As we inch closer to achieving global targets in HIV prevention, we remember how far we have come in fighting this epidemic and all the work that there still is to be done.
Overall, the odds of having HIV infection are markedly and consistently higher among gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men than among the general population in adults of reproductive age in every region and country in the world. The reasons for heightened vulnerability to HIV stem from violations to the right to health and are driven by stigma, discrimination, and violence.
According to the 2016 UNAIDS Gap Report, the risk of HIV acquisition for gay men and other men who have sex with men is 24 times more likely than compared to adults aged 15 years or older in the general population.
UNAIDS reports that there are 1.8 million [1.6 million – 2.1 million] people who became newly infected with HIV in 2016. Gay men and other men who have sex with men are disproportionately represented among new infections, with an estimated 12% of new infections attributed to gay men in 2015.
This year and every year on World AIDS Day, we remember the lives lost to this epidemic and the voices of those who stood against it. Gay men living with and affected by HIV have been the champions of this fight since the very start. MSMGF works to amplify their voices. Read more via MSMGF