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The Australian Development Gateway (ADG) strives to support members of the development community in their efforts to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development in the Asia Pacific region. The site has been created with participation from members of government, private, academia and non-government organisations. User feedback mechanisms have been incorporated to guide future directions of the site. The site is optimised for low bandwidth access to enable the widest participation throughout the Asia Pacific region.

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Vulnerable groups

HIV policy brief (pdf 227kb)

This policy brief outlines the UNAIDS approach to HIV among men who have sex with men and proposes actions for governments, international partners and civil society so that the major barriers to universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support can be removed.

Many governments fail to acknowledge that sex between men happens and that unprotected anal sex contributes to the transmission of HIV. Even if they recognise that it happens, there may often be insufficient political will, funding and programming to address it.

In 2005, 22 governments from different regions, along with representatives of nongovernmental organisations and people living with HIV as members of the UNAIDS governing board, called for the development of programmes targeted at key affected groups and populations, including men who have sex with men, describing this as "one of the essential policy actions for HIV prevention".

Since then, country and regional consultations have confirmed that the stigma, discrimination and criminalisation faced by men who have sex with men are major barriers to the movement for universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

 

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