PrEP for MSM Cannot Wait
The Leading Global Network on MSM & HIV (MSMGF)
Calls for Communities of Men Who Have Sex With Men Worldwide to Rally Behind
Sexual Health Strategies
July 15, 2015 (Oakland,CA)--MSMGF calls for the widespread availability of and
access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as an integral part of comprehensive
sexual health programs for men who have sex with men (MSM), ahead of the
International AIDS Society’s Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment, and
Prevention Conference in Vancouver, July 19-22.
Clinical guidelines for the use of PrEP among MSM are set forth by the World
Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC). Grounded in scientific research, PrEP is a crucial addition to
the collection of effective HIV prevention strategies for HIV-negative MSM,
including MSM who may be in serodiscordant relationships or MSM who are
considered to be at an elevated risk for acquiring HIV. Optimizing the success of
PrEP necessitates scaling up comprehensive sexual health programs in close
partnership with local MSM-led community-based organizations.
The facts about PrEP bear repeating: 1) PrEP provides a high-degree of protection
against new HIV infections when taken as recommended; 2) the use of PrEP does
not increase high-risk behavior among MSM; 3) MSM who perceive themselves to
be at risk for HIV are more likely to be adherent to PrEP; and 4) the efficacy of
PrEP is bolstered when MSM have access to supplementary sexual health
initiatives and live in an environment that fosters PrEP adherence.
“Now is the time to step up community demand for comprehensive sexual health
programs that include PrEP,” asserts Dr. George Ayala, Executive Director of
MSMGF. “Community-led educational and advocacy campaigns are still sorely
needed to ensure availability, access, and uptake to interventions that work.”
Nearly 80% of MSM around the world still lack basic or sufficient HIV prevention
services despite the proven efficacy of such interventions.1 Therefore PrEP should
not be seen as the sole means of preventing HIV infection, but rather used as part
of a comprehensive approach, which includes unfettered access to condoms and
lubricants, routine HIV testing, risk-reduction counselling, early anti-retroviral care and treatment for MSM living with HIV, and adherence coaching when PrEP
or treatment is offered. In addition, routine screening and treatment for other
sexually transmitted infections are critical. These options are most effective
when delivered in a non-discriminatory setting where MSM feel safe and
welcomed.
“We should be advancing public discussion and action around PrEP,” insists Dr.
Ayala. “There is unfinished business on the research and implementation fronts
that still need watchdogging. New and exciting approaches are on the horizon,
including the promise of long-term injectables. The importance of PrEP is bigger
than its HIV prevention potential and our actions shouldn’t be clouded by
outmoded thinking. PrEP can be a catalyst for mobilizing community through a
more progressive vision for the sexual health and wellness of MSM. We can
demand more.”
About MSMGF: MSMGF has worked since its founding in 2006 to encourage
targeted, tailored, better-resourced, and rights-based sexual health services for
gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) worldwide, through its
advocacy and technical support work. As a global network, MSMGF has
successfully influenced HIV responses at the local level through shifts in global-
level policies and has effectively utilized public health as an entry point for
advancing the human rights of LGBT people. MSMGF currently supports programs
in 15 countries.
MEDIA CONTACT
Jack Mackenroth
jmackenroth@msmgf,org
Jack Mackenroth
jmackenroth@msmgf,org
1 Arreola,S.,etal.AccesstoHIVpreventionandtreatment for men who have sex with men: Findings from the 2012 Global
Men’s Health and Rights Study (GMHR). 2012 [Cited 15 July 2015]; Available from: http://www.
msmgf.org/files/msmgf/documents/GMHR_2012.pdf.
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