“Homophobia is fuelling the AIDS epidemic in Africa”

Homosexuals are a key contributor to rising infection numbers in many African and Middle East countries, according to research findings presented at a June meeting in Rwanda of people who implement HIV prevention and care programs.

Stigma and sex discrimination against gays are widespread and, with the exception of South Africa, homosexuality is criminalized in Africa. This means homosexuals are rarely reached by AIDS campaigns, while lubricants they use have often resulted in frequent breakage of condoms, said researchers.

The annual meeting, organized by the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, was for the first time co-organized with WHO, UNAIDS, UNICEF and the Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS.

A swarm of human immunodeficiency virus Image by: Felix Möckel / iStockphoto

The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission's Cary Johnson said African lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities were being decimated with a speed and breadth reminiscent of the impact of the epidemic on gay men in New York, San Francisco and other North American and European cities in the 1980s.

“Sero-prevalence rates among [homosexuals] are higher than in the general population.… Homophobia is fuelling the AIDS epidemic in Africa,” said Johnson.

Research by the Population Council at the Kenyan tourist city of Mombasa involving 425 male sex workers revealed that while 58% reported using a condom during anal sex with their last male client, only 36% consistently used condoms.

Researcher Scot Geibel said “HIV [and sexually transmitted infection] prevention and care programs need to reach [men] who sell sex, with specific prevention messages regarding anal transmission of HIV, and to encourage consistent condom use.”

Studies by the International HIV/AIDS Alliance showed that HIV prevalence in the Middle East and North Africa is under 0.2% for the general population but much higher among homosexuals. “Increased vulnerability and poor sexual health of [these men] is due to conservative legal, socio-cultural and religious contexts and limited availability of STI/HIV services,” it stated.

High HIV rates among homosexuals are also reported for India and Cambodia. UNAIDS states that 25% of all people living with HIV/AIDS in Latin America are related to a homosexual. UNAIDS head Peter Piot said these men, drug users, sex workers and migrants were among the drivers of the epidemic.