by Krishen Samuel

Men who have sex with men (MSM) living in sub-Saharan African countries where homosexual activity is severely criminalised are at a nearly five times higher risk of having HIV when compared to countries where no criminalisation occurs.

Those in countries where some criminalisation exists are more than twice as likely to have HIV. Additionally, MSM living in countries where there are legal barriers preventing HIV advocacy and civil service organisations from operating are also at a higher risk of HIV infection. These results were presented to the 23rd International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2020: Virtual) this weekend by Carrie Lyons of Johns Hopkins University.

MSM are a key population disproportionately at risk for HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa. While key populations, such as MSM, make up a small percentage of the overall population, they are at an extremely high risk of becoming infected with HIV, with estimated prevalence in sub-Saharan countries ranging from 12% to as high as 30%. Criminalisation of same-sex sexual activity presents a significant barrier for MSM when seeking out HIV prevention and treatment services. In many instances, the existence of these laws means that HIV civil society organisations cannot exist at all or they are severely constrained in terms of the services they are able to offer. Read more via AIDS map