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GMHC|GayMen44TimesMoreLikelyToGetHIV

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GayMen44TimesMoreLikelyToGetHIV
GMHCRespondstoShockingNewData
3.10.2010
FORIMMEDIATERELEASE
MediaContact:
KrishnaStone|212.367.1016
NewYork,NYTheCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention(CDC)todayreleasednewstatisticsonincidence
ratesofHIVandsyphilisamonggay,bisexual,andothermenwhohavesexwithmen(MSM).Thedata,which
identifiedMSMasmenwhohaveengagedsexuallywithanothermanwithinthelastfiveyears,revealedthatMSMare
over44timesmorelikelythanothermentocontractHIV,andover40timesmorelikelythanwomentocontractHIV.
Further,MSMwereover46timesmorelikelytocontractsyphilisthanothermen,andover71timesmorelikelythan
womentocontractsyphilis.
Menwhohavesexwithmen(MSM)comprised57%ofpeoplenewlyinfectedwithHIVin2006,accordingtotheCDC,
eventhoughMSMareonly2%oftheadultpopulation.However,researchshowsthatmostgaymenpracticesafer
sex,andgaymalecouplesaretwiceaslikelyasheterosexualcouplestopracticesafersex.
"TheCDC'snewlyreleasedstatisticshighlighthowHIVcontinuestodisproportionatelyaffectgaymenmorethanany
othergroupintheU.S.,"saidMarjorieHill,Ph.D.,ChiefExecutiveOfficerofGMHC."Greaterpreventioneffortstargeted
towardthispopulationareclearlyneeded.WecommendPresidentObamaforproposinganew$28millioninitiativein
hisFiscalYear2011budgettoexpandinnovativeHIVpreventionwithgayandbisexualmen.ItistimetheCDCmatch
thetrendsoftheepidemic,"addedHill.
TocombattherateofHIVinfectionamongMSM,GMHCencouragestheimplementationofthefollowinginnovative
preventivemeasures:
Comprehensivesexeducationformiddleschoolandhighschoolstudentsthatexplicitlyaddressessamesex
behavior.
SchoolinterventionsthatpromotetoleranceandacceptanceofLGBTyouth,suchasgaystraightalliancesandanti
bullyingcurricula.SuchinterventionscorrelatewithlowerHIVriskbehavioramonggayandbisexualmen,and
betterhealthandschoolperformanceoutcomes.
Scalingupcommunitylevelinterventionsencouragingfamiliestoaccepttheirgaysons,whichiscorrelatedwith
lowerratesofgayandbisexualmen'sengagementinhighrisksexualbehavior.
Communitylevelinterventions,includingsocialmarketingcampaigns,anduseofsocialmedia,toaddressHIV
stigmaandhomophobia.
A2002analysisofmorethan60behavioralstudiespublishedduringthe1990s,writtenbytheinternationallyknown
HIVpreventiontheoristDavidNimmons,foundthatbetween60%and70%ofgaymenusedcondomswhenhaving
sex,comparedwithathirdorlessofheterosexualmenandwomen.[1]Otheranalysespublishedbetween2000and
2003similarlyfoundthatgaymenhavesafersexattwicetherateofthegeneralpopulation.[2][3][4]

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GMHC|GayMen44TimesMoreLikelyToGetHIV

[1]Nimmons,D.(2002).Thesoulbeneaththeskin:Theunseenheartsandhabitsofgaymen.NewYork:St.Martin's
Press.CitedinHalperin,D.(2007).Whatdogaymenwant?Anessayonsex,risk,andsubjectivity.AnnArbor:
UniversityofMichiganPress.
[2]TimDean."Beyondsexuality."Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress,2000.
[3]PaulFlowers"GaymenandHIV/AIDSriskmanagement."Health.5.1pp.5075,esp.60,2001.
[4]JeffreyT.Parsons,et.al."CorrelatesofsexualriskbehaviorsamongHIVpositivemenwhohavesexwithmen."
AIDSEducationandPrevention.15.5(October,2003)ascitedinDavidHalperin,Whatdogaymenwant?Anessay
onsex,risk,andsubjectivity.AnnArbor:UniversityofMichiganPress,pp.1213,2007.
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