Campaign to help HIV positive men
WHILE South Africa has the biggest HIV epidemic in the world, with roughly 7.2 million people currently living with HIV, more than 10 million men have been reached through the health NGO, Right to Care’s Me1st campaign, which visited Kimberley and Ritchie earlier this month.
The campaign, launched in November last year, aims to empower men to put their health first, get tested for HIV and go onto antiretroviral treatment if they test positive.
According to Right to Care’s Me1st campaign, men who have sex with men, also referred to as MSM, face devastating stigma and discrimination in society, especially when seeking health care services.
“As a key population disproportionately affected by HIV and sexually transmitted infections, the Me1st movement focuses on reaching as many HIV positive men as possible and then linking them to antiretroviral therapy and care,” the NGO explained.
It further noted that South Africa had the biggest HIV epidemic in the world with some 7.2 million people currently living with HIV.
“UNAIDS recently released a report showing that 47% of new HIV infections globally are among key populations which include men who have sex with men. HIV prevalence in the general population is at 19% in South Africa, however, amongst men who have sex with men, it is 27% and this figure is even higher in major metropolitan areas such as Johannesburg, where prevalence rates as high as 40% have been documented.
Andrew Lethole, MSM marketing co-ordinator at Right to Care, said there had been a dramatic increase in the number of MSM who had tested positive for HIV in both urban and hard-to-reach areas across South Africa.
“As a result of our Me1st movement, a high percentage of the men who tested HIV positive have been supported in accessing health care services and treatment and are now on antiretroviral treatment. We are engaging with MSM in a safe and confidential environment and addressing the apathy and fear that many men experience around HIV testing. More men now know where they can get tested for HIV and how to access treatment and care,” Lethole said.
He added that while South Africa’s constitution protects the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people, many men who had sex with men faced stigma, discrimination and even violence.
“This prevents them from disclosing their sexual preferences, even to health care workers, which means they have traditionally not accessed HIV prevention and treatment services,” Lethole concluded.