When it comes to describing the extent of Asia’s HIV epidemic among MSM, the numbers say it all. MSM HIV infection rates are above 6% in Myanmar, Vietnam, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, reaching close to 14% in Mongolia. Several cities in the region, including Ho Chi Minh, Jakarta, and Kuala Lumpur are already at 15%. In Bangkok, almost one in three MSM is HIV-positive. On top of this, consistent condom use remains low, with less than half of MSM in most major Asian cities using condoms consistently - a rate that is far too low to have an impact on reducing HIV transmission among MSM. Continue reading

Among men who have sex with men, the use of long-acting injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, to prevent HIV infection has the potential to reduce HIV transmission more than oral PrEP, according to the results of a modelling simulation published in The Lancet HIV. Continue reading

A meta-analysis of 17 studies of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) has found that, while PrEP protected them from HIV, the proportion diagnosed with gonorrhoea, chlamydia or syphilis increased significantly in the period between starting PrEP and follow-up, with an average length of time on PrEP at follow-up of six months. The headline figures come from eight studies that recorded both STI diagnoses at both baseline and during follow-up. On average, after starting PrEP, there was: an increase of 24% in diagnoses of any of these three STIs a 39% increase in rectal STIs a 59% increase in rectal chlamydia.  All of these increases were statistically significant.  Continue reading