Blind Spot: Reaching Out to Men and Boys - Addressing a Blind Spot in the Response to HIV

UNAIDS has released a new report showing that men are less likely to take an HIV test, less likely to access antiretroviral therapy and more likely to die of AIDS-related illnesses than women. The Blind spot shows that globally less than half of men living with HIV are on treatment, compared to 60% of women. Studies show that men are more likely than women to start treatment late, to interrupt treatment and to be lost to treatment follow-up.

The report highlights data from sub-Saharan Africa that show that condom use during sex with a non-regular partner is low among older men, who are also more likely to be living with HIV—50% of men aged 40–44 years and 90% of men aged 55–59 years reported not using a condom. These data are consistent with studies showing a cycle of HIV transmission from older men to younger women, and from adult women to adult men of a similar age in places with high HIV prevalence.

The Blind spot also shows that HIV prevalence is consistently higher among men within key populations. Outside of eastern and southern Africa, 60% of all new HIV infections among adults are among men. The report outlines the particular difficulties men in key populations face in accessing HIV services, including discrimination, harassment and denial of health services.