World AIDS Day – Struggles in Developing Countries

(Ivanhoe Newswire) – Serious struggles in developing countries mark this World AIDS Day.

One new study shows men who have sex with men (MSM) are at high risk of AIDS in developing countries. While in most developed countries the issue has been publicly discussed and addressed, MSM lay low in most low and middle-income countries, mainly because of laws against homosexuality.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University looked at studies that had reported HIV prevalence in 38 low and middle-income countries in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Eastern Europe. They found an increased level of risk in MSM regardless of the countries’ income level or the amount of illicit drug use. Overall, MSM are about 20 times more likely to be infected with HIV than the general population.

The authors say national AIDS prevention programs need to try to include MSM in low-to-middle income countries – this would help curb the transmission of HIV in this population.

Another study finds three key times when African women who have had an HIV test during pregnancy are likely to tell their male partner the results – the end of pregnancy, the early stage of weaning, and when a woman resumes her sexual activity with her partner.

The research from France shows fewer than half of women infected with HIV told their partners they had it two years after childbirth. Those who did tell their partners did so at those three key times. Many women are afraid to let their partner know they have HIV because it could lead to accusations of infidelity and loss of housing or food.

Results show the partners of the HIV-positive women who did disclose their status were about three times more likely to take an HIV test than those who had not been told.

Researchers say it’s important to target the three key times to have counseling to support women to disclose their status and to encourage their partner to take an HIV test.

This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, click on: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.

SOURCE: PLoS Medicine, published online November 30, 2007