Who Defines A Male?

Who Defines A Male?
Zofeen Ebrahim, Inter Press News, 21 August 2007


Why isn’t it considered normal for a man to have sex with another man? Why is there a preponderance of social disapproval of this kind of relationship? And who defines a male?
These were questions asked by Dr Carol Jenkins, who has been studying this subject for a long time, at the session on men who have sex with men or MSM at the 8th International Conference on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) here.
The large turnout at the discussion, especially of women, “proved the issue was no more in the closet and has come out in the open”, said J B Prasada Rao, director of the UNAIDS’ Asia-Pacific region and chair of the session.

The term ‘MSM’ was first introduced into the lexicon of HIV/AIDS in the late 1980s to describe men practising certain behaviour, but without giving them a particular sexual identity. The idea was to avoid labeling them, yet describe them for epidemiological assessments.

Jenkins argued that in the absence of adequate research on the biological roots of sexuality, she saw no reason for the world to give those contemptuous looks to the relationship of men having sex with men, which she termed “activity” as opposed to preference.

Many studies, she pointed out – and illustrated graphically by pictures on the big screen -- suggested that diversity in gender and sexuality and sexual preferences existed among the animal and bird kingdoms as well.

But because of this confusion about sexuality, stigmatisation and marginalisation has led to HIV vulnerability among this group. In fact, much to the detriment, this ostrich-like approach has been the reason for this lack of attention and resources being pumped into HIV prevention and care for MSM.

According to studies, at least two percent adult males has been reported with MSM practices last year in the region. As the epidemic ages, MSM could make up between 10 to 30 percent of new infections. “Male-to-male sex is being treated as if it does not exist. The reality is male-to-male sex occurs in all countries and cultures,” said Rao.

“Despite evidence that MSM is one of the driving forces of HIV transmission in the Asia and Pacific region, relatively few MSM interventions strategically focus on prevention, treatment, care and support for MSM and TG (transgender) populations. It is estimated by many groups, including the UNAIDS, that targeted prevention programmes reach less than eight percent of MSM, although at least between five and ten percent of all global HIV cases are transmitted via sex between males,” according to a press statement by the Asia- Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health (APCOM). The coalition will formally be launched on Aug. 22 at ICAAP.

Now that the role of MSM has been realised, Fritz Van Griensven of the U.S. Centres for Disease Control (CDC) said there were so many men needing the attention “and so little time”.

Risk behaviour data collected from various countries in Asia showed a high percentage of unprotected sex among MSM – 79 percent with regular male partners in Beijing, China, 55 percent once during three encounters in India, 61 percent with casual partners.

“So when there is risk, there are sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and the risk of HIV,” said Griensven, not just among MSM but among male sex workers and transgenders throughout the Asian region.

While there is evidence that there has been an increase in the risky behaviour, it still remains an understudied area. “For some countries (in denial) the worst has still to come,” warned Griensven, adding, “Discrimination, homophobia, stigma and taboo all limit the availability and access to HIV/STI prevention information, treatment and care” for MSM, transgenders and male sex workers.

The stage was set for the next speaker, Swarup Sarkar of UNAIDS, who gave a roadmap of how to tackle the problem.

In a study of 20 low and middle income countries of Asia and the Pacific in 2006, one- third did not have any programme for MSM, and majority of those which had, relied on external funding. But then for most (13 countries) in this group, MSM activity is illegal -- so how are governments to have any plans for men who have sex with men?

“But so is sex work, which is prohibited by many governments, and yet many governments fund programmes targeting sex workers,” argued Brad Otto, who presented a report of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Health Policy Initiative.

With so much discrimination, incomplete data, and the fact that MSM remain a hidden group, Otto said many remain unreachable. These same factors act as impediments in resource allocation, he said. “The ‘double stigma’ faced by these groups influences a range of policy, financing, and service delivery decisions,” added Otto.

He warned that with governments reluctant to fund MSM programmes, “withdrawal of donor funding will not necessarily lead to governments investing their own resources”.

Therefore, said Jenkins, there is a need for the creation of safe environments, greater understanding of sexuality, appreciation of diversity, defeat of tribalism and protection of the women in the lives of MSM.

Note: Just an article that i thought might be interesting for you guys.