Working with men who have sex with men: publications and resources

Ricardo Herrera relaxing at home with his partner César Ponce © 2004 Gideon Mendel for International HIV/AIDS Alliance

HIV and sex between men

While we often refer to a global HIV epidemic, the reality is that there are many local epidemics which often overlap, each driven by distinctive social, sexual, economic and political dynamics.

Sex between men is a key feature of many epidemics, as it is one of the main ways in which HIV and other sexually transmitted infections can be passed on. If we are to respond effectively to HIV it is critical that we strengthen existing prevention efforts among populations that are most affected. This is particularly true of efforts to prevent transmission among men who have sex with men in developing countries, whose rights and interests have largely been neglected in strategies to reach populations key to the epidemic.

The Alliance’s work with men who have sex with men

In Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Alliance is working to support community action on HIV, including among men who have sex with men. Some of this work is being implemented through the Frontiers Prevention Project (FPP). In Ecuador, Madagascar, Morocco, India and Cambodia, FPP is working with highly affected and at risk populations – including people living with HIV, sex workers, injecting drug users and men who have sex with men – to increase awareness,skills, peer support and motivation to develop and deliver sexual health and other services.

The resources and publications listed below draw on the Alliance’s experiences of working with men who have sex with men in developing countries over the last ten years, including the work of FPP.

Men, sexuality and sexual health

This collection of case studies presents experiences and lessons from a range of different projects that are working with men. It offers inspiration, ideas and models for working with different kinds of men in a range of contexts.

  • Setting up and managing sexual health clinical services in resource-poor settings: A comprehensive programmatic guide for NGOs (volume I, 2004)

    The first volume of this manual contains information that can assist NGOs design and implement strategies or STI service delivery as part of a comprehensive package of prevention interventions. It includes a range of guidelines and tools to support this process.

  • Clinical management of sexually transmitted infections in resource-poor settings: A comprehensive guide for clinicians (volume II, 2004)

    The second volume is for clinical staff who will oversee and manage a variety of interventions, including the diagnosis and treatment of STIs. It features a comprehensive approach for the effective management of TIs, including tools to assist with taking a patient’s sexual history, STI management and treatment and participatory exercises for use in training.

  • An Introduction to Promoting Sexual Health for Men who Have Sex with Men and Gay Men – A training manual (2001)

    This training manual was published in India by the Alliance in collaboration with the Naz Foundation (India) and is intended for NGOs and CBOs in South Asia wanting to develop services for men who have sex with men or to meet their needs through existing services. It includes modules aimed at developing a clear understanding of the sexuality and sexual health of men who have sex with men, how to raise awareness of these issues, and how to integrate them into existing NGO programmes.

  • Out of the Shadows – Male to male sexual behaviour in Cambodia (2003)

    With the advent of HIV in Cambodia, the silence that has surrounded the myths of masculinity, sex and gender has begun to be broken. However, there remains a high level of ignorance and denial of male-to-male sexual behaviour, even at the level of those who design and implement HIV programmes. This publication, produced jointly by the Alliance and its Cambodian linking organisation, KHANA, sets out the findings of a study of male-to-male sexual behaviour in Cambodia. It includes details on sexual networking, condom use and treatment options.

    • Community mobilisation

    • Beyond Awareness Raising: Community lessons about improving responses to HIV/AIDS (1998)

      Many HIV projects consist of simple information dissemination accompanied by condom distribution, but increased awareness doesn’t always lead to reduced transmission rates. This publication details the findings of the ‘Community Lessons, Global Learning” project which identified the need for community based responses to HIV to move beyond awareness-raising, towards activities that reduce vulnerability and support behaviour change.

    • Key indicators for Frontiers Prevention Project: Report on baseline study in Andhra Pradesh, India (2003)

      This report details the conduct of Participatory Site Assessments (PSA) in Cambodia, Ecuador and Andhra Pradesh in India. The PSA process enabled trained members of key population groups, working in teams alongside researchers and service providers, to estimate the size of key populations; to identify HIV related needs, existing responses and key gaps; to facilitate intervention design; and to begin the process of mobilising key population groups for HIV/STI prevention.

    • All together now! Community mobilisation for HIV/AIDS (2006)

      This guides key population groups and communities through the process of mobilisation to address HIV prevention, care, support, treatment and impact mitigation. It takes them through a six stage process of starting together, assessing together, planning together, acting together, monitoring, evaluating and reflecting together and scaling up together. The sourcebook is cross-referenced throughout with the participatory learning and action tools found in the accompanying set of tools.

    • Tools together now! Participatory tools to facilitate mobilising communities for HIV/AIDS (2006) This is a collection of 100 practical tools for participatory learning and action which can be used for community mobilisation. Each tool is explained in a ‘how to’ format and illustrated. The tools used in participatory site assessments and participatory community assessments are included.

    HIV/STI prevention

    • Guide to participatory production of resources for HIV prevention among vulnerable populations (2005)

      This document is an introductory guide to producing Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials for use in HIV prevention and care programmes with key populations. This unique methodology was developed during a series of workshops in Asia Pacific in which peer educators and people with specific HIV expertise worked together to design, develop and produce materials including films, performances and posters. The products address key themes such as stigma and discrimination, HIV and sexual health awareness, and improved access to services.

    • Between men: HIV/STI prevention for men who have sex with men (2003, also available in French and Spanish)

      Between Men gives an overview of basic issues for men who have sex with men in the context of HIV and other STIs. Drawing on experiences of the Alliance’s partner organisations in countries including India and Costa Rica, this report addresses issues such as why and how men have sex with men, and strategies for developing prevention and care programmes for men.