New public health recommendations released by the World Health Organisation on 21 June aim to help policymakers and doctors scale-up access to treatment and prevention services for HIV and sexually transmitted infections among men who have sex with men and transgender people.

'Prevention and treatment of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections among men who have sex with men and transgender people' are the first global public health guidelines to focus on these specific population groups.

Developed in consultation with key stakeholders and civil society around the globe, the guidelines assess the effectiveness of available interventions and emphasise the importance of a human rights approach to healthcare for these populations.

There has been a recent resurgence of HIV infection among men who have sex with men, particularly in industrialised countries. Data are also emerging of new or newly identified HIV epidemics among men who have sex with men in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America.

The Guidelines were welcomed by the Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF).

"The release of these guidelines is an important step toward achieving the standard of health and human rights that all MSM and transgender people deserve," said Dr. George Ayala, Executive Officer of the MSMGF, who consulted on the development of the guidelines. "The recommendations give policy officials and healthcare professionals evidence-based guidance for serving our communities, and they offer civil society a benchmark to which we can hold our governments accountable."

Download the Guidelines

Sources:

WHO Media Release announcing the release of the Guidelines

MSMGF Media Release