Gay and Bisexual Men in the EECA Region are Victims of Stigma and Discrimination and Vulnerable to HIV

The Eurasian Coalition on Male Health (ECOM) is pleased to announce the release of a new Call to Action document, “Addressing the Health Needs of Men Vulnerable to HIV in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.”

Evidence suggests that the HIV infection rate of men who have sex with men (MSM) is growing at an alarming rate in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.  Societal discrimination and stigma towards lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, as well as repressive laws that criminalize homosexual relations and ‘propaganda’, greatly contribute to the prevalence and spread of HIV among MSM.

ECOM – Eurasian Coalition on Male Health is the leading network of organizations and activists working in these regions to create favorable conditions to ensure that MSM and transgender people have access to services in the field of sexual and reproductive health, mainly to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, based on the human rights.

ECOM’s Call to Action document explores the key factors that place the MSM communities of Eastern Europe and Central Asia at greater risk for HIV infection.  The document also offers a detailed dicussion about different HIV prevention strategies for MSM and about harmful policies and practices that limit MSM access to HIV care.  Tudor Kovacs, Executive Director of ECOM, highlights the importance of ensuring access to care and fighting discriminatory legislation: “Achievements in HIV treatment would not be a reality now if it wasn’t for the brave sacrifice of thousands of gay and bisexual men and their allies who pushed governments to start researching for treatments and volunteered in clinical trials in the 80’s. Right now, the whole world sees more and more gay and bisexual men at risk for becoming infected with HIV and too many of them are victims of laws and policies that oppress and stigmatize them. It is again the time to call on governments to recognize the increasing problem, to admit that we have the right to being healthy and to start investing according to the gravity of the situation so that no more people become infected and those who have can still live a good and productive life with appropriate care.”

To this end, ECOM calls for the protection and fulfillment of the right to the best attainable standard of health for all individuals, government compliance with international and regional laws, as well as an effective allocation of resources to deal with the HIV epidemic among MSM.  ECOM will distribute the Call to Action document to stakeholders, including NGOs, government ministries officials, and other interested individuals, who can use it to influence national and regional strategies aimed at combatting the HIV epidemic and help achieve these goals.