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May 22, 2013
HIV rates among transgender people in Asia 'disturbingly high'

New report finds 49% transgender people in Delhi, India, 37% in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and 34% in Jakarta, Indonesia have HIV

A new report highlights the 'serious threat' that HIV remains to transgender people in Asia and the Pacific.

Asia Pacific Transgender Network (APTN) and the Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health (APCOM) released the report on Friday for IDAHO (International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia).

May 5, 2013
Study finds US gay men becoming less promiscuous

Data from the US National Surveys of Family Growth has shown that gay Americans have become less promiscuous over the decade that same-sex marriage became available to them

Data from the US National Surveys of Family Growth appears to show that American gay men have become less promiscuous over the decade that same-sex marriages first began to become available to them.

Researchers compared data from gay men aged between 15 and 44 who took part in the National Surveys of Family Growth in 2002 to those who took part between 2006 and 2010 and found a statistically meaningful drop in the numbers of sexual partners they reported having in the last year.

April 7, 2013
Gay sex to blame for 1,700 new HIV infections among Chinese students, experts say

Senior health experts say that sex between men is the main cause HIV infections among Chinese college students rose by 25% last year

Gay sex is to blame for most of 2,000 new HIV infections in China last year, according to health experts.

Over 1,700 college students were infected with HIV in 2012, approximately 65% of which were contracted through sex with people of the same gender, according to Xinhau News Agency.

Most of the 1,700 cases were male students, said deputy director of the National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention Wang Ning.

Ning said that more people getting tested for HIV is one reason for a rise in new cases.

March 26, 2013
HIV infections among New Zealand gay and bi men rose in 2012

Diagnosed infections up from 69 men who have sex with men (MSM) in 2011 to 87 in 2012

New Zealand's AIDS Epidemiology Group has released figures for new HIV diagnoses in 2012 and has found they are up from 2011.

In total 170 people were diagnosed with HIV in 2012, of which 87 are believed to be MSM (men who have sex with men). In 2011 69 MSM were diagnosed with HIV - the lowest number for ten years in New Zealand.

In 2010, 100 men were diagnosed with HIV, the highest number since the virus first hit the country.

February 14, 2013
More than 40% of London has had or would have gay sex

New Time Out survey reveals what London does between the sheets, and gay sex seems to be very high on the list

An amazing 60% of London’s women and 23% of the UK capital’s men either have had or would have a same-sex experience.

That means almost 42% of the city’s population are in to gay sex.

It’s the shock figure coming out of a Time Out survey which also reveals 80% of Londoners watch porn, three quarters think they are better than average in bed and half would sleep with their best friend.

February 9, 2013
Gay minorities are more vulnerable to HIV, experts say

Studies show individuals who experience mental traumas from homophobia, racism and depression are more likely to engage in risky behavior that could lead to HIV infections

Mental stress from poverty and discrimination can contribute to HIV among gay men, a new study reveals.

The findings, published in the journal AIDS and Behavior, revealed a relationship between mental trauma, drug abuse and risky sexual behavior.

'The more burden these men face for being persons of color, economically disadvantaged, homosexual, foreign born, and simply discriminated against, impact their mental health,' said director of the study Perry Halkitis.

December 27, 2012
Mexico begins accepting gay blood donations

Mexico this week began accepting blood donations from gay and bisexual men – becoming the first North American nation to do so. From now on sexual behavior not sexual orientation will determine who can donate

New blood donation regulations screening donors based on sexual history rather than sexual orientation have been implemented in Mexico, making it the first country in North America to end its ban on men who have sex with men donating blood.

The new regulations came into effect December 25 and now means any HIV and Hepatitis negative gay or bisexual man who has a history of safe sex and is not a sex worker or injecting drug user may donate blood.

The rule was approved in August and then published in the Official Journal of the Mexican Federation on October 26.

November 30, 2012
UK government is failing gay men on HIV

Ahead of World AIDS Day on 1 December, veteran LGBT activist Peter Tatchell says Britain is failing to tackle the spread of HIV among gay and bisexual men

New diagnoses of HIV among gay and bisexual men in the UK have been increasing since 2007, with 3,010 infections recorded in 2011, according to figures released this week by the Health Protection Agency.

The HPA reports that prevalence of HIV among the general population in 2011 was 1.5 per 1,000, but among men who have sex with men the rate is 31 times higher, 47 per 1,000.

September 11, 2012
Hong Kong AIDS group blames Grindr for rise in infections

Last quarter saw the highest ever numbers of new HIV infections in Hong Kong, AIDS Concern say the popularity of Grindr is contributing to the rise

AIDS Concern, the oldest HIV awareness group in Hong Kong, has blamed gay hook-up app Grindr for the highest number of new HIV infections in the former British colony.

In April to June this year there were 131 new cases of HIV in Hong Kong, the most in a quarter since records began in 1984. Of those, 65 were from MSM (Men who have Sex with Men) and 37 with source undetermined.

August 31, 2012
Hepatitis C explosion among positive Swiss gay men

Hepatitis C rates among HIV positive gay men in Switzerland have jumped by eighteen hundred percent over 14 years and researchers are calling for better education campaigns targeting men who have sex with men

Hepatitis C infections have increased eighteen fold among HIV positive Swiss men over a 14 year period, according to a study published in the Clinical Infectious Diseases journal, with half of those infections occurring since 2008.

In comparison infections decreased among injecting drug users and remained stable among heterosexuals.

Troublingly, over 80 percent of the Hepatitis C infections among gay men were of the hardest strains of the virus to treat.

August 25, 2012
Gay dating app Grindr blamed for rise in syphilis

New Zealand doctors say the average age of men contracting the STD has dropped from 46 to 24

Gay dating app Grindr is being blamed in New Zealand for the rise in sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis.

Christchurch Sexual Health Clinic’s Heather Young said gay men would usually contract syphilis while clubbing or visiting saunas, TVNZ reports.

She said: ‘In 2011, sex-on-site venues were associated with 50% of syphilis cases but in 2012 it is more commonly found after use of internet dating sites or the Grindr app.’

August 15, 2012
Second phase of HIV vaccine trials starts in China

High risk groups, including gay men, volunteer to be part of HIV vaccine trial in Beijing

The second phase of a trial into finding a vaccine for HIV started yesterday in Beijing.

Around 150 volunteers, mostly from high risk groups, like men who have sex with men (MSM), will take part in the clinical trial that will last for two years.

One volunteer, Li Yewen, a 28-year-old gay man from Beijing, told China Daily:

July 31, 2012
Black gay men twice as likely to have HIV

Black gay men have a higher chance of testing HIV positive despite similar sexual behavior as other ethnic groups

A new analysis on the sexual health of black gay men has found that they have twice the chance of being HIV-positive in comparison to white gay men.

The study published in medical journal The Lancet found that both white and black gay men displayed similar sexual risk behaviours across the US, UK and Canada.

Statistically, there was no significant difference in the way the different ethnic groups practised unprotected anal intercourse and sex with men of a different HIV status, number of partners they had, drug use and protective behaviours.

July 21, 2012
HIV/AIDS the leading cause of death of black gay men

New report paints bleak picture of HIV infection rates for US gay black men

The numbers are appalling. Appalling.

June 14, 2012
Call for lifting of gay ban on World Blood Donor Day

Gay and bisexual men around the world are still banned or restricted from giving blood, even when risk is low

Campaigners are marking World Blood Donor Day by calling for the ban and restrictions on gay men giving blood to be lifted globally.

Today (14 June), the World Health Organization (WHO) is urging people to be a 'hero' and give the 'life-saving gift' of blood.

On its website, the UN agency states that 'every one of us can become a hero simply by giving blood'.

However, gay and bisexual men in most countries around the world are banned entirely from donating and in many where it is allowed, are required to abstain from sex for at least a year.

May 31, 2012
Safe sex warning for gay men as England sees surge in STIs

Health experts point to rise of apps for increase in sexually transmitted infections

UK health experts are urging gay men to practice safe sex after alarming new figures reveal a sharp increase in sexually transmitted infections.

According to new data released by the Health Protection Agency today (31 May), there has been an upsurge in the number of new STI diagnoses in England in 2011, with the biggest increase seen among men who have sex with men.

May 18, 2012
In some areas 49% of Asian trans women are HIV positive

A new report on transgender people in Asia says in some areas 49% are HIV positive

A new report into the rights and HIV vulnerability of transgender people has found that in some areas of Asia 49% of trans women are HIV positive. The report blames the alarmingly high prevalence rates on ‘stigma and prejudice’.

April 11, 2012
Fund gives cash for gay AIDS fight in Africa

amfAR gives cash prizes to seven gay, bi and trans HIV and AIDS groups in Africa

The American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR), have announced the recipients of their fifth round of Africa community awards, which aim to curb the AIDS epidemic among the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and men who have sex with men.

Designed to provide funding for HIV and AIDS prevention, testing and treatment, the awards of between $10,000 and $20,000 (€7,610 to €15,220) go to groups that conduct outreach and advocacy, often in countries where same-sex sexual activity is illegal. The awards are given through amfAR’s MSM Initiative.

March 14, 2012
2.5 million gay men in India, 7% have HIV, the government reports

Delhi Supreme Court hearing into the decriminalisation of gay sex continues

There are 2.5 million gay men in India, 0.2% of the 1.2 billion population , according to figures from the National Aids Council.

The figures were presented to Delhi Supreme Court yesterday in response to an affidavit during the current case re-examining the high court 2009's decriminalisation of gay sex.