IRMA Member! Gay Nigerian activist Bisi Alimi shares his compelling story

via San Diego Gay and Lesbian News

Bisi Alimi was born in Nigeria in 1975, grew up and went on to attend the University of Lagos (Nigeria) pursuing a degree in theater. While as a student in 2003, he was outed by the university's student newspaper during student government elections.

Homosexual activity is illegal in Nigeria, the conservative influences of the Muslim faith in the north and a large Christian presence in the south. It is punishable by death by stoning in all 12 states, or being sentenced up to 14 years of imprisonment. There is no legal protection against discrimination for LGBT Nigerians. Very few are out, and violence against those in the LGBT community is frequent. Legislation is pending to criminalize same-sex marriage throughout Nigeria.

Alimi was expelled from university in 2004, before he was able to receive his degree.

Later that year, he was selected to be the Nigerian face of homosexuality at the fourth National Conference on HIV/AIDS in Abuja. Also that year, he was brought onto Funmi Iyanda's New Dawn talk show on the Nigerian Television Authority and it was here that he publicly came out before the nation and asked for acceptance from the public.

Almost immediately, there were repercussions for both Alimi and the interviewer. Almini received both love letters and death threats, and lost his home and his job. The New Dawn talk show's Friday edition was canceled and further interviewees on the show were were screened by the NTA in a country where censorship against homosexuality is already tight.

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Male sex workers: Are we ignoring a risk group in Mumbai, India?

Source

Santosh Shinde¹, Maninder Singh Setia², Ashok Row-Kavi³, Vivek Anand³, Hemangi Jerajani<sup>4

1</sup> Department of Dermatology, LTM Medical College, Mumbai; The Humsafar Trust, Mumbai, India,
² McGill University, Montreal, Canada,
³ The Humsafar Trust, Mumbai, India,
⁴ Department of Dermatology, LTM Medical College, Mumbai, India,

Background: Male sex workers (MSWs) have recently been recognized as an important risk group for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Although there are global studies on MSWs, few such studies describe the behavioral patterns and STIs among this population in India.  

Methods: MSWs were evaluated at the Humsafar trust, a community based organization situated in suburban Mumbai, India. We report on the demographics, sexual behaviors, and STIs including HIV of these sex workers.  

Results: Of the 75 MSWs, 24 were men and 51 were transgenders. The mean age of the group was 23.3 (+ 4.9) years. About 15% were married or lived with a permanent partner. Of these individuals, 85% reported sex work as a main source of income and 15% as an additional source. All the individuals reported anal sex (87% anal receptive sex and 13% anal insertive sex). About 13% of MSWs had never used a condom. The HIV prevalence was 33% (17% in men vs 41% in transgenders, P = 0.04). The STI prevalence was 60% (58% in men vs 61% in transgenders, P = 0.8). Syphilis was the most common STI (28%) in these MSWs. HIV was associated with being a transgender (41 vs 17%, P = 0.04), age > 26 years (57 vs 28%, P = 0.04), more than one year of sex work (38 vs 8%, P = 0.05), and income < Rs. 2000 per month (62 vs 27%, P = 0.02).

Conclusions: The MSWs have high-risk behaviors, low consistent condom use, and high STI/HIV infections. These groups should be the focus of intensive public health interventions aimed at reduction of risky sexual practices, and STI/HIV prevention and care.



Introduction

The organized sex trade has been a focus of intense discussion within the context of the human immunodeficieny virus (HIV) epidemic in Maharashtra as well as in India. [1] The female sex workers and their clients represent a high-risk group for acquisition of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV. Maharashtra's, and especially Mumbai's, organized brothels and various commercial sex sites are frequently visited by men native to the city, and also by the massive number of individuals migrating to the highly developed state in search of employment. Also, the sex workers themselves come from both within and outside the state.

Since the first case of HIV/AIDS was identified, prevention programs have recognized the importance of understanding the sex work industry. This included collecting systematic and reliable data on sex work, and contextual issues around selling of sex. [2],[3],[4] While research on female sex workers is extensive, comparatively less information exists on male sex work. Yet we cannot simply assume that the pattern and characteristics of the female sex industry will be the same as that of the male sex work industry. Coupled with sex trade and industrialization, social marginalization of groups such as male sex workers (MSWs) which include men who have sex with men (MSM) make prevention efforts with these extremely vulnerable groups all the more difficult. [5]

MSM are a diverse and often hard-to-reach group, spanning all age groups and socioeconomic backgrounds. [6],[7],[8] MSM in India can be divided into various subgroups: self-identified MSM (gay identified, kothis, panthis ), behaviorally MSM with no identity, bisexual men, and male-to-female transgenders ( hijras ).Other groups include subpopulations who are vulnerable because of their occupations/profession, and often engage into 'survival sex'; work is often intermittent and irregular for these men and they may actually have to offer sex in exchange for money. [9]

This study aims to understand the prevalence of sexual behaviors and STIs including HIV in MSWs. We further aim to understand the association of sociodemographics and HIV in this risk group.


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Eric Goosby: No Hold on PEPFAR Funds for Uganda

I think I would do more harm than good by connecting our resources to respond to the epidemic to making them dependent on a behavior that they're not willing to engage in on their own.

via Newsweek blog, by Katie Paul

Stigma is anathema to effective public-health work, but that's never stopped homophobic crusaders from mucking up the fight against HIV/AIDS before. Now, just as the South African government is finally changing its tune on the matter, Uganda is emerging as the world's new problem country. The recipient of $287 million in PEPFAR funds last year, Uganda is also the site of a vicious campaign against homosexuality, which took a turn for the worse last month when the "Anti-Homosexuality Bill" was introduced to Parliament. The bill threatens harsher punishments for actual or even perceived homosexual activity, which is already illegal under Ugandan law; convicted offenders could face the death penalty. "Promoting homosexuality" would also be illegal, as would a failure to report any of the above to police within 24 hours.

Even by regional standards, such penalties would be exceptionally harsh, especially since they would effectively criminalize the work of HIV/AIDS prevention efforts under the "promotion of homosexuality clause." The thinking behind them is just as disturbing, since this latest round of antigay fervor was kicked off at a conference held by by American missionary groups that went to proselytize about the twin evils of Nazism and homosexual behavior in Kampala earlier this year. Just to hammer home how far-out that is, this means the Ugandan government got its advice from the author of a book called The Pink Swastika: Homosexuality in the Nazi Party, which claims the Nazi movement was "entirely controlled by militaristic male homosexuals throughout its short history." The result has been a vigilante campaign against the country's LGBT community, whereby gay detainees are tortured and tabloids publish the names, places of employment, addresses, and physical descriptions of gay-rights advocates under headlines that scream "TOP HOMOS IN UGANDA NAMED." It would seem the stuff of Orwellian parody, but it's real.

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High prevalence of anal chlamydia in Swiss HIV-positive gay men

via Aidsmap, by Michael Carter

A large proportion of HIV-positive gay men in Switzerland have anorectal infection with chlamydia, investigators report in the November15th edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases. The researchers suggest that undiagnosed anal chlamydia infections could be contributing to the continued spread of HIV amongst gay men in Switzerland.

Gay and other men who have sex with men remain the group most affected by HIV in many industrialised countries, including Switzerland. Sexually transmitted infections also disproportionately affect gay men. If left untreated these infections, including chlamydia, can significantly increase the risk of acquiring HIV. As reported on aidsmap.com UK investigators found that many chlamydia infections in gay men were in the rectum, and that HIV-positive gay men were disproportionately affected by rectal chlamydia

Investigators from the Swiss HIV cohort therefore postulated that anorectal chlaymdia infection could be contributing to the ongoing HIV epidemic amongst gay men in the country.

They therefore screened 147 HIV-positive men who reported unprotected receptive anal sex in the previous two years for the infection. The aims of their study were to determine the prevalence and symptoms of anorectal chlamydia, and to see if they could identify any risk factors associated with the infection.

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BBC: Kenya to launch homosexual census

"Most of the gay community think that having sex with men is safe. There's no information here about safety measures."
 - Gay rights activist Peter Njane

via BBC

Kenya is to carry out a census of its gay population in an effort to bolster the fight against HIV/Aids - despite homosexuality being against the law.

Nicholas Muraguri, head of Kenya's Aids prevention programme Nascop, told the BBC it was vital that the government reached out to the gay community.

He said gay people suffered from a lack of information about the disease.

But analysts say many gay people will be afraid to come forward in a country where homosexuality can result in jail.

Mr Muraguri conceded that an accurate count was unlikely.

But he told the BBC's Network Africa programme that getting a clearer idea of the number of gay people would be a huge help with targeted interventions such as provision of condoms.


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Have you registered for the 2008 National Gay Men's Health Summit?

The 2008 National Gay Men's Health Summit is coming to Seattle October 17-21.

With over 100 workshops, films, and local activities, you won't want to miss out!

Registration is $150 and covers all five days of activities. They have also hooked up a discount on American Airlines and at the host hotel.

More information on this and more can be found here and be sure to check out their promo.

IRMA will be there, and hopes to see you there too!

Register NOW for the 2008 National Gay Men's Health Summit

Register before September 1 and receive 10% off!

The 2008 National Gay Men's Health Summit:
Building a Multi- Issue, Multicultural Gay Men's Health Movement.

The 2008 Summit will take place October 17-21 at the Renaissance Seattle Hotel, located at 515 Madison Street in Seattle.

Register now or book your travel or hotel!