The Economic Cost of Homophobia and the Exclusion of LGBT People: A Case Study of India

The Economic Cost of Homophobia and the Exclusion of LGBT People: A Case Study of India
What does exclusion cost? This documents illustrates preliminary findings of a case study that developed and tested an economic model to measure the cost of excluding sexual minorities, especially the LGBT community. The model examines workplace discrimination, health disparities in HIV, suicide, and depression, and concludes that they could cost societies billions of dollars.

Access to HIV Prevention and Treatment for Men Who Have Sex with Men

Access to HIV Prevention and Treatment for Men Who Have Sex with Men
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation commissioned the Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF) to identify barriers and facilitators of PrEP uptake among MSM globally. The MSMGF took this as an opportunity to strengthen understanding of the structural-, community-, and individual-level factors that influence access to services for MSM more broadly, placing challenges to access within the context of lived experiences and concerns of MSM. Toward this goal, the MSMGF developed a global multilingual online survey to examine barriers and facilitators to service access for MSM around the world. 

This report first describes the methods and results of the online survey, followed by the methods and results of the focus group discussions. These sections are followed by a discussion section that explores the barriers and facilitators revealed by quantitative data in the survey, as well as the broader context of these barriers and facilitators as revealed in the focus group discussions. The report ends with a look forward at future directions.

Advancing the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Human Rights of Men who have Sex with Men Living With HIV

Advancing the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Human Rights of Men who have Sex with Men Living With HIV
Published in 2010 by GNP+ and MSMGF, Advancing the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Human Rights of Men Who Have Sex with Men Living with HIV is a detailed and comprehensive report that describes the key areas of policy and practice change needed to advance the sexual and reproductive health and human rights of people living with HIV.

The report is also available in French and Spanish.

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Engaging with Men Who Have Sex with Men in the Clinical Setting

Engaging MSM in the Clinical Setting
This 2011 primer published by the MSMGF is intended to serve as a guide on information related to men who have sex with men (MSM) for physicians, nurses, and other health care providers delivering HIV and primary care services in diverse clinical settings. Longstanding evidence indicates that MSM experience significant barriers to quality health care due to widespread stigma against homosexuality in mainstream society and within health systems. Social discrimination against MSM, or homophobia,a has also been described as a key driver of poor health outcomes in this population across diverse settings. In nearly every country around the world, MSM are disproportionately burdened with HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) when compared to the general adult population. Higher rates of depression, anxiety, smoking, alcohol abuse, substance use, and suicide have been reported among MSM as a result of chronic stress and disconnection from a range of social services and support mechanisms.
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Young Men Who Have Sex with Men: Health, Access, & HIV

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.

Speaking Out: A Toolkit for MSM-led HIV & AIDS Advocacy

Speaking Out: A Toolkit for MSM-led HIV & AIDS Advocacy
This toolkit was published in 2011 by MSMGF to fulfill a need that exists for men who have sex with men (MSM) everywhere to engage in advocacy locally, nationally, and globally as a means to end the HIV epidemic and to secure fulfilling, meaningful futures. The toolkit is built upon other toolkits, with some key differences:

it is specifically MSM-focused with exercises and ideas that serve as conduits for MSM community energy and contribution;
it believes that organizations can start where they are, and assumes the skill sets and organizational maturity of MSM individuals and groups are wide-ranging and take time to develop; and
it approaches HIV & AIDS from a broad human rights framework, balancing public health and human rights approaches toward addressing MSM community susceptibility to HIV.

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