is an example of deeply conservative societies, where traditional religion is mixed with Anglican church values formed during the colonial era. In Malawi, a vast majority had not even heard about homosexuality before the young gay couple was arrested in late December. Homosexuality was a non-matter, it did not exist in Malawi, even the more educated people thought.

But now, homosexuality is the big issue of talks in Malawi. While the great majority of Malawians have found they do not approve of this "foreign" thing as it goes against their conservative values, some few indeed defend that homosexuals should not be discriminated. It is the first time this point of view has been heard in Malawi. With time, it may grow stronger.

In Namibia and Botswana, also conservative countries but with a longer tradition of being open to outside impulses and with greater middle classes, many organisations now openly defend gay rights against discrimination and the occasional homophobic statements by political and church leaders. Here, the taboo is about to be broken.

The great taboo breaking in Africa has already happened in South Africa, the first country world-wide to protect sexual minorities explicitly in its constitution. Here, same-sex marriages by now are allowed and increasingly accepted. Here, forceful organisations are based, fighting for gay rights across the African continent.

But interestingly, even South Africans remain conservative regarding homosexuality. A 2006 survey found that more than three-quarters - 78 percent - of South Africans felt that sexual relations between two adults of the same gender were "always wrong". Less than one in fifteen at a national level thought that homosexual relationships were "not wrong at all".

Read the rest.