Gay community still faces challenges for quality and accessible health care

THE Durban-based Enhanced Care Foundation has called for urgent action to increase prevention programmes and health services for South Africa’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or intersex (LGBTI) community amid concern that many remain unaware of their HIV status.

“Various studies in SA have found HIV prevalence rates in the male having sex with male (MSM) population of between 10% and 34% with a general lack of competent sexual health services and prevention programmes targeting MSM particularly in townships,” says the foundation’s progamme director, Rosie Mngqibisa.

A dialogue on the challenges facing the LGBTI community was recently held in Cape Town by Enhanced Care Foundation health facilitator Nkokheli Mankayi.

Information published by the Us-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that results from one of the 29 published studies show that 73% of the transgender women who tested Hiv-positive were unaware of their status.

To address this, the Enhanced Care Foundation and its partners have started several programmes to reduce the transmission of HIV, STIS and TB among LGBTI people.