Social Work with People Practicing Same-Sex ... - ILGA Europe

allow to perform a complete and adequate resource evaluation of an organization
and its reach to the target audience, and to allocate funding quickly, while many HIV
positive MSM are in need of help. That is why, starting from 2008 the All-Ukrainian
Network of PLH initiated the implementation of an absolutely new approach to the
development of care and support service provision to HIV positive MSM in the regions
of Ukraine simultaneously with the implementation of its key grant activities within the
project “Improvement of the Quality of Life of HIV Positive MSM in Ukraine”. This new
approach includes the search for MSM+ leaders in different regions, who are ready to
work with HIV positive MSM and develop the self-help movement for this group, as well
as the evaluation of situation with the participation of local HIV servicing and/or MSM
organizations and AIDS Prevention Centres. Today 5 new regions have been covered by
today (in addition to those that are already covered with the key grant activities).
By today the activities of the project “Improvement of the Quality of Life of HIV Positive
MSM in Ukraine” have resulted in the creation of 5 self-help groups and establishment
of good contacts between the physicians from AIDS Centres and local HIV servicing
NGO. This approach is unique because the local activities are coordinated exclusively
by HIV positive MSM or highly motivated MSM, who have access to the target group.
Each region needs an individual approach based on a real situation and preliminary
needs evaluation, which significantly increases the quality of services being provided
and their focus on the target audience.
The project also performs rapid tests for HIV for those MSM, who are afraid to visit AIDS
Centre but are ready to take a rapid test in the office of a community centre of a HIV
servicing organization, or in other setting which is different from health care facility.
Rapid testing and counselling services are very important both for the prevention of
HIV, and, of course, for the protection of health of those MSM, who are not aware of
their HIV positive status. As was mentioned before, many MSM, who try to conceal their
homosexuality and HIV status, often present at health care facilities too late, which
explains the high mortality rate in this group.
Work with HIV Positive MSM and Internet
The website http://gayplus.info is functioning within the project to provide information
for HIV positive MSM. In 2008 the website had 1,060 unique users from 32 countries
(including 344 from Ukraine and 156 from Russia). The Internet is often the only
information source for HIV positive MSM and, in fact, for the entire MSM community.
The website contains information about HIV, health, safer sexual behaviour and services
available for HIV+ MSM in Ukraine.
Obstacles to the Provision of Care and Support Services to HIV
Positive MSM (on the Basis of the Experience of All-Ukrainian
Network of PLH):
1. Closed Character of HIV+ MSM Group
The group of HIV positive MSM is very hard to reach and it creates the most significant
problem for the provision of care and support services to this group. It is practically
impossible for an “uninitiated“ person to establish contacts or reach to this group.
Evidence suggests that an efficient work is practically impossible without a leader from
the local community. A HIV positive MSM or a member of MSM community, who does not
have AIDS phobia and who has a strong commitment to work in this area should work
with a group of HIV positive MSM.
2. Stigma and Discrimination Affect Epidemiological Statistics Related
to HIV/AIDS
The situation is very complicated by the procedure, according to which a person with
the diagnosed HIV must sign a document on criminal responsibility for further spread
of HIV infection. It is easy to guess the outcomes of this approach, especially to HIV
Homosexual affection can be
as selfless as heterosexual
affection, and therefore we
cannot see that it is in some
way morally worse. An act
which expresses true affection
between two individuals and
gives pleasure to them both,
does not seem to us to be sinful
by reason alone of the fact that
it is homosexual.
From the essay Towards
a Quaker View of Sex, 1963
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