HIV-TB Connection: Key to Ending Infections

Michelle, a transgender peer educator, walks through her village in Joyce Bay, Port Moresby. Credit: Tom MaguireBy Tom MaguireLONDON, Jul 24 2018 (IPS)A group of teenage boys huddle around Michelle in the mangroves behind Joyce Bay, a spot frequented by men who have sex with men (MSM) in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (PNG). She asks them how regularly they have sex and whether they have been tested for HIV or tuberculosis (TB). Her questions are met with giggles, intrigue and confusion. It turned out that none of the eight present have been tested for either disease. Michelle is a peer educator working to test key populations in her community for HIV, and more recently TB as well.Five key populations— sex workers, MSMs, transgender people, people who inject drugs, and people in prison and confined settings are disproportionally affected by HIV, but are also the least likely to have access to preventative care, diagnostics, and treatment. One in two new HIV infections worldwide are in these populations.They face a number of barriers that limit their access to essential health services or exclude them all together. Many are subjected to significant levels of stigma, discrimination, abuse and violence. In many settings, laws that criminalise behaviours such as drug use, sex work, and same-sex relationships further marginalise young people and perpetuate their exclusion.Fearing discrimination and possible legal consequences, they are hesitant to accessing testing and treatment...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Development & Aid Featured Global Headlines Health Population Poverty & SDGs TerraViva United Nations Source Type: news