MSM in Asia Pacific: Critical HIV Research for Better Decision Making

By June 2, 2008 Showcase

Sex between men occurs in all countries and in all cultures. It is estimated that between 5-10 percent of all HIV infections worldwide have resulted from sex between men, however this figure varies considerably within countries and between regions. Despite information gaps regarding the impact of HIV on men who have sex with men (MSM), HIV prevalence among MSM wherever it has been measured is substantially higher than in the population as a whole, and as high as 14 percent in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 16 percent in Andhra Pradesh, India, and over 30 percent in Bangkok, Thailand. Between 3-19 percent of men in Asia Pacific report engaging in male-to-male sex during their lifetime. If current responses remain unchanged, then by 2010 the number of HIV infections attributed to sex between men in Asia is likely to overtake those from injecting drug use, and from sex with male and female sex workers. In Thailand it is estimated that sex between men already accounts for over 30 percent of current HIV infections.

Source: APCOM
Copyright: © 2008 APCOM.All rights reserved.

Share this