AIDS and "men who have sex with men"

With the on-going AIDS conference in Toronto, it’s become apparent that the world is not doing enough to combat the disease.

Shocking results from the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) survey:

The CDC last month published a survey of 10,000 men who have sex with men - the term preferred by epidemiologists, as some such men do not consider themselves gay or bisexual. They were questioned at bars, dance clubs, gyms, raves, beaches and on the street in 17 cities between 2003 and 2005.

The survey found that 77 percent had been tested for HIV in the previous year. Testing is a crucial prevention tool. Studies have shown that each year, 11 percent of people who do not know they are infected transmit the virus to someone else, compared with 2 percent of those who do know. Overall, it is estimated, about one-quarter of infected Americans do not know their status.

Forty-seven percent of those interviewed said that in the past year they had engaged in unprotected anal sex - the riskiest activity. Ninety-eight percent had gotten free condoms. But only 15 percent had had one-on-one risk counseling, and only 8 percent had had peer-group sessions - two interventions found to change behavior.