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Men having
sex with men (MSM) and HIV/AIDS in Peru: addressing new research and prevention
efforts
J.M. Giron1, J. Mandel2, K. Page2, C. Caceres1
1Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH), Unit of Health, Sexuality and Human Development - School of Public Health, Lima, Peru, 2University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, United States
Issues: The HIV epidemic in Peru is
concentrated among MSM, with reported prevalence rates ranging from 10-22%. Research
has been hindered by factors such as the lack of social visibility and access
to certain subgroups of MSM in Peru,
resulting in a failure to capture the diversity of this population.
Description: A systematic review of research on MSM in Peru was
developed. Data on HIV among MSM (prevalence, incidence, mechanisms of
transmission, social behaviors, etc) is still very limited. Most studies
focused on MSM from lower-income communities, and information regarding other
sub-groups, e.g., transgender, middle & upper class MSM, is lacking. Studies
have primarily utilized convenience sampling as their recruitment methodology, leading
to a lack of representativeness and a failure to capture the diversity of MSM
in terms of behaviors and specific prevention needs.
Lessons learned: HIV research and surveillance on MSM in Peru faces
important social and methodological challenges. There is the necessity of
rethinking the use of “MSM” as a research and programmatic category which
emphasizes a biological approach with the subsequent invisibility of the
diversity of subgroups, and prevents adequate targeted prevention and health
care efforts.
Next steps: Alternative methodologies are needed to
capture the broad diversity of MSM, such as time-location or respondent-driven
sampling techniques. The HIV National Response must identify the specific needs
of subgroups within MSM if it is to launch successful prevention and care
campaigns.
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