Towards a comprehensive package of measures to address HIV-related issues

Towards a comprehensive package of measures to address HIV-related issues
among men who have sex with men and transgender people
The need for a conducive legal, policy and social environment requires:

• The promotion and guarantee of the human rights of men who have sex with men and
• transgender people, including protection from discrimination and the removal of legal
• barriers to access to appropriate HIV-related prevention, treatment, care and support
• services for them, such as laws that criminalize sex between males;
• An assessment and understanding of the numbers, characteristics and needs of men who
• have sex with men and transgender people regarding HIV and related issues, including risks
• associated with injecting drug use, sex work, prison confinement, etc.;
• Ensuring that men who have sex with men and transgender people are appropriately
• addressed in national and local AIDS plans, that sufficient funding is budgeted for work, and
• that this work is planned and undertaken by suitably qualified and appropriate staff;
• The empowerment of men who have sex with men and transgender communities to participate
• equally in social and political life;
• Ensuring the participation of men who have sex with men and transgender people in the
• planning, implementation and review of HIV-related responses, including the support of
• nongovernmental and community-based organizations, including organizations of people
• living with HIV;
• Public campaigns to address homophobia and transgender discrimination;
• Training and sensitization of health-care providers to avoid discriminating against, and
• ensure the provision of appropriate HIV-related services for, men who have sex with men
• and transgender people;
• Access to medical and legal assistance for boys, men and transgender people who experience
• sexual abuse; and
• The promotion of multisectoral links and coordinated policy-making, planning and
• programming, including health, justice (including the police), home, social welfare, similar
• and related ministries, at the national, regional and local levels.

All interventions should be evidence-informed, developed with, and protect, the rights of, men
who have sex with men and transgender people and should include safe access to:

• Information and education about HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, and
• support for safer sex and safer drug use, through appropriate services (including peer-led,
• managed and provided services);
• Condoms and water-based lubricants;
• Confidential, voluntary HIV counselling and testing;
• Detection and management of sexually transmitted infections through the provision of
• clinical services (by staff members trained to deal with sexually transmitted infections as
• they affect men who have sex with men and transgender people);
• Referral systems for legal, welfare and health services, and access to appropriate services;
• Safer drug-use commodities and services;
• Appropriate antiretroviral and related treatments, where necessary, together with HIV care
• and support;
• Prevention and treatment of viral hepatitis;
• Referrals between prevention, care and treatment services; and
• Services that address the HIV-related risks and needs of the female sexual partners of men
• who have sex with men and transgender people