Community engagement is key as rectal microbicides research progresses ahead

via Citizen News Service, by Bobby Ramakant

While interviewing a range of experts involved with research, development and advocacy of new HIV prevention tools at the recently concluded XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012), I was reminded of a transgender woman who had said to me in an interview four years back that: "There is no doubt that we need more HIV prevention options - current options don't work especially for people like us... and this is the only possible reason to motivate me to advocate for new prevention options."

This community expert further added: "...'perfect' technologies that disregard social realities don't necessarily deliver results..." The need to engage affected communities as research moves ahead, and engage them with dignity as equal partners is the key to ensure that finally we develop products that are efficient and also when they become available, are actually used by populations in need.

Read the rest.

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*Join IRMA's robust, highly-active. moderated, global listserv addressing rectal microbicide research and advocacy as well as other interesting new HIV prevention technologies by contacting us at rectalmicro@gmail.com. Joining our listserv automatically makes you a member of IRMA - a network of more than 1,100 advocates, scientists, policy makers and funders from all over the world.

*Please look for us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/InternationalRectalMicrobicideAdvocates, and you can follow us on Twitter: @rectalmicro.

*Also, please note that shared news items from other sources posted on this blog do not necessarily mean IRMA has taken any position on the article's content.
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Legal barriers and stereotypes block care services for same sex couples

[Citizen News Service and IRMA are collaborating to amplify rectal microbicide research and advocacy, as well as IRMA-led initiatives, throughout AIDS 2012, and after.]

via Citizen News Service, by Jittima Jantanamalaka

Despite alarming HIV rates amongst the men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people, many countries, community leaders, media and society at large continue to hold discriminating stereotypes against them. "Punitive laws will drive MSM and transgender populations underground" rightly said Aradhana Johri of Department of AIDS Control, Government of India. In US alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, although Black American MSM people represent only 13 percent of the US population but they account for about 44 percent of the new HIV infections particularly among those aged 13 -19.

Unless we protect the rights of same sex couples to live a life of dignity, and discourage those who are judgemental about their same sex behaviour, not only we will fail to reduce stigma and discrimination associated with HIV and same sex behaviour, but also fuel homophobia and negative perceptions about HIV testing. People will continue to choose to hide their high-risk behaviour and not seek counseling and testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Read the rest.


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*Join IRMA's robust, highly-active. moderated, global listserv addressing rectal microbicide research and advocacy as well as other interesting new HIV prevention technologies by contacting us at rectalmicro@gmail.com. Joining our listserv automatically makes you a member of IRMA - a network of more than 1,100 advocates, scientists, policy makers and funders from all over the world.

*Please look for us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/InternationalRectalMicrobicideAdvocates, and you can follow us on Twitter: @rectalmicro.

*Also, please note that shared news items from other sources posted on this blog do not necessarily mean IRMA has taken any position on the article's content.
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Meet Toon - A Friendly Rectal Microbicide Advocate

Check out this interesting mini-bio of Wipas Wimonsate (Toon), the latest in IRMA's "Meet a Friendly Rectal Microbicide Advocate" series on the IRMA website here.  Toon is one of the six new bios just posted the other day, including individuals from Thailand, Kenya and the US.  Each will be featured on the blog, and you can read all of them here right now.


Wipas Wimonsate (Toon)
Bangkok, Thailand

"As nature is so diversified, why aren't HIV prevention technologies as well? People have different preferences, needs, and capabilities. If we are to be successful in HIV prevention, we have to understand and accept the nature of people, and that is diversity."

Toon is a medical and social researcher and community associate working with the Silom Community Clinic in Bangkok. The Silom Clinic will be a site for the Phase II rectal microbicide expanded safety and acceptability trial called MTN-017, which will be investigating a reduced-glycerin formulation of tenofovir gel applied rectally compared with oral Truvada among HIV-negative gay men, other men who have sex with men (MSM), and transgender women. His site is expected to begin enrolling volunteers in early 2013.

Outside of work, he enjoys playing badminton, reading, and watching television.

He first got involved with IRMA when he was asked to translate some materials on lubricant safety. "Safety of lubricants for rectal use: A fact sheet for HIV educators and advocates" is available in Thai thanks to Toon, as is the document Safety of lubricants for rectal use: "Questions and Answers for HIV educators and advocates."

Toon believes that rectal microbicides provide a protective option for those who choose not to utilize a condom. He also recognizes that rectal microbicides offer a different manner in which to encourage sexual health, and that the endeavor to develop safe, effective, acceptable and accessibile rectal microbicides will be a major contribution to humankind.

Toon has worked closely on the soon-to-be-released IRMA video ("The Rectal Revolution is Here: An Introduction to Rectal Microbicide Clinical Trials") being developed in partnership with the Microbicide Trials Network and Population Council. He is part of the team's Video Advisory Committee and has provided invaluable feedback on content, messaging and language. Translating from English into Thai is rather complicated, and Toon's guidance has been critical to ensure the team "gets it right." He also facilitated the video segments that were recorded in Thailand, and worked closely on the Thai focus groups which were designed and implemented to test the "rough cut" of the video.

Toon was greatly influenced by Dr. Frits van Griensven, the pioneer of HIV studies among Thai gay men, other MSM and transgender individuals. He is very excited for the upcoming studies in Thailand, and is eager to work towards zero new HIV infections rate gay men, other MSM and transgender individuals, locally and internationally.

Thank you, Toon, for all that you do!



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*Join IRMA's robust, highly-active. moderated, global listserv addressing rectal microbicide research and advocacy as well as other interesting new HIV prevention technologies by contacting us at rectalmicro@gmail.com. Joining our listserv automatically makes you a member of IRMA - a network of more than 1,100 advocates, scientists, policy makers and funders from all over the world.

*Please look for us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/InternationalRectalMicrobicideAdvocates, and you can follow us on Twitter: @rectalmicro.

*Also, please note that shared news items from other sources posted on this blog do not necessarily mean IRMA has taken any position on the article's content.
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Meet Amber - A Friendly Rectal Microbicide Advocate

Check out this interesting mini-bio of Amber Rucker, the latest in IRMA's "Meet a Friendly Rectal Microbicide Advocate" series on the IRMA website here.  Amber is one of six new bios just posted the other day, including individuals from Thailand, Kenya and the US.  Each will be featured on the blog, and you can read all of them here right now.


Amber Rucker
Boston, Massachusetts

"I truly respect an organization like IRMA that does not shy away from talking about sex and pushing for more research in the rectal microbicide field. This is really important work."

Amber is the Senior Research Associate at Fenway Health. Outside of work, she loves cooking and baking new and exciting recipes.

Amber became involved in IRMA through her current position and was intrigued by IRMA's ability to talk about sex and push for more research into the rectal microbicide field. She also believes that rectal microbicides are important because "receptive anal intercourse carries the highest risk of sexual HIV transmission. Providing individuals with other methods of protection against HIV and other STIs is vital for community safety."

She hopes that in time, the stigma associated with receptive anal intercourse will diminish, and men and women will feel more comfortable this very common behavior with health care providers.

Currently, Amber is working on a vaginal ring study called MTN-013/IPM 026. She is very excited about her studies, and is eager to see her research and work evolve.

With the upcoming MTN-017 trial, Amber will be involved in site activation activities, and will be conducting study visits. MTN-017 is the very first Phase II rectal microbicide expanded safety and acceptability study in the field and will recruit gay men, other men who have sex with men, and transgender women who are HIV negative. U.S. sites will launch later in 2012, and international sites are expected to begin enrolling in early 2013. The study will be investigating a reduced-glycerin formulation of tenofovir gel applied rectally compared with oral Truvada.

Amber's mother has been her greatest influence. Her mother has demonstrated leadership, strength, and compassion, and encourages Amber to pursue all her passions and goals fearlessly.

Thank you, Amber, for all that you do!


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*Join IRMA's robust, highly-active. moderated, global listserv addressing rectal microbicide research and advocacy as well as other interesting new HIV prevention technologies by contacting us at rectalmicro@gmail.com. Joining our listserv automatically makes you a member of IRMA - a network of more than 1,100 advocates, scientists, policy makers and funders from all over the world.

*Please look for us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/InternationalRectalMicrobicideAdvocates, and you can follow us on Twitter: @rectalmicro.

*Also, please note that shared news items from other sources posted on this blog do not necessarily mean IRMA has taken any position on the article's content.
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Meet Ben - A Friendly Rectal Microbicide Advocate

Check out this interesting mini-bio of Ben Perkins, the latest in IRMA's "Meet a Friendly Rectal Microbicide Advocate" series on the IRMA website here.  Ben is one of the six new bios just posted the other day, including individuals from Thailand, Kenya and the US.  Each will be featured on the blog, and you can read all of them here right now.


Ben Perkins
Boston, Massachusetts

"Always remember that prevention takes place within a socioecological context, and that no matter how effective the biomedical intervention, if we don't respect this context, the prevention modality is doomed to fail."

Ben is the Associate Director for Community Engagement at the Fenway Institute at Fenway Health in Boston. Outside of work, Ben enjoys running, cooking, and reading non-fiction.

Ben first got involved with IRMA through IRMA chair Jim Pickett. He asserts that rectal microbicides are important among new HIV prevent technologies because men and women require a variety of tools when engaging in their sexual lives.

Ben advises IRMA to "remember that rectal health discussions should be far more comprehensive than HIV prevention—HPV, for example, is an increasing cause for concern. Thus, IRMA needs to insist that rectal health should be part of a holistic approach to health and wellness."

He has played an important role on the soon-to-be-released IRMA video ("The Rectal Revolution is Here: An Introduction to Rectal Microbicide Clinical Trials") being developed in partnership with the Microbicide Trials Network and Population Council. He is part of the team's Video Advisory Committee and has provided invaluable feedback on content and messaging. He also worked closely on the focus groups (especially those conducted in Boston) which were designed and implemented to test the "rough cut" of the video with different populations to help ensure the proper messages are coming through.

Currently, Ben is investigating the role of racial discrimination in medication adherence for HIV-positive black gay men and other men who have sex with men. and is working with a community coalition on a structural intervention for at-risk adolescents called Connect to Protect.

Ben is also part of the Fenway team working on the MTN-017 trial, the very first Phase II expanded safety and acceptability trial in the rectal microbicide field which will have sites in the U.S. (Boston, San Francisco and Pittsburgh) as well as international sites in Lima, Peru; Cape Town, South Africa; and two Thai sites - Bangkok and Chiang Mai. The U.S. sites will begin enrolling later in 2012, and the international sites will start up in early 2013. HIV-negative gay men, other men who have sex with men, and transgender women will be asked to volunteer.

Coming out as a gay man had the biggest influence on Ben's life. It continues to be a process, and still challenges him in every area of life.

Thank you, Ben, for all you do!


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*Join IRMA's robust, highly-active. moderated, global listserv addressing rectal microbicide research and advocacy as well as other interesting new HIV prevention technologies by contacting us at rectalmicro@gmail.com. Joining our listserv automatically makes you a member of IRMA - a network of more than 1,100 advocates, scientists, policy makers and funders from all over the world.

*Please look for us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/InternationalRectalMicrobicideAdvocates, and you can follow us on Twitter: @rectalmicro.

*Also, please note that shared news items from other sources posted on this blog do not necessarily mean IRMA has taken any position on the article's content.
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Meet Pedro - A Friendly Rectal Microbicide Advocate

Check out this interesting mini-bio of Pedro Goicochea, the latest in IRMA's "Meet a Friendly Rectal Microbicide Advocate" series on the IRMA website here.  Pedro is one of six new bios just posted today, including individuals from Kenya,Thailand and the US.  Each will be featured on the blog, and you can read all of them here right now.




Pedro Goicochea
San Francisco, California

"It took us more than 30 years to realize that there is not one unique strategy to prevent HIV acquisition, and that combination prevention is key, and rectal microbicides must be part of the prevention toolbox."

Originally from Lima, Peru, Pedro is in charge of communications and community relations for the iPrEx OLE study, the open-label continuation of the iPrEx trial. iPrEx is the study that showed daily oral use of the ARV drug Truvada among gay men, other men who have sex with men (MSM), and transgender women worked to prevent HIV.

He enjoys his work because of the invaluable opportunities it provides for him to meet interesting people who are working really hard on finding ways to stop this epidemic. He takes pride in the sensitivity his team shows to community members and for highlighting their needs with scientists and stakeholders. Besides iPrEx OLE, Pedro also just finished a couple of other projects related to the feasibility of voluntary circumcision for HIV prevention in gay men and other MSM, and neonatal male circumcision for HIV prevention, in the jungles of Peru.

In his spare time Pedro loves to ride his bike. He enjoys "having destinations that I reach through the effort of pedaling." Pedro's biggest life influence was his mother, but he is also blessed to be surrounded by excellent people that have been an inspiration. In addition, he has lost several friends to HIV and this motivated him to do something about it.

He was introduced to rectal microbicides and IRMA when he met IRMA chair Jim Pickett through IRMA steering committee member and IRMA-ALC co-founder Jerome Galea. He believes that any strategy to help end the epidemic is useful and thinks that rectal microbicides are an important prevention technology because anal sex is the primary mode of HIV transmission among gay men and other MSM, and that women practice anal sex more than is reported or fully understood.

Pedro has played an important role on the soon-to-be-released IRMA video ("The Rectal Revolution is Here: An Introduction to Rectal Microbicide Clinical Trials") being developed in partnership with the Microbicide Trials Network and Population Council. He is part of the team's Video Advisory Committee and has provided invaluable feedback on content and messaging. He also worked closely on the focus groups (especially those conducted in Lima, Peru) which were designed and implemented to test the "rough cut" of the video with different populations to help ensure the proper messages are coming through. He says it has been a very inspirational expereince and he is really looking forward to see the final release. IRMA plans to release the final version of the video in early September, 2012.

Thanks Pedro, for all that you do!


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*Join IRMA's robust, highly-active. moderated, global listserv addressing rectal microbicide research and advocacy as well as other interesting new HIV prevention technologies by contacting us at rectalmicro@gmail.com. Joining our listserv automatically makes you a member of IRMA - a network of more than 1,100 advocates, scientists, policy makers and funders from all over the world.

*Please look for us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/InternationalRectalMicrobicideAdvocates, and you can follow us on Twitter: @rectalmicro.

*Also, please note that shared news items from other sources posted on this blog do not necessarily mean IRMA has taken any position on the article's content.
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Series of Policy Briefs Summarize the Impact Legal Environments Have on Equality

via Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health

On this day, to commemorate the International Day Against Homo and Trans phobia (IDAHO), the Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health (APCOM) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Asia-Pacific Regional Centre launch a series of policy briefs to provide a summary of how legal environments can actually be barriers to equality for men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people. A recent joint collaboration by APCOM and UNDP resulted in the ground-breaking study, Legal environments, human rights and HIV responses among men who sex with men and transgender people in Asia and the Pacific: An agenda for action, which looks at the impact of legal environments on HIV responses among MSM and transgender people in 48 countries and territories in Asia and the Pacific.

“APCOM is pleased to release these four papers today covering East Asia, Pacific, South Asia and Southeast Asia,” said Midnight Poonkasetwattana, Executive Director of APCOM, “The policy briefs highlight experiences that result in a range of negative consequences for example getting in the way of prevention work, reducing uptake and access to critical services, and increases in high-risk behaviours as well.”

The briefs detail the legality of male-to-male sex, punitive law enforcement practices, laws relating to discrimination, legality of transgender people and same sex relationships. For example, the legal environment in East Asia is generally more protective of human rights of MSM and transgender people, yet in the Pacific male-to-male sex is illegal in nine of the 24 countries and territories. Four countries in Southeast Asia (Brunei, Malaysia, Myanmar and Singapore) have criminal sanctions for consensual sex between adult men due to a laws keep on the books while each were under British colonial rule; in South Asia, however, in the National Capital Territory of India (Delhi) and Nepal, courts have taken decisions to decriminalise male to male sex between consenting adults.

“UNDP and APCOM recognise that urgent action is required as MSM and transgender people are critical populations in the response to HIV in Asia and the Pacific,” noted Edmund Settle, HIV Policy Specialist, UNDP Asia Pacific Regional Centre. “Legal environments comprise not just written laws, but also the actual practices of law enforcement and legal institutions with anecdotal evidence from the briefs demonstrating incidence of police harassment, blackmail, extortion and violence. Legal environments that are protective and empowering should be promoted.”


Read the Rest.


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*Join IRMA's robust, highly-active. moderated, global listserv addressing rectal microbicide research and advocacy as well as other interesting new HIV prevention technologies by contacting us at rectalmicro@gmail.com. Joining our listserv automatically makes you a member of IRMA - a network of more than 1,100 advocates, scientists, policy makers and funders from all over the world.

*Also, please note that shared news items from other sources posted on this blog do not necessarily mean IRMA has taken any position on the article's content.

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Safe Sex Advocates in the Red-Light Districts of Bangkok

viaAlert Net, by Thin Lei Win

It was an early Monday evening and the red light district in Thailand’s capital was already heaving -- full of locals and foreigners drinking sundowner cocktails and enjoying the flesh parading before their eyes. Street vendors were selling food, clothes, souvenirs and Valentine’s Day gifts.

They probably weren’t expecting a group of (mainly) fuchsia-clad men in towering heels, bouffant hairdos and sashes advocating safe sex, but that’s exactly what they got.

 
“Good evening ladies and gentlemen,” purred Thii into the loud speaker while standing in front of the punters, with one arm akimbo on the sparkling metallic mini dress he was wearing.
“Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and we would just like to remind you that it’s important to have safe sex. Please remember to use condoms,” he added with a slight lilt.

The punters and the female and transgender workers sitting next to them giggled and held out their hands for the free condoms that were being distributed by Thii’s colleagues.

For the next six hours, nine staff and volunteers from Thai non-governmental organisation (NGO) Service Workers in Group foundation (SWING) made their rounds at three Bangkok red light districts, weaving in and out of pubs, clubs, go-go bars, cabarets and other shows located in a maze of buildings and streets.

They spoke to club and bar owners, dancers, staff, and even food sellers out of doors with a mix of bawdy jokes and gentle cajoling about the importance of safe sex, while giving away condoms.

Read the Rest.


[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]

ANRS launches first PrEP trial for gay men in Europe

via iPrEx NEws

The ANRS (French National Agency for Research on AIDS and Viral Hepatitis) is about to launch in Europe the first pre-HIV exposure prevention trial in men who have sex with men.

This phase III trial—ANRS IPERGAY—will start at the end of January 2012, in Paris (Hôpital Saint-Louis, Professor Jean-Michel Molina and Hôpital Tenon, Professor Gilles Pialoux) and Lyon (Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse, Dr Laurent Cotte), and later in Montreal in Quebec (CHUM Hôpital Hôtel Dieu, Dr Cécile Tremblay). The trial will include 300 volunteers in the pilot phase and ultimately 1900 in total.

ANRS IPERGAY will involve men who have sex with men and seronegative trans men who have anal sex with men without routine use of condoms, with at least two different sexual partners in the six months prior to trial participation. Participation will last for between 12 (minimum) and 48 (maximum) months.

The trial will compare two groups of participants, one given Truvada®, the other a placebo, taken in both cases during the period of sexual activity, starting before sexual relations and ending afterwards.

All participants, irrespective of group, will be offered various means of prevention: free condoms, regular HIV screening, regular screening for and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, vaccination against hepatitis A and B. Participants can ask for personalized prevention advice, if they wish.

An important part of the trial will involve a social sciences study of the profiles of participants and analysis of their sexual behavior, in particular regarding condom use, and will determine whether or not they take the medication as intended.

Participants will be invited to the hospital every two months or so for an interview and for clinical examinations, including screening tests.
The ANRS will sponsor and fund the trial, and Gilead will supply the medication.

The HIV community-based association Aides helped draw up the protocol, is a scientific and operations partner in the trial, and is a member of the scientific board. It will coordinate recruitment in the field and provide volunteers with prevention support.

ANRS press contact:
Marie-Christine Simon – Tel : +33 (0) 1 53 94 60 30 marie-christine.simon@anrs.fr



[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]

Don't Delay HIV Prevention for Gay and Bi Men

via The Huffington Post, by David Ernesto Munar

Lives will be saved when the Food and Drug Administration puts its stamp of approval on a groundbreaking preventative approach called pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, recently found to reduce HIV infections.

With PrEP, people who are not infected with HIV take a daily pill, usually used to treat the disease, to help prevent infection -- as part of a broad HIV prevention approach that includes condoms and safer-sex counseling.

But the longer the FDA waits before beginning its review of the HIV medication Truvada for prevention, the more lives will be unnecessarily lost. This is particularly true for those at greatest risk: gay and bisexual men.

We urge the FDA to immediately begin its review for approval of Truvada for PrEP for gay and bisexual men.

Last year the iPrEX trial, touted as the scientific breakthrough of the year by TIME magazine, found that gay, bi and other men who have sex with men who took Truvada, along with counseling and condoms, had 42 percent fewer HIV infections than with counseling and condoms alone. Among those who used the prevention pill most consistently, the drop in infections was far greater.

And remember the sobering context: between 2006 and 2009, the number of young gay African-American men infected with HIV in the United States increased by 48 percent, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Read the rest.


[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]

HIV/AIDS Organizations Tell FDA and Gilead Sciences: Don’t Delay HIV Prevention for Gay and Bisexual Men and Transgender Women

[Press Release - October 18, 2011]

Thirteen prominent U.S. HIV/AIDS organizations have issued an open letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Gilead Sciences calling for prompt regulatory review of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention in gay and bisexual men and transgender women (men who have sex with men, or MSM). The letter urges FDA and Gilead to start the review process that could allow safe and appropriate approved PrEP use as a public health intervention, and not to delay review because of distinct questions about the safety and efficacy of PrEP in heterosexual populations.

[The letter is available online here. IRMA is a signatory.]

Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, is a new HIV prevention method in which an uninfected person takes a daily HIV medication to reduce HIV infection risk. Data from an international study released in November, 2010 called iPrEx found that men and transgender women who have sex with men who received a daily single-tablet dose of the HIV drugs tenofovir and emtricitabine along with condoms and safe sex counseling had an average of 42% fewer HIV infections than those who received condoms and counseling alone.

Advocates assert that the need for new HIV prevention strategies for MSM is urgent. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that MSM account for more than half of all new HIV infections in the United States. CDC logged an estimated 34% increase in HIV infections in young gay men between 2006 and 2009, and a 48% HIV increase among young black/African American gay men over the same period.

“We desperately need new strategies and tools to reduce the rapidly increasing rates of HIV infection in black gay and bisexual men,” said Phill Wilson, executive director of the Black AIDS Institute. “We’ve had evidence of PrEP’s effectiveness in MSM for almost a year now. It’s time to use every tool at our disposal to reduce the 50,000 new HIV infections that occur each year in this country. Prompt FDA review will help ensure that appropriate guidelines for PrEP use are established that can reduce HIV infections and safeguard public health.”

Data on PrEP in heterosexuals raise important but unique questions that may require further study. Two major trials in Africa found that PrEP reduces HIV infection risk in heterosexual men and women substantially. But two other studies present conflicting information about how PrEP works in heterosexuals. Critical and necessary efforts to understand how PrEP interacts with hormonal contraception, or how PrEP may impact pregnancy, however, should not delay access to a potentially lifesaving form of HIV prevention for MSM.

Before the results of the heterosexual PrEP studies were announced, the FDA and Gilead Sciences, the maker of the drugs, were reported to be ready to move quickly to consider approval of PrEP for those MSM who could benefit from the approach. Recent signs indicate, however, that FDA review of PrEP for this population may not start until the agency acquires more data on PrEP among heterosexuals—despite the urgent need for new HIV prevention strategies for MSM, and the fact that PrEP data in MSM were announced nearly one year ago.

“The FDA and Gilead Sciences should move quickly to ensure a thorough review of PrEP for MSM now, while they both work simultaneously and swiftly to thoroughly address questions and concerns about PrEP among heterosexual populations,” said Mitchell Warren, executive director of AVAC “Prompt FDA review of PrEP in MSM is the right thing to do for public health. In the midst of a growing HIV epidemic, HIV prevention delayed is HIV prevention denied.”


[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]

CDC awards $55 million for HIV prevention among gay, bisexual and transgender youth of color

via NCHHSTP Newsroom

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today awarded $55 million over five years to 34 community-based organizations (CBOs) to expand HIV prevention services for young gay and bisexual men of color, transgender youth of color, and their partners. The awards expand upon a previous program to reach these populations with an increase of $10 million to fund a larger number of community organizations. The average award for each organization is approximately $300,000 per year.

“On this National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, we are reminded of the urgency of the HIV epidemic in the United States and the dramatic impact among gay and bisexual men, who account for more than 60 percent of new infections,” said Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention. “We must also recognize that the epidemic cannot be overcome without effectively addressing the severe and rising toll of HIV infections among gay and bisexual men of color, who continue to be hardest hit by this disease.”

Recent data show that young men who have sex with men (MSM) of color are at particularly high and increasing risk of HIV infection. According to CDC estimates released in August, between 2006 and 2009, the annual number of new HIV infections increased 48 percent among young black MSM. Among Latinos, men who have sex with men are by far the most severely impacted, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all new infections. Nearly half of these infections among Latino MSM occurred in the youngest age group (aged 13-29). Transgender people are also severely affected by HIV. It is estimated that 28 percent of transgender people are HIV-infected.

The new CDC awards are designed to enable CBOs with strong links to these populations to meet their specific HIV prevention needs. As part of these awards, each organization will be required to provide specific prevention services. These include providing HIV testing to a total of more than 90,000 young gay and bisexual men and transgender youth of color, with a goal of identifying more than 3,500 previously unrecognized HIV infections (over the five-year funding period) – and linking those who are HIV-infected to care and prevention services. CBOs will also carry out proven behavioral change HIV prevention programs and distribute condoms to young gay and bisexual men and transgender youth of color who are at high risk for HIV or are HIV-infected.

Read the rest.


[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]

Gay Pride Rally in St. Petersburg Banned, Participants Arrested: Blog Updates

Via UK Gay News.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

10:35: Nice weather over St. Petersburg today. The city is enjoying what is called white nights. During this time of the year, there is light until very late at night.

12:45: A witness reports a lot of police near the monument to Peter the Great in central St. Petersburg. Skinhead groups have not yet been seen. The action is due to start in 75 minutes from now.

13:20: Details of the action are known to GayRussia but for safety reasons, we cannot write about it... a few more minutes to wait.

13:43: Anti-Gay groups which have been allowed by the city hall to stage an anti-gay protest a week ago did not show up – yet.

13:45: A first group is celebrating Pride on a boat, waiving Rainbow flags in front of the Statue to Peter the Great which is located near the river Neva. The boat is passing and tourists are taking photos of the participants waving their flags from the boat.

14:00: A second group started to unveil banners and flags shooting slogans “No to homophobia” or “Equal Rights”. A poster carried by trans activist Anna Komarova showed “Trans Rights are Human Rights”, one carried by Nikolai Alekseev played with the rumour that St Petersburg governor is alcoholic: “Alcoholism is a disease, homosexuality is not”. An another one carried which cannot be translated said “сосуЛИ Я? Тебя волнует?”

14:02: Everyone with a banner has been arrested. A very short action but participants have been able to waive their slogans in front of a large group of photo correspondents, TV crews and journalists.

14:05: Police have arrested a homophobe and are taking him to a police van. As he is being put into the van, he is giving Nikolai Alekseev ‘the finger’ While entering the van, he is showing Nikolai Alekseev with the finger and said “If you put me with him, I will kill him”. He is finally put in the same bus but in a separate compartment.

14:14: From the police van, Nikolai Alekseev explains: “We had a Pride of two minutes before being arrested and a homophobe started to attack us.”

14:40: Anna Komarova reports that Alexey Kiselev was beaten by a police officer inside the police station.

14:47: Nikolai Alekseev reports that after he told the police he will tweet about the beating of Alexey Kiselev inside the police station, the police replied to him: “Please tweet hello from me to Dmitri Medvedev”

14:55 Alexander Sheremetev, one of the organizers of Slavic Pride was beaten by a homophobe at the protest. His attacker has also been arrested.

16:25: The police said the activists will be charged with organising an illegal action but perhaps also of resisting police order. This second charge could lead to a 15-day prison sentence.

17:55: Nikolai Alekseev reports that he is with others in one room while trans rights activist Anna Komarova is in a cell without access to mobile phone.

Alexander Sheremetiev

19:00: Alexander Sheremetiev, one of the organisers who was attacked by a homophobe during the action has been taken to hospital in an emergency under police escort.

20:20: Andy Thayer from Gay Liberation Network is asking American, and a ‘veteran’ of three Gay Prides in Moscow has just said that he is calling the Russian Embassy in Washington D.C. “Gay Pride demonstrators brutally attacked & arrested in St Petersburg, Russia – facing poss 15 days in jail. Flood Russian embassy with calls to protest: 202-338-3263,” Thayer has posted on Facebook. Thayer was among those arrested at Moscow Pride last month.

20:50: In Berlin, gay activists are wasting no time. In 10 minutes (20:00 Central European Time) a protest in front of the Russian Embassy in Berlin. Is scheduled to start. The protest is organised by Norbert Blech, Maik Diekmannshemke, and Charles Meacham who were all in Moscow last month for the Pride. Berlin staged their Gay Pride (Christopher Street Day).

23:30: Detainees managed to keep a mobile phone. They told us that they have been put in two different cells (5 in one and 9 in another). “It is suffocating in this cell and the police denied us water,” said the text message we received.


Sunday, June 26, 2011

01:00: “It is like a torture in this cell. We cannot sleep. It is so hot. We are all wet,” says a text message received from Nikolai Alekseev in his police cell.



The protest in Berlin. Protestors
carry images of those arrested.



9:58: Overnight, Peter Tatchell, human rights campaigner, reacted to yesterday’s suppression of Slavic Pride. “The arrest, mistreatment and detention of LGBT activists is illegal under Russia’s constitution, which guarantees the right to peaceful assembly. It is alarming that this homophobic repression is taking place in Russia’s most liberal city, St Petersburg. The Council of Europe must take disciplinary action against Russia over it’s further violation of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The Russian government must not be allowed to defy the ECHR with impunity.” Tatchell has regularly attended Pride attempts in Moscow since 2006 where he was arrested and severely beaten.

11:00: SMS message from Alexander Sheremetiev: “We are still in the cell, no info on Court hearing. It was supposed to start at 10am but it is 11am now.”

11.20: On Twitter, Nikolai Alekseev reports: “It was my third overnight stay in police detention. One after Moscow Pride in 2007, one after Slavic Pride in Moscow in 2009. It was an unbelievable night. I would say this should be considered as torture. Cell 4 by 2 meters with wooden benches for 10 people.

12.40: The Court hearing has not yet started the hearings.

12.51: Nikolai Alekseev reports from inside the Court via SMS: “Police entered the court room to talk with the judge. No one else is there. You can guess the justice we might have!”

13.18: Nikolai Alekseev reports from Court via Twitter: “Breaking! First court verdict. Anton Sutyagin fined 500 rub (12 euros) for illegal protest, hearing on disobedience postponed to 6 July.”

14.08: Nikolai Alekseev reports by phone: "Alexander Sheremetyev who was beaten by the homophobe at the protest is released. His hearings are transferred to 6 July so he is not fined yet. Varvara Krasutskaya is with me out of the Court, she was also fined 500 roubles. Anna Komarova was fined 1,000 roubles on the basis that he had been arrested before in St. Petersburg.”

14.39: Chief organiser of St. Petersburg Pride and head of Equality, Yuri Gavrikov, is released. Fined 1000 rub, hearing on other charge on 11 July.

14.39: Nikolai Alekseev reports via Twitter: “I adore all who took part in Slavic Pride. Fabulous Belorusians! Amazing locals. So devoted activists.”

Read the rest of the entries here.

[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]

WHO Urges India to Address Medical Needs of Gay Men, Transgenders

Via The Hindu.

India must make an “extra effort” in addressing the medical needs of men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people affected by HIV and sexually-transmitted infections, a top WHO official said on Tuesday.

“Though India has addressed the HIV problem among MSM and transgender people, it has to make an extra effort in scaling up treatment and prevention services for HIV and sexually transmitted infections,” Dr. Gottfried Hirnschall, Director of HIV Department in World Health Organisation, told PTI.

In India, around 1.5 million transgender people and around 30.5 million MSM are vulnerable to the HIV and sexually-transmitted infections.

“In Asia, the odds of MSM being infected with HIV are 18.7 times higher than in the general population and the HIV prevalence ranges from 0 per cent to 40 per cent,” he said.

The WHO on Tuesday issued, for the first time, new public health recommendations to sensitise governments and health pressure groups in the developing world about the need to provide adequate medical treatment and prevention services to MSM and transgender people affected by HIV and sexually transmitted infections.

The guidelines call on governments to develop anti-discrimination laws and measures and provide more inclusive services for MSM and transgender people.

Health pressure groups must provide HIV testing and counselling followed by treatment for patients with CD4 count 350 or below.

Dr. Hirnschall said “criminalisation, and legal policy barriers play a key role in the vulnerability of MSM and transgender people to HIV.”

Read the rest here.

[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]

What's preventing prevention?

How national AIDS responses are failing in prevention efforts for key populations – an analysis of available data

via International HIV/AIDS Alliance

Several decades after the start of the global AIDS pandemic, data confirms that most low- and middle-income countries still do not adequately focus their HIV prevention efforts on the key populations of sex workers, men who have sex with me, transgender people, and people who use drugs.

Of all low- and middle-income countries that report standard information to the United Nations on their AIDS responses, more than half fail to include timely data concerning these key populations.

According to the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, which has conducted a review of 132 country reports, this is a strong indicator of the current level of national AIDS efforts devoted to reaching populations that are most affected by HIV.

Read more.

[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]

Acceptability of pre-exposure prophylaxis as an HIV prevention strategy: barriers and facilitators to pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake among at-risk Peruvian populations

IRMA Steering Committee member Jerome T. Galea is lead author of this fascinating paper. Here he provides an overview of the study.

Click here to access the full paper.

"The study examined pre-exposure prophylaxis acceptability (PrEP) among female sex workers, male-to-female transgendered persons and men who have sex with men in Lima, Peru.  Focus groups explored social issues associated with PrEP acceptability and Conjoint Analysis – a consumer research market technique – assessed the preferences participants had with regards to eight hypothetical PrEP “scenarios”.  This was the first study of it's kind to apply this technique.

"Each scenario was made up of the same characteristics but differed slightly (for example, higher cost versus lower cost; daily dosing versus non-daily dosing; some side effects versus no side effects, and so on).  Participants had to rank the scenarios in order of preference taking into account all of the product’s chacteristics, and in doing so expressed the value they placed on the various characteristics.  Focus groups helped to explain the reasons behind the preferences made.

"There were some unexpected findings. For example, cost trumped effectiveness; a low-out-of pocket cost had the single greatest impact on PrEP acceptability. While we expected cost to be an important factor we were surprised that it was more important than the ability of the product to actually prevent HIV infection. 

"Another surprise was that in the focus groups we learned that participants preferred that PrEP be dispensed in health centers as opposed to pharmacies. This surprised us as we hypothesized that pharmacies would provide faster, easier and more widespread access, but participants cited privacy concerns with PrEP being dispensed by pharmacies.

"The next step is to replicate this sort of research to more populations at risk in different settings. We have learned that the existence of an effective product does not guarantee its use (recent studies on the female condom, for example, highlight the challenges of understanding the needs and perceptions of the target user and also the necessity of dispelling myths that often arise when new products are introduced). 

"We cannot generalize our findings to all persons at risk for HIV, in Peru or elsewhere, but do propose it as a model for future exploration of the topic now that oral PrEP has been shown to work but has not yet been scaled up for widespread use."

*Read AIDSmeds coverage of this study here.


[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]

AIDS.gov: Highlights from the U.S. National Transgender Health Summit

"Transgender people experience significant health disparities in this country. In fact, regardless of socioeconomic status, transgender people are the most medically underserved population in the U.S."
- JoAnne Keatley, Director of the CoE for Transgender Health and the lead conference organizer (pictured)

via AIDS.gov, by Jennie Anderson and Mindy Nichamin

What do empowerment, discrimination, data, and health have in common? They are several of the many themes we heard throughout the National Transgender Health Summit that took place in San Francisco earlier this month. The Center of Excellence for Transgender Health (CoE) organized this groundbreaking two-day Summit that brought together healthcare providers, health profession students, researchers, and other health leaders. In past posts we've discussed the disproportionate impact of the HIV epidemic on the transgender community, and so this Summit was an important opportunity for us to learn from and engage with experts on this topic. As the White House National HIV/AIDS Strategy states, "Some studies have found that as many as 30 percent of transgender individuals are HIV-positive. Yet, historically, efforts targeting this specific population have been minimal."

Read the rest.

[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]

New Report: World’s Premier AIDS Event Neglects Populations Most at Risk for HIV

 via Global Forum on MSM and HIV

Independent assessment indicates severe underrepresentation of gay men, transgender people, sex workers and people who use drugs at the biennial International AIDS Conference

A new report indicates that the International AIDS Conference (IAC), a biennial event convened by the International AIDS Society (IAS) that has become the world’s premier gathering for people working in the field of HIV, suffers from gross underrepresentation of populations most at risk for HIV infection, including men who have sex with men (MSM), transgender people, sex workers and people who use drugs.  The independent audit, conducted by the Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF), confirms suspicions long-held by activist groups and calls for a comprehensive review of IAC governing structures.

Produced in response to growing concern among community groups that the IAC has repeatedly neglected these key populations, the report focuses on program content at the most recent IAC, held in Vienna, Austria in July 2010.  The analysis reveals that the percentage of all sessions at the conference exclusively focused on these groups was limited to 2.6% for MSM, 1.1% for transgender people, 3% for sex workers and 4.5% for people who use drugs.

“While the International AIDS Society turns a blind eye, HIV rates among these populations continue to climb around the world,” said Dr. George Ayala, Executive Officer of the MSMGF.  “The IAC is the world’s most important opportunity for international exchange and collaboration on HIV and AIDS.  Such abysmal representation of most-at-risk groups only serves to reinforce the invisibility, discrimination and disregard that drive the epidemic among these communities.”

Research has shown that these four populations are at higher risk for HIV infection than the general population in nearly every country context where reliable data exist.  MSM represent more than a quarter of HIV infections in Latin America and the Caribbean, people who inject drugs account for more than half of HIV infections in Eastern Europe,  and sex workers across Sub-Saharan Africa experience HIV prevalence rates of up to 50%.  Infection rates among transgender people in El Salvador, Indonesia and India are as high as 25%, 35%, and 42% respectively. 

The IAC takes place in a different city every two years, gathering tens of thousands of experts and advocates from around the world to share the field’s most recent developments and engage in strategic collaboration.  The most recent conference hosted an estimated 25,000 people.

“Ostensibly, the IAC offers chances for local healthcare providers to learn ways to improve their services, provides channels for advocates to engage in dialogue with powerful decision-makers, and creates opportunities for community members to shape global funding and research agendas,” said Dr. Mohan Sundararaj, Policy Associate at the MSMGF.  “This really is a phenomenal platform, but how useful can it be when those who need it most are locked out?”

The report recommends a number of steps to bring the IAC’s program coverage of these key populations up to a level proportionate to their epidemiological burden.  Among these recommendations are efforts to ensure transparent processes for abstract review and program design, the development of targeted support to authors developing abstracts focused on key populations, and open representation of civil society on the committees responsible for developing conference programs.

“The International AIDS Conference has unparalleled potential to impact the global AIDS epidemic,” said Dr. Ayala.  “It is incumbent upon the organizers to ensure that the IAC becomes a vehicle for change, shifting the global landscape so that funding, research and programs are directed to those who need them most.  Right now it’s part of the problem.”

[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]

Searching for a Transsexual Community

From the Guardian, by Juliet Jacques

Settling into 'full-time' living, I stepped away from the places where I'd explored my gender, spending time with old friends as we intuitively worked out if my transition would affect our relationships. No longer feeling that I could only be myself in 'safe' spaces, I stopped going to 'T-friendly' mainstream gay clubs (where I was often the only T, sitting in the corner grinding my teeth as yet another musical abomination piped up), deciding that the best way to normalise my gender was to maintain as much continuity as possible with my pre-transition social life.

For the most part, this was fine. Fortunately, I lost very few friends and, being discerning about where I socialised, I encountered little friction away from the streets. Having discussed my transition so much on coming out, the resumption of long-standing arguments with old friends felt strangely cathartic. But I missed Brighton's queer scene: I no longer needed it in the same way, but I still liked the atmosphere at its events, as well as the tunes (sometimes they let me choose them, the fools) – and I'd made some good friends there.

As well as strengthening my few existing ties, I wanted to make new friends who understood the specific challenges of transsexual life. 'Tranny' nights, which felt more suited to those who would not transition (especially transvestites) didn't appeal, even before I came to define as transsexual, and I started to look beyond clubs (which often, on some level, cater for people of shared sexuality rather than gender identity) for community support.

Read the rest

[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]

Reclaiming the Wronged Body

"I am not in a wrong body. I am in this body just like how you are in your body. I am not trapped by my body. I am trapped by your beliefs."

From a speech delivered by Ms. Sass Rogando Sasot to a Social Science 3 on Gender and Sexuality Class at the University of the Philippines-Dillman

The parade of nations of the 2009 Copenhagen Outgames had just finished. Naomi Fontanos, my friend and the current Chairwoman of STRAP, and I decided to skip the programme and to go back to our hostel to rest. Naomi, who served as the muse of the Philippine contingent, was wearing a traditional Filipino dress, while I was wearing a 50's dress.

While we were walking towards the train station we encountered two bulky tall guys. One of them approached us and casually asked me, "Why is your chest so flat?" Then they walked away laughing. I was stunned by his rudeness. Before I could say anything, Naomi stopped me, and said "Sassy, don't mind them! Assholes!" Scared, we ran towards the train station.

I understand that an explanation of our existence by some expert opinion can be our lifeline against the different forms of violence and discrimination wielded against us by those who are disturbed by our existence. There are different scientific and religious theories that have been offered to explain us. I find that all of them seep to revolve around that famous statement that "We were born in the wrong body" or its other form "Trapped in the wrong body."

Read the rest