Abstract:
Sri Lanka is considered a low-prevalence country for HIV/AIDS. In 2002, the World
Bank-supported national HIV prevention initiative began and with it a review of HIV
prevention strategies and those persons vulnerable to the virus. While previous
prevention and control efforts have remained primarily in the domain of the Ministry of
Health and a small number of non-government organisations, the current national HIV
prevention project has called for a multi-sectoral response to HIV/AIDS. The initial
National Strategic Plan for Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS supports the push for a
broader, more integrated response to the epidemic in Sri Lanka. The Plan also identifies
men who have sex with men (MSM) as one of “the most vulnerable population groups to
HIV infection.” Given the illegality of and social stigma associated with homosexual
relations in Sri Lanka, how might organisations attempt to target MSM for HIV prevention
and what do Sri Lankan MSM’s thinking about HIV/AIDS? This paper will present some
initial findings from a series of interviews with MSM and local health/community workers.
It will explore organisations’ capacities to work with MSM and MSM’s experience of
HIV/AIDS.
