Who defines a male?

Zofeen T Ebrahim for TerraViva, 8th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and The Pacific - Colombo, 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.

Read the rest.