World AIDS Day: Rise in HIV-positive men among men who have sex with men | Israel today

Worrying data from the "Bella Dougat" system at the Committee to Fight AIDS: 40 years since the outbreak of the AIDS epidemic and four years since the introduction of PrEP (treatment to prevent infection with the virus), and yet men who sleep with men are still the largest group of HIV risk groups in Israel .

Between 2020 and 2018, the percentage of diagnoses out of the total annual infections belonging to this group is only increasing, along with other worrying trends regarding sexual health in the gay community, emerging in a new position paper published today by the Bella Worth - Prevention and Advocacy in the AIDS Committee.

World AIDS Day - Rise in HIV Percentage // Photo: AIDS Committee

The data accompanying the position paper are based on an online questionnaire completed this week by 505 respondents from the LGBT community in Israel who have sex with men:

• 34% of respondents use PrEP, 18% of them not on a daily basis.

• 66% of respondents answered that they do not use PrEP as a contraceptive

• 50% of respondents who do not take PrEP do not use a condom regularly

• 55% of respondents who do not use PrEP, reported that they were pressured to have sex without a condom.

  45% of respondents who use PrEP, reported that they put pressure on partners to have sex without a condom.

• 21% of respondents reported that it had happened to them in the past that Partner removed the condom against their will. 

According to the authors of the position paper, along with HIV infections, there has been an increase in the rate of infection with other sexually transmitted diseases in the community in recent years, such as syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, etc.

Recently, the protocols for the treatment of these diseases have also been changed due to concerns about the development of resistance of the various bacteria to the antibiotic treatment.

While 80% of respondents reported that they were regularly tested for STDs and 62% reported having been sexually transmitted in the past, only 40% of them made sure to inform all of their sexual partners and 19% reported that they did not update anyone.

These data are particularly indicative of the difficulty in stopping the chain of infection.

In light of the data, it was decided that the main campaign for this year's World AIDS Day will be under the title "Aleh Lenu" and will focus on promoting safe sexual health in the LGBT community. And next to him Dr. Yossi Ventura.

Ido Batish, coordinator of "Bela Dougat": "Despite a moderate decrease in the number of annual infections and in other risk groups in Israel, in terms of infections among men in the gay community, we see alarming trends in recent years, with the percentage of annual infections only increasing. In line with some countries in the world, where infections in the gay community are on a steady downward trend, although in Israel there is access to advanced contraception, their use is not optimal: PrEP prices are too expensive, the bureaucracy around receiving PEP is too cumbersome, taking "Perp on Demand" is done "Pirate and sometimes wrong and dangerous. In light of the recent change in discourse around sex and sexuality, I think it is worth emphasizing that safe sex is not just the use of contraception, but the creation of a safe space in everything related to sex and sexuality."

Dr. Gal Wagner-Kolesco, Chairman of the Israeli Society for LGBT Medicine in Hari, Director of the Proud Clinic "Clalit Gan Meir" and Member of the Executive Committee of the Committee to Fight AIDS: .

The referendum data reinforces the need of the proud community to set clear boundaries when it comes to sex also in aspects related to disease prevention.

It is our responsibility, the medical staff together with the community itself, to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment, updating partners and using all existing prevention tools.

We must first and foremost respect the choices of others and be aware of his desires also in the aspect of disease prevention.

"I am sure that the proud community, which has gone through many years of abuse, harm and discrimination, will now also be able to create rules for itself that will allow for mutual respect, only then will we be able to move even further to a place of both physical and mental health."

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