Disproportionate and increasing burden of HIV infection among men who have sex with men in Slovenia: surveillance data for 1999-2008

Abstract

The report presents data on HIV infection among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Slovenia during 1999-2008. HIV surveillance was based on universal mandatory reporting of HIV/AIDS cases, monitoring HIV infection prevalence among sentinel populations of MSM and STI patients and selected behaviour indicators in a sentinel population of MSM. Among 48 newly diagnosed HIV cases reported for 2008, 34 were MSM. Since 1999, the annual reported rate of HIV diagnoses in MSM rose from 7.1 to 46.8 per million men aged 15-64 years (an increase of more than six times). During 1999-2008, the proportion of MSM diagnosed with AIDS within three months of HIV diagnosis declined from 60% to 21%, however, the corresponding rate per million men aged 15-64 increased from 4.3 to 9.6. During 1999-2008, HIV prevalence among male clients of STI outpatient services tested for syphilis (including a substantial proportion of MSM) increased from 0% to 3.4%, and it remained below 5% in a sentinel population of MSM in Ljubljana. In the same sentinel population of MSM, the proportion reporting HIV test last year increased from 29% in 2003 to 38% in 2008 while the proportion reporting condom use at last anal intercourse decreased from 81% in 2004 to 66% in 2008. The burden of HIV among MSM in Slovenia is disproportionately high and increasing fast. Promotion of safer sexual behaviour and HIV testing among MSM as well as positive prevention among MSM with diagnosed HIV infection are urgently needed.

HIV/AIDS and other STI in men who have sex with men – a continuous challenge for public health

“…The number of syphilis cases among MSM has increased considerably in Western European countries in the past decade but Savage et al suggest that MSM in Central Europe are becoming an important risk group as well [17]. This finding is consistent with the report from Slovenia by Klavs et al which describes increasing trends of syphilis and HIV among MSM [18]. An increasing number of lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) cases has been recently reported by several Western European countries, with close to 80% of cases being HIV-positive [19].…”

The quest for multi-sectoral HIV/AIDS prevention in Central and Eastern Europe and why it matters

“…In Russian Federation alone more people are living with HIV/AIDS that the entire Europe and It has more than 70% of all infections in Europe. While the task of fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic among the risk groups is facing additional challenges faced by the burden of co-morbidities such as Hepatitis C and TB, the lack of modern surveillance system and inadequate testing and access to IDUs and CSWs is considered to contribute further to an inaccurate statistics further hampering proper prevention programs [33,34]. Among the currently recognized risk groups in this region the CSWs and MSM are the least studied and researched and data on their social, behavioral profile remains limited.…”

Una aproximación a las tipologías en la investigación sociológica a partir de los estilos de vida de homosexuales masculinos en Lima

“…Parten de una perspectiva etic, en tanto se privilegian las nociones del observador por sobre las de los observados. Si bien muchos de estos incluyen métodos cualitativos e incluso enfoques etnográficos, por lo general se trata de trabajos que privilegian una mirada objetivista sobre la sexualidad, lo cual se refleja en la denominación que alude a hombres homo/bisexuales y que ha servido de piedra de toque en sus investigaciones: "hombres que tienen sexo con hombres" (HSH) (Cáceres 2004;Fernández-Dávila et al 2008;Klavs et al 2009;Semaille 2009). Según Cáceres (2004: 40) este concepto "(1) correctamente alude a que es su conducta homosexual, y no su identidad sexual u otra asignación externa de «naturaleza homosexual» esencial, la que sirve para definir al grupo desde el punto de vista de la salud pública, en principio; (2) resulta un término inclusivo para muchos tipos de 'HSH' con distintas experiencias personales; y (3) se posiciona como una denominación técnica totalmente asimilable por los programas gubernamentales de lucha contra el SIDA".…”