The term
men who have sex with men (MSM)
refers to all men who have sex with other
men, regardless of how they identify
themselves (gay, bisexual, or heterosexual).
In the United States, HIV and AIDS have had
a tremendous impact on MSM. Consider these
facts:
- AIDS has been diagnosed for more than half a
million MSM. Over 300,000 MSM with AIDS
have died since the beginning of the
epidemic.
MSM
made up more than two thirds (68%) of all men
living with HIV in 2005, even though
only about 5% to 7% of men in the United
States reported having sex with other
men.
- In a 2005
study of 5 large US cities, 46% of African American MSM were
HIV-positive.
Since
HIV/AIDS in MSM was first diagnosed
1981, gay and bisexual men have been
leaders in dealing with the challenges
of the epidemic. Gay organizations and activists, through
their work, have contributed greatly to
many of the guidelines for prevention,
treatment, and the care of people living
with HIV/AIDS. For complex reasons, HIV/AIDS continues to
take a high toll on the MSM
population.
For example, the number of new HIV/AIDS
cases among MSM in 2005 was 11% more than the
number of cases in 2001. It is unclear
whether this increase is due to more testing,
which results in more diagnoses,
or to an increase in the number of HIV
infections. Whatever the reasons, in 2005, MSM still accounted for about 53% of all new
HIV/AIDS cases and 71% of cases in male
adults and adolescents. |