MSM

CDC official Dr. Amy Lansky announced today at a plenary session of the National HIV Prevention Conference the CDC's finding that gay men and other MSM have AIDS at a rate more than 50 times (that's right, FIFTY TIMES) greater than women and non-gay/bi men.  This confirms in emphatic terms that of all the disparities and disproportionate impacts in the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the greatest one is the extraordinarily disproportionate impact on gay and bisexual men (MSM) -- of all races and ethnicities, though the most disproportionate impact is on African American gay, bi and other MSM. 

As the CDC 's incidence estimates released last year revealed, MSM constitute more than half of all new cases of HIV and are the group in which the number of new cases each continues to slowly increase. What's new today is that the CDC has calculated *rates* of HIV/AIDS prevalence among MSM, not just raw numbers. Lansky says the CDC estimates that there were 692.2 new HIV cases in 2007 per 100,000 MSM. Having a rate as well as the raw numbers allows comparisons for the first time to other population groups at risk, such as women and heterosexual men.
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This article by Charles Stephens and Craig Washington was published in the National Black Justice Coalition newsletter on World AIDS Day 2008.

Over 20 years ago, the writer Joseph Beam proclaimed that “black men loving black men is the revolutionary act.” Writing in the midst of an historical catastrophe, Beam was able to articulate a phrase eerily beautiful and simple, yet potent. That was an era when black gay men were the invisible element in the AIDS epidemic, and arguably are still invisible. There was daring and urgency to his message that we must revisit to give us the inspiration and perspective necessary to move forward. As we think about how HIV/AIDS has impacted our communities, lives, and relationships with ourselves and each other, Beam's phrase has never been more appropriate, valuable or relevant. Moving forward we must consider the value of love. Black gay men, black lesbians, and black transgender people loving themselves and each other.  read more »

World AIDS Day: We’re still living with AIDS

By Kenyon Farrow

(originally written for the NGLTF Policy Institute)

December 1, 2008

Today, many of us will dust off those red ribbons, and “remember” to remember the people who we’ve lost, and who are currently living with HIV/AIDS.

Some of us may even donate money to an AIDS charity doing work in some far flung place. But red ribbons and prayer services that commemorate only hide the reality that here in America, we are still living with AIDS.  read more »