Sex between men continues to represent an important driver of Cambodia’s HIV epidemic. Recent HIV surveillance performed in Phnom Penh and two rural provinces indicatea disproportionately high risk faced by MSM in urbancentres. While, officially, sex between men accounts for anestimated 0.5 percent of cumulative reported infections, thetrue value is expected to be higher since sex between menmay be inadvertently grouped into other modes of transmission categories such as ‘casual sex’ or ‘sex work.’
As in most countries, MSM are stigmatized and sociallymarginalized in Cambodia. Relatively little is understood about sex between men in Cambodia and its relationshipto identity. Experts argue that this lack of understanding is responsible for constraints to the consistent and meaningful involvement of MSM in national HIV policymaking.
