PrEParing Health Workers for Better Health among Gay Men

APCOM with the support of UNAIDS, WHO, UNICEF, the USAID LINKAGES Project managed by FHI 360, UNDP and the Multi-Country South Asia Global Fund HIV Programme, the Thai Red Cross Society, Isean HIVOS Program, and Malaysian AIDS Council has organised in the fall of 2015 the regional consultation “PrEPARING ASIA: A new direction for HIV prevention among MSM in Asia” – exploring with 125 participants the feasibility of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for self- identified gay men, and other men who have sex with men (MSM).

The consultation delivered an indication on how health care providers view PrEP and what is still lacking in their opinion to come to the full implementation of PrEP services as advised by WHO. Through this survey, in close cooperation with WHO, UNAIDS, and with the support of the International AIDS Society (IAS) and the Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM), we are aiming to get a better understanding and generate information about the knowledge, feasibility, and acceptability of PrEP among intended health care providers.

Such information will help many stakeholders working on sexual health, HIV, and rights issues and APCOM better understand the overall global, regional and national context, potential entry points and challenges, and identify the possibilities and feasibility of implementing PrEP services into the current package of prevention services.

The survey is intended for the male sexual health service providers, public sector health service providers (facility-based special clinic for MSM/LGBTI people, or general/integrated health/ clinical services that also provide services for MSM), private healthcare providers, international NGO or local NGO clinics for key population that provide services to MSM and CBO (community-based providers either through Peer-based or by government doctor/nurse based at the CBO)

The results of the survey will be published in a short report/policy brief. The aim is to have the results presented at the International AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa in July and immediately after the presentation published through our social media channels and our website.