By: Joe Siegel/TRT Reporter
The rate of HIV infections remains disproportionately high among gay and bisexual men in New England.
According to the Rhode Island Department of Health, there were 54 new cases in the men having sex with men (MSM) population in 2010. That figure represents 51percent of the total of infections. That number has been steadily increasing within the past five years. In 2009, there were 59 cases of HIV infection among gay and bisexual men. The percentage for that year was 47. In 2008, the percentage was 41.
Similar findings have been reported in neighboring states. In Connecticut, 46 percent of HIV/AIDS diagnoses in 2009 were gay and bisexual men. Of that total, 67 percent were white men. 34 percent were black.
From 2007 to 2009, 744 of the individuals diagnosed with HIV infection in Massachusetts were exposed through male-to-male sex, accounting for 41 percent of all cases and 55 percent of HIV infections among men. An additional 58 men were reported to have been exposed through male-to-male sex and injection-drug use (MSM/IDU), accounting for 3 percent of all cases and 4 percent of HIV infections among men.
On December 31, 2010, there were 6,252 men living with HIV/AIDS in whom HIV infection was attributed to male-to-male sex, representing 35 percent of all people living with HIV/AIDS in Massachusetts and 50 percent of men living with HIV/AIDS. An additional 575 MSM living with HIV/AIDS were reported to have also used injection drugs, accounting for 3 percent of all people living with HIV/AIDS and 5 percent of men.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), by risk group, gay, bisexual and other MSM of all races remain the population most impacted by HIV.
MSM account for more than half (53 percent) of all new HIV infections in the U.S. each year, as well as nearly half (48 percent) of people living with HIV. While CDC estimates that MSM account for just 4 percent of the U.S. male population aged 13 and older, the rate of new HIV diagnoses among MSM in the U.S. is more than 44 times that of other men and more than 40 times that of women.
Members of the AIDS community are alarmed at the statistics and hope to intensify their prevention efforts.
“I find the HIV trends very concerning and I believe now is the time for CBOs (community-based organizations) and health departments to step up our efforts to address the challenges related to HIV prevention in gay and bisexual men,” said Tom Bertrand in an interview with The Rainbow Times. Bertrand is the executive director of AIDS Project R.I., which is based in Providence. “I think CBOs have a unique role to play in ensuring that gay/bisexual men are equipped with the knowledge and skills to prevent HIV. This has to be done at an individual and community level to raise awareness and equip gay men with the ability to talk to their partners about their HIV status, negotiate safe sex, and get tested for HIV regularly.”
The rate of HIV infections may actually be significantly higher among MSM, according to Bertrand: “Among reported cases that have risk-factor data, gay and bisexual men represented about 73 percent of the new HIV infections in 2010 in Rhode Island, so I would expect that three out every four prevention dollars are spent on programs to prevent HIV in gay and bisexual men, with a focus on adult men.”
Education has to play a major role in preventing HIV infections, according to Mark Forry, assistant director at The Male Center in Boston. The MALE (Men’s Action Life Empowerment) Center is a community resource and wellness center for gay and bisexual men.
“I think the first piece is making sure people have information that they need to navigate the choices regarding their sexual health,” Forry told The Rainbow Times. “I also think it’s important to make sure that we have prevention tools and materials widely available to people, things like condoms and lube that are going to reduce the risk of an HIV transmission.”
Forry says the goal is to target HIV-prevention programs for specific populations.
“We want to make sure that the services we provide to (clients) really are going to be accessible and digestible for folks so it doesn’t present another barrier as far as getting folks information,” Forry explained.
There are many factors that explain why gay and bisexual men do not take greater precautions when engaging in sexual activity. Forry said trauma, a history of violence, and low self-esteem may play a part.
“Not everyone is able to prioritize their sexual health,” Forry said, adding the statistics in Massachusetts reveal a high percentage of homeless youth identify as LGBT.
Forry noted that homeless teens are more concerned with meeting basic needs of survival, such as finding food and shelter, than with protecting themselves from HIV.
The MALE Center provides free, rapid HIV testing and sex counseling for men who wish to modify their sexual behaviors in order to cut down on risk.
“Change is not overnight,” Forry said. “It’s a journey and a process.”
The MALE Center is located at 571 Columbus Ave., Boston, MA 02118. You can call 617.450.1987, and e-mail malecenter@aac.org.
For a complete list of HIV Testing sites in New England and throughout the United States, please visit: http://www.hivtest.org.
