For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Justin Burke - 213.201.1525
FIRST-EVER CENTRAL AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN HIV PREVENTION SUMMIT
TO ADDRESS INFECTIONS AMONG REGION’S MSM
Los Angeles, Calif., May 18, 2006 – AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA), through The Institute for Gay Men’s Health, a collaboration between APLA and Gay Men’s Health Crisis, announced today that it will hold the first-ever summit on HIV prevention for Central American and Caribbean gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) on May 25 and 26 in La Ceiba, Honduras. Participants in the summit will develop the first regional HIV Prevention Action Plan focused on MSM, to be presented at the XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto this August.
The summit will convene HIV prevention experts, public health professionals, researchers and HIV activists for a two-day training and consultation. Guests will participate in a facilitated discussion of topics relevant to Central American and Caribbean men, including masculinity and sexual behavior as a risk factor for HIV infection for men; prevention best practices with men, gay men and other MSM; and a review of current strategies, along with recommendations for implementing effective HIV prevention interventions within this population.
As of December 2001, there have been 378,413 AIDS cases reported and nearly 160,000 AIDS deaths in Latin America. An estimated 1.82 million people are infected with HIV in the region. Sexual transmission accounts for the majority of new HIV infections and reported AIDS cases.
“Central American and Caribbean countries have not developed any specific HIV prevention plans targeted to gay men and other MSM,” said Dr. George Ayala, national director of The Institute for Gay Men’s Health. “Even though these men are at high risk for HIV transmission, local HIV prevention programs are working with limited resources and data to design and implement effective HIV prevention strategies and interventions to reduce the number of new HIV infections among gay men and other MSM.”
Experts suggest that homosexual transmission is at least as important as heterosexual transmission, with HIV prevalence among MSM in Central America and the Caribbean estimated to be between 8 to 18 percent.
“Sex between men is likely to be under-reported because homosexuality continues to be highly stigmatized in many parts of the region,” says Ayala. “Homosexuality is not necessarily a clear-cut social category, complicating further local efforts to obtain a clear epidemiologic picture.”
The Institute has recently partnered with KUKULCÁN, a local gay organization based in Honduras, to strengthen HIV prevention, human rights activism and the sexual health promotion for gay men and other MSM in Central America and the Caribbean. Recognized as a leader in promoting the human rights and well-being of gay and other MSM in Honduras, KUKULCÁN was formed to advocate for the inclusion of gay men in the public health agendas and HIV prevention programs in Honduras.
The Action Plan will be designed as a reference tool for use by public policy officials, health professionals and prevention providers in their collective work to address HIV prevention needs of men, gay men and other MSM in the region. An initial distribution of 2,500 copies of the plan will reach key program providers, health department personnel and other stakeholders throughout Central America and the Caribbean.
AIDS Project Los Angeles, one of the largest non-profit AIDS service organizations in the United States, provides bilingual direct services, prevention education and leadership on HIV/AIDS-related policy and legislation. Founded by four friends in 1982, APLA is a community-based, volunteer-supported organization with local, national and global reach. For more information, visit www.apla.org.###
