Focusing on Sexual Health Promotion to Enhance Preventive Behaviors among Gay Men and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men: Report from a State-of-the-Art Conference

Abstract

HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) con-tinue to spread among gay men and other men who havesex with men (MSM) at concerning rates, despite publichealth efforts to decrease transmission [1, 2]. This ongoingconcentrated epidemic suggests that researchers and pro-gram specialists need to review which prevention inter-ventions are working for MSM, and which are not. Usingthis information, we must develop more effective, cultur-ally-tailored prevention interventions as well as asknew research questions. With these imperatives in mind,The Fenway Institute, Boston, MA (http://www.thefenwayinstitute.org) convened the Sexual Health of Gay Men andOther Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM): HIV/STDPrevention Plus Conference, in April 2010, bringingtogether 97 leading American researchers, communitystakeholders, and public health officials to discuss thecurrent state of knowledge on the sexual health of Amer-ican MSM and the implications of these findings for HIV/STD prevention programs and further research. We aregrateful to have been given the opportunity to share manyof the key reports and findings from the conference throughthis supplemental issue of AIDS and Behavior.The conference was conducted at Fenway Health’sconference center in Boston, MA, through the support of theNational Institutes of Health’s Office of AIDS Research,and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’sNational Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, andTB Prevention, with additional support from the Foundationfor AIDS Research (amfAR) and John Snow, Inc. Partici-pants hailed from academic institutions, community orga-nizations, and public health departments across the UnitedStates.Although the meeting covered a wide range of topicsrelated to MSM sexual health, a few dominant themesemerged. First, we heard that most of the work in HIVprevention has focused on individual behavior withouttaking into account larger social forces, such as policies,institutions, cultural norms, and other contexts that shapeand interact with identity and behavior. An increasingnumber of studies, however, are starting to look at thesecontexts with the hope that they can be harnessed forimproved prevention interventions. Second, we discussedthe tendency in HIV prevention, as in all of public health,to aim our goals toward diminishing negative behaviorsrather than promoting health positive behaviors. Severalpresenters argued for designing interventions that buildupon the assets of MSM individuals and communities,rather than only focusing on deficits. Third, we challengedeach other to find ways to reduce the cultural stigmaassociated with gay identity and behavior, and to directlyaddress its impact on gay men. Finally, we established thatgay, bisexual and other MSM’s health needs cannot andshould not be reduced to a single disease (i.e., not justHIV); rather, we must step back and consider all aspects ofMSM sexual health, including improved mental health anddevelopment of a positive sexual identity, access to civilrights, and the ability to achieve intimacy, pleasure, andnurturing relationships.The intent of this journal supplement is to share severalof the research reports and commentaries from the meetingin the hope that they will inform future practice and policy,