Young Men who Have Sex with Men: Health, Access & HIV

The Global Forum for MSM and HIV have recently released an analysis of their 2012 Global Men’s Health and Rights Study (GMHRS) concentrating on young men under 30 who have sex with men (MSM), complementing the full report which came out December 2012.

This analysis of data from the 2012 GMHR survey shows that YMSM reported significantly less stable housing, less access to medical care, less access to HIV prevention services, lower HIV treatment outcomes, higher prevalence of homophobia and violence, less community engagement, and less comfort with providers, when compared with MSM older than 30. Many of these factors act syndemically, fueling each other and leading to poor health outcomes for YMSM.

Targeted efforts are needed to reduce disparities in HIV risk and service access among YMSM. It is incumbent upon national governments, multilateral agencies like UNAIDS, and major global funders like PEPFAR and the Global Fund to recognise that the needs of YMSM must be addressed explicitly and directly.

As the world reevaluates goals for the post-2015 development agenda, there are several concrete steps that can be taken to provide crucial support for YMSM health and human rights, these include:

1. Address Housing Stability and Economic Dependence
2. Provide Comprehensive HIV Prevention Tailored to YMSM
3. Improve Treatment and Care for YMSM Living with HIV
4. Address Barriers and Facilitators that Impact Access to HIV Services
5. Address Barriers and Facilitators that Impact Access to HIV Service

For more details about each recommendation, download your copy of the policy brief now.