Sandfort TGM. HIV incidence among men who have sex with men and transgender women from a multi-country cohort in sub-Saharan Africa. HIV Research for Prevention conference (HIVR4P), Madrid, 21-25 October, 2018, abstract OA10.04LB.

HIV incidence among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women in sub-Saharan Africa is “alarmingly high,” according to research presented to the recent HIV Research for Prevention conference (HIVR4P) in Madrid. The study was conducted at sites in Kenya, Malawi and South Africa and found an overall incidence rate of 6.96 per 100 per-person years of follow-up, meaning that each year 7% of participants acquired a new HIV infection.

Incidence was especially high among participants recruited in Cape Town, South Africa. Presence of a rectal sexually transmitted infection (STI) at enrolment was the key risk factor for HIV seroconversion.

The results show that HIV prevention interventions targeted at MSM and transgender women need to be intensified, say the international team of investigators.

Sex between men is criminalised in most sub-Saharan African countries and is also highly stigmatised. HIV prevalence among MSM in sub-Saharan Africa is very high, usually far exceeding that observed in the general population. However, little is known about HIV incidence among MSM and transgender women in this setting. The HPTN 075 study provided an opportunity to address this research gap.

The primary aim of this prospective, multi-country study was to assess the feasibility of recruiting and retaining MSM in HIV prevention research. The present analysis was designed to determine HIV incidence and its risk factors, and involved MSM and transgender women recruited at two sites in South Africa (Cape Town and Soweto) and one site each in Kenya (Kisumu) and Malawi (Blantyre). Read more via AIDSmap