Prejudice Blamed for Spike in Aids Among Gay African Men

(GIN) – A study published in the medical journal Lancet attributes the soaring HIV rates among gay men in Africa to prejudice that leads to isolation and harassment, in turn encouraging high-risk sexual behavior.
Gay men contending with social stigma were more likely to be involved in sex work, have multiple partners, and experience contact with intravenous-drug use.
Male-male sex is a criminal offense in some 31 sub-Saharan African countries; it even draws the death penalty in a few — on the books, at least, if hardly ever in practice.
Release of the study coincides with the 5th International Conference on HIV, treatment and prevention which opened on Sunday in Cape Town, South Africa, with the participation of at least 5,000 delegates of over 100 countries.