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

Young men who have sex with men (YMSM) face the heightened risks of both populations, as well as a number of vulnerabilities that are unique to YMSM. Despite the clear need for intervention, YMSM are often left out of research, policy, and programs designed for general MSM, general youth, and the general population. While data on HIV among YMSM are extremely
limited, existing studies show high HIV prevalence among YMSM around the world.

This policy brief examines HIV risk factors and access to services among YMSM using data from the Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF)’s 2012 Global Men’s Health and
Rights survey (2012 GMHR). The brief concludes with a set of recommendations for addressing the global HIV epidemic among YMSM.

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The Global HIV Epidemics among Sex Workers

Since the beginning of the epidemic sex workers have experienced a heightened burden of HIV. Unfortunately, sex workers’ HIV and health-related risks and rights have often gone unattended and global resource allocation related to HIV prevention, treatment and care has not been based on rigorous analysis in terms of the evidence related to sex work and HIV. To inform an equitable, effective, and sustainable response to HIV which promotes and protects the human rights of sex workers, the following questions were addressed in this analysis, focusing largely on female sex workers from lower and middle income countries:

What is the global burden of HIV among sex workers? How do sex worker HIV burdens compare to the general population? How does this vary by region?
How does the policy and social context shape sex workers’ HIV risk across geographic settings? How does this context influence the provision and coverage of HIV services?
To what extent can comprehensive HIV prevention at-scale among sex workers modify HIV transmission dynamics among sex workers and the general population?
What are the most cost-effective HIV prevention, treatment, and care interventions in the context of sex work? What combinations of services are most cost-effective?
Given this evidence, what are the implications for allocative efficiency in HIV prevention programs?
How does violence against sex workers affect their health and human rights and HIV transmission dynamics among sex workers and the general population across settings?
What has been the role of sex worker leadership in promoting the human rights of and reducing the burden of and risks for HIV infection among sex workers across contexts?

Consultation of Sex Workers (PICO Questions) and Report

The World Health Organization (WHO) is developing guidelines for evidence-based interventions for the prevention and treatment of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in low- and middle-income countries. As a global partner to the WHO in this process, the Global Network of Sex Work Projects oversaw a civil society consultation of sex workers commissioned by the WHO to gather feedback on proposed guidelines. This report contains the findings from that consultation and was submitted to the WHO.

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HIV Discordant Couples: An Exploratory Study Insights from South Africa, Tanzania and the Ukraine

This document summarizes the findings of an exploratory study on coping strategies and life choices of couples in South Africa, Tanzania, and the Ukraine living in long-term serodiscordant relationships (i.e., couples in which one partner is HIV-positive and the other partner HIV-negative) undertaken by the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+), and funded by World Health Organization (WHO). GNP+ worked collaboratively with South African researchers at the Centre for Health Policy at the University of the Witwatersrand and the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) to gather information on serodiscordant couples, with the aim of learning more about the strategies and choices used by serodiscordant couples to sustain their relationships, make sexual and reproductive choices, maintain their health, and avoid HIV transmission.

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