Homophobia, stigma, and discrimination can be especially hard for young men who are gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. These negative attitudes increase their chance of experiencing violence, especially compared with other students in their schools. Violence can include behaviours such as bullying, teasing, harassment, physical assault, and suicide-related behaviours.
Singapore is estimated to have about 350,000 LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) individuals, in a new study – information enough to build a business case for employers to create environments inclusive for all employees and customers of all types.
A team of students from Singapore Management University studied current business and HR practices of LGBT-inclusive workplaces, and identified steps to create diverse and inclusive workplaces.
HIV infection is spreading rapidly in our community. In 2013 56% of the newly detected HIV infections were among gay and other men who have sex with men (MSM). We estimate that over 5% of all MSM in Singapore are HIV infected. The situation is especially urgent because HIV is infecting more young men, many of whom have not yet started their careers.
Effective information and prevention programmes are needed to slow down the spread of HIV. We are therefore seeking to improve our understanding of sexual health behaviour and attitudes.
Think you know all the Sexually Transmitted Infections(STIs)? How does it spread ? The symptoms? The stages for infections? The treatments and some even have vaccination to prevent you from getting them?
gayhealth.sg partnered with DSC Clinic on November 27, 2014 for our MSM volunteers and their friends. The workshop was very informative for the participants and many left with a different view of how easily the infections can be transmitted. The feedbacks were positives and some even shared on Facebook about what they had learnt.
“Attended a fruitful session on STDs. It’s very interesting to have a Doctor speaker and explain in more details on STD. Two types mainly, the viruses like herpes 2 and warts which will stay in our body even when symptoms are gone and bacteria type which covers the rest which can be cured. But that doesn’t mean it won’t come back, if u have even a deep kissing of mouth to mouth, you will still get syphilis! So get a regular partner(s) and reduce the risk. Even precum has viruses… Argh.. And your listerene doesn’t blast your mouth super clean after either. Know your risk, play your part.” – R.E
Want to know more about these Sexually Transmitted Infections? Click on the link below for more articles in our Survival Kit!
Missing out on our workshops? Do follow to know our upcoming workshops coming to you soon!!!
We’ve all heard that ‘tops’ are less likely to get HIV than ‘bottoms’. Sometimes guys will be on top during anal sex (or frontal sex with trans guys) in order to reduce their risk of getting HIV. When guys with different HIV statuses have unprotected anal or frontal sex, sometimes the negative guy will top the poz guy to reduce the risk of transmission.
This is called ‘strategic positioning’, and is based on the fact that it’s easier for HIV to get into the body through the ass than through the cock.
However, some factors could make strategic positioning not so strategic for reducing HIV transmission risk.
It’s technically less likely to be infected as the top than the bottom, although the risk isn’t eliminated. According to a study in Australia, around 1 in 5 men who recently contracted HIV were tops. In a research study published in 2007, among a sample size of 102 gay and bi men who were recently diagnosed HIV-positive, 10 of them were infected despite ‘strategic positioning’.
Giving and receiving unprotected anal sex are both considered high-risk for HIV. That means a lot of guys have become HIV-positive this way. When a condom is used, it’s low-risk for both partners.
Don’t assume another guy will bottom or top just because he is trans, masculine/feminine, or because of his ethnicity, race, age or cock size. Also, don’t make assumptions about your partner’s HIV status.
| Never used condoms | 5 | 5% |
| Sometimes | 9 | 9% |
| Most of the time | 12 | 13% |
| All the time | 43 | 45% |
| No casual male partner(s) | 22 | 23% |
With practice, most guys can have pleasurable anal sex without any pain whatsoever. Here are some tips for trying out a new position:
Your risk reduction strategy is up to you. But it’s important that you know the facts before you decide what kind of sex you want to have. No risk reduction strategy is as effective as consistently using condoms with lots of lube.
Remember that unprotected sex puts you at greater risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. An STI can harm your health, and also put you at greater risk of getting or passing on HIV. They often don’t show symptoms, so you should get tested regularly.
Ever noticed that your sexual appetite and behavior change when you’re stressed? When you’re depressed? When you’re happy? Your state of mind affects how horny you get, how often you want sex, and what kind of sex you might have. It’s why some people make use of male pheromones to help get them into the right mood for what they want to do.
We live in a society where gay and bi guys are told from a young age that we are sick, immoral and even criminal. Some gay and bi guys are rejected by their family or friends. Discrimination against us is commonplace, especially those of us who are HIV-positive. It only makes sense that this would have a negative impact on our mental health.
Often, gay and bi men live with depression, anxiety and feelings of low self worth. For many guys it’s just the reality of surviving homophobia, racism, transphobia, and many other forms of discrimination. Some of us have also survived traumatic events in our lifetime, such as childhood abuse, sexual assault, or we are living with post-traumatic stress.
Being in this state of mental health, whether temporary or more long-lasting, can make us devalue ourselves and take more risks with our health. We might also take risks in an attempt to satisfy some other need, such as:
Maybe you notice these issues when you are hooking up? Maybe you notice them after a pattern of behaviour. Maybe you don’t notice them at all. These are bigger issues that can put us at greater risk, but require more than just knowledge about HIV transmission to overcome.
Before you go to have sex, think about how you’re feeling. Notice patterns of behaviour, or triggers that make you take risks. Acknowledge realities in your life that you might need to change, or you might need to accept.
Decide on some boundaries about what you will be comfortable with before you go ahead, and make a contract with yourself to stick to them.
Sometimes, your mood or low sexual desire may just be a one-off thing, or it may be something that happens regularly. Try and evaluate why it’s happening to you, and whether the problem lies elsewhere. You might be facing problems getting an erection when you are feeling stressed or down, and if this happens often, you might have to consult a doctor and buy vardenafil online to ensure that you can combat this issue.
If you find that your state of mind is making it difficult for you to make decisions you’re comfortable with, in the moment or later on, you can try one of these or other options that have worked for other guys:
AFA MSM Programme
Daniel Le
Address: 9 Kelantan Lane #03-01
Singapore 208628
Tel: (65) 6254 0212
Fax: (65) 6256 5903
Email: daniel.le@afa.org.sg
Hotline 6226 2002
Tuesdays – Thursdays: 7pm – 10pm and,
Saturdays: 2pm – 5pm
WhatsApp 8592 0609
If you prefer to chat, you can get in touch through WhatsApp during our hotline operating hours. Please note that this is NOT an SMS service.
Click here for more info or to access e-mail counselling.
31 Kelantan Lane #1-16 S200031
Tuesdays & Wednesdays 6.30pm to 8.15pm
Saturday 1.30pm to 3.15pm
New Coalition to Provide Community-Led Technical Support in Novel Approach to Addressing HIV among Key Populations Globally
The Community Leadership and Action Collaborative (CLAC) has launched a new global technical support hub, helping communities of men who have sex with men (MSM), injection drug users, sex workers, transgender people and people living with HIV (PLHIV) to engage successfully with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Launched at the 20th International AIDS Conference (IAC) in Melbourne, Australia, the new hub provides access to tools and resources for building and strengthening community systems and a database for technical support concerning the HIV response. The hub also serves as a portal for communities to access direct technical support provided by the CLAC’s seven member organizations: the Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF), the AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (ARASA), Global Action for Trans* Equality (GATE), the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+), the Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP), the International Network of People who Use Drugs (INPUD), and the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC).
“We are excited to announce the launch of the CLAC’s new technical support hub at this year’s IAC, following the conclusion of the MSMGF Pre-conference,” said Dr. George Ayala, Executive Director of the MSMGF.
“The CLAC offers an important opportunity to ensure the meaningful engagement and empowerment of all key populations in the HIV response. We know that we cannot successfully respond to HIV without the full meaningful participation of communities, and that is what the CLAC strives to do.”
The CLAC is committed to the provision of technical support that is hands-on, interactive and occurs in an environment of mutual trust, respect and sharing. Rather than conducting one-off trainings, the CLAC reinforces ideas and actions by linking them with technical assistance and ongoing mentoring. This includes facilitating opportunities for formal and informal knowledge sharing and joint actions, which promote recognition and appreciation of the unique experiences and expertise of community stakeholders. This is particularly important for PLHIV, MSM, people who inject drugs, sex workers and transgender people, for whom human rights are routinely contested.
The new technical support hub can be accessed at http://www.clac.cab.
It’s been called, simultaneously, a medicine to “end the HIV epidemic” and a “party drug:” Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP for short, refers to a daily antiviral treatment that prevents HIV.
That’s right: People who don’t have the virus can take a pill a day to save themselves from getting infected.
Haven’t heard about PrEP? You’re probably not alone. The drug-maker, Gilead, doesn’t advertise Truvada (its brand name) for prevention, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention only endorsed it this past May—two years after it hit the market.
Going forward, however, you’ll be hearing a lot more. This month, both the International Antiviral Society-USA and the World Health Organization—opinion leaders in medicine—backed the antiviral, recommending all HIV-negative at-risk individuals consider taking it as part of a strategy to reduce the global incidence of the disease. But there’s a lot more to the story. Here’s what you need to know:
Click to read more about the above 10 points
First published on vox.com – 21 July 2014
People at higher risk of HIV infection are not getting the health services they need, according to a new report by the World Health Organization entitled Consolidated guidelines on HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care for key populations.
Released on 11 July, the publication warns that failure to provide adequate
HIV services for key groups, such as men who have sex with men, people in prison, people who inject drugs, sex workers and transgender people, threatens the global progress of the HIV response.
The consolidated guidelines outline the steps for countries to take to reduce new HIV infections and increase access to HIV testing, treatment and care services by populations at higher risk. The report aims to provide a comprehensive package of evidence-informed HIV-related recommendations for all populations, increase awareness of the needs of and issues important to key populations, improve access, coverage and uptake of effective and acceptable services, and catalyse greater national and global commitment to adequate funding and services.
“Failure to provide services to the people who are at greatest risk of HIV jeopardizes further progress against the global epidemic and threatens the health and well-being of individuals, their families and the broader community.”
Gottfried Hirnschall, Director of the HIV Department at the World Health Organization
First published – July 11 2014