Gender identity and HIV risk among men who have sex with men in Cape Town, South Africa.

Gender identity plays a potentially important role contributing to HIV risk among MSM in South Africa. Where studies have included a focus on gender identity, MSM reporting gender non-conformity have been found to have a higher risk of being HIV positive than other MSM. This article examines HIV risk among gender non-conforming MSM in a sample of 316 MSM in Cape Town, South Africa.

HIV risk and prevention among men who have sex with men in rural South Africa.

Rural South African men who have sex with men (MSM) are likely to be underserved in terms of access to relevant healthcare and HIV prevention services. While research in urban and peri-urban MSM populations has identified a range of factors affecting HIV risk in South African MSM, very little research is available that examines HIV risk and prevention in rural MSM populations. This exploratory study begins to address this lack by assessing perceptions of HIV risk among MSM in rural Limpopo province.

Efficacy of Tailored Clinic Trainings to Improve Knowledge of Men Who Have Sex with Men Health Needs and Reduce Homoprejudicial Attitudes in South Africa.

Purpose: An urgent need exists for training on men who have sex with men (MSM) health needs at public health clinics across Africa. There is also a need to consider the impact of specific training for clinicians and clinic support staff, both of whom come into contact with MSM. Consideration must also be given to the relationship between two key outcomes of such training: increased knowledge regarding MSM and their health and reductions in homoprejudicial attitudes.

A Cross Sectional Analysis of Gonococcal and Chlamydial Infections among Men-Who-Have-Sex-with-Men in Cape Town, South Africa.

Background: Men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) are at high risk of HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) transmission. Asymptomatic STIs are common in MSM and remain undiagnosed and untreated where syndromic management is advocated. Untreated STIs could be contributing to high HIV rates.

How do community-based HIV prevention programmes for men who have sex with men 'travel'? Lessons from the Ukwazana/Zwakalani journey in South Africa.

Research reveals how homophobia and stigma link closely to HIV among men who have sex with men in sub-Saharan Africa. This paper considers the varying impact of homophobic stigma on HIV prevention programmes among men who have sex with men in South Africa. It explores how a community-based HIV prevention programme based in the peri-urban townships of Cape Town was 'translated' to peri-urban Johannesburg.

Minority stress in the lives of men who have sex with men in Cape Town, South Africa.

The mental health outcomes of men who have sex with men (MSM) living in sub-Saharan Africa are understudied, despite evidence that discrimination and stigma are widespread. This article examines the occurrence and mental health effects of minority stress in a sample of diverse South African MSM. Twenty-two MSM living in Cape Town took part in exploratory qualitative in-depth interviews and completed mental health questionnaires.

A description of common mental disorders in men who have sex with men (MSM) referred for assessment and intervention at an MSM clinic in Cape Town, South Africa.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) have a higher prevalence of common mental disorders (CMD), as compared with heterosexual men. HIV infection is independently associated with higher rates of CMD. Given this context, and the high background community prevalence of HIV in South Africa, MSM are at even greater risk of developing CMD.

HIV risk and prevention among men who have sex with men (MSM) in peri-urban townships in Cape Town, South Africa.

Current guidelines on HIV prevention for MSM emphasise the need for 'combination prevention' based on context-specific understandings of HIV risk. MSM in South Africa are a population with a high risk of HIV infection, however there is little research available on the drivers of this risk. In the context of a focus on combination prevention, this paper argues that effective HIV prevention for MSM in South Africa requires an understanding of the factors at multiple 'distances' from individuals that contribute to HIV risk.

Understanding the needs of township men who have sex with men (MSM) health outreach workers: exploring the interplay between volunteer training, social capital and critical consciousness.

This article considers the complex ways volunteer outreach workers can frame their engagement with a community-based HIV prevention programme for South African township MSM. Drawing on research conducted during the Ukwazana programme in Cape Town it begins by exploring limitations towards MSM participation with programme facilitators (namely previous feelings of mistrust and community homophobia) and strategies developed to offset these concerns. It then considers how great care must also be taken to appreciate how volunteers from marginalised groups can frame training as a key condition for participation.