HIV Among Gay, Bisexual Men at Alarming Highs in Asia

Punitive laws in many Asian countries have driven men who have sex with men (MSM) underground, denying them access to essential HIV prevention and treatment services, a new UN-backed report says.

"Nineteen of 48 countries in the Asia-Pacific region criminalize male-to-male sex, and these laws often take on the force of vigilantism, often leading to abuse and human rights violations," said the report compiled by the UN Development Program, Asia-Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health and the University of Hong Kong's Center for Comparative and Public Law. "Even where there are no specific offenses for male-to-male sex, MSM and transgender people are subject to police abuses and are targeted by police for other offences relating to public order, vagrancy, prostitution and obscenity."

More than 90 percent of MSM in Asia do not have access to HIV prevention and care services, according to the report, which cites examples of repressive laws or lack of anti-discrimination laws preventing the men from obtaining needed assistance. These include HIV prevention efforts being interrupted by police harassment of outreach workers, many of whom are MSM or transgender peer educators. Condoms and lubricants confiscated by police are used as evidence of illegal male-to-male sex.

HIV prevalence among MSM has been rising in many Asian countries, the report notes. For example, HIV prevalence among gay and bisexual men in Bangkok is now 30.8 percent, compared to 1.4 percent in the adult population in Thailand. In Yangon, the figure is 29.3 percent, compared to 0.7 percent in Myanmar; while in Mumbai, it is 17percent versus 0.36 percent in India overall.

The authors call for the repeal of laws that criminalize sex between men and the enactment of anti-discrimination legislation.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


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