Health-e article highlights key Issues raised at Top2Btm symposium

The Top2Btm Symposium, which is coordinated by Anova, is the subject of an article from the online health related news provider Health-e. The symposium which opened in Cape Town yesterday (23 May 2011), focuses on various issues relating to MSM and HIV.

The article places the symposium in context through recalling the days when HIV was initially and erroneously labeled a ‘gay disease’ and consequently given the name GRID (Gay Related Immune Deficiency).

The article covers the main issues being addressed at the symposium and features comment from Anova’s Chief Executive Officer James McIntyre.

McIntyre is quoted as saying that one of the main issues addressed at the conference, was a lack of government HIV prevention plans targeted specifically at men who have sex with men.  However McIntyre felt that government involvement in MSM HIV prevention campaigns was imminent, given that the Minister of Health agreed to open the symposium.

Today during the conference the Department of Health did indeed reiterate their intention to provide “…nuanced and targeted” HIV prevention programs geared towards MSM.

Up to now NGOs have largely been responsible for fighting the scourge of HIV among MSM. Health4Men, a project run by Anova, is one such NGO which provides services which aim to improve the sexual health of MSM.

to read the article click here