English forum

-          Use an integrated approach involving access to job opportunities, special health services and skills and advocacy to raise self esteem (post by: Raupathy, India; Fenna Bacchus, Kenya); nurture improved acceptance within health service providers (read full post by Oliver Eze, Nigeria).

-          Inform policy makers and government officials on sexual minority topics (read full post, by Fenna Bacchus, Kenya); train health providers to effectively interpret and implement government policies and guidelines (read full post by Florence, Kenya).
Carry out an MSM needs assessment (read full post, by ARN, Nigeria) and cross-cutting research (read full post by Marco Gomes, Canada).

-          Ensure sexual minorities’ representation in CCMs (read full post by ARN, Nigeria); establish anti-discriminatory regulation (read full post by Asima Chakraborty, India) and a framework for tackling homophobia and promote the rights of sexual minorities (read full post by Asima Chakraborty, India).

-          Education prevention and support programs, particularly for youth (posts by: Asima Chakraborty, India; Marco Gomes, Canada); voluntary counselling and treatment programmes, support groups (read full post by Saka, Nigeria).

-          Encourage community integration (read full post by Fenna Bacchus, Kenya); improve community service (read full post by Feno, India); engage small foreign religious groups for project implementation (read full post by Fenna, Kenya); empower communities by giving workers dignity (read full post by Fenna, Kenya).

-          Establish a policy by which a country receiving funds from the Global Fund cannot discriminate or harass sexual minorities (read full post by Fenna, Kenya).

-          Include interventions to address the needs of female partners of MSMs (read full post by May Mahmoud Farag Ahmed, Egypt).

-          Grant special privileges in education, politics and other sectors to sexual minorities (read full post by Baganda, Uganda).

French forum

-          Establish specialized centers (posts by: Tchounda Francis, Cameroon, Michel-Lay-Mayamba, DR Congo, Amonivanne, Cote d’Ivoire, Dueggah Dote Madjeto, Togo) and give free access to health care, create an association to ensure care is sustained (read full post by Honv2000, Benin), involving sociologists and psychologists in interventions (read full post by Agbofoun, Benin).

-          Strengthen training and capacity of health professionals (posts by: Munyana, Burundi, Amonivanne, Cote d’Ivoire, Dueggah Dote Madjeto, Togo, read full post by Dryokamyglobalfund, DR of Congo).

-          Ensuring an appropriate psychological training to caregivers (post by Theo Badonte), organize meetings on medical ethics (read full post by Michel-Lay-Mayamaba, DR Congo); strengthen the skills of Global Fund management units with health economists, socio-anthropologists of health and health promotion specialists (read full post de Agbofoun, Benin).

-          Encourage sexual minorities to create associations protect their rights (read full post by Munyana, Burundi), village meetings, and in urban areas, community- or faith-based associations (read full post by Maxime Dahoun, Gabon); support collaborative initiatives with the community and those involved in traditional medicine (read full post by Agbofoun, Bénin).

-          Strengthen advocacy efforts in society to avoid stigma (posts by: Tolotra, Tambalou, Guinea, Amonivanne, Cote d’Ivoire); raise awareness among political and religious leaders (read full post by Dryokamyglobalfund, DR Congo); design an openness and tolerance policy (read full post by Bah Amadou, Cote d’Ivoire), increase awareness in rural areas and in places where there are strong ties to tradition and religion (read full post by Tchounda Francis, Cameroon).

-          Improve the legal framework to recognize sexual minorities, decriminalize prostitution and abortions (read full post by Tambalou, Guinea).

-          Develop advocacy for sexual minorities, to help address the stigma they face (read full post by Mme Gnoka, Cote d’Ivoire) and to restore self-confidence (read full post by Honv2000, Benin), to guide them towards Counseling and Voluntary Testing (CVT) (read full post by Michel Lay Mayamba, DR Congo).

-          Understanding sexual minorities better to meet their needs (posts by: Munyana, Burundi, Amonivanne, Cote d’Ivoire), and have better information on where they are living (read full post by Tambalou, Guinea).

-          Support decentralization and use the approach focused on the care of patients (read full post by Agbofoun, Benin).

-          Fund local organizations (read full post by acdp_asbl, DR Congo).

-          Implement social reintegration projects and create jobs (read full post by Tambalou, Guinea), and find economic alternatives for sex workers (read full post by Marie Emilie Damier, Haiti).

Spanish forum

-          Issue of stigma and discrimination among health service suppliers. Elaborate a communications plan to raise awareness among the population. (read full post by mendeznina, Peru).

-          Work with vulnerable groups, observe and listen to their problems and communicate these to health centers; promote practical health care systems that address diversity; work to respect gender identity to enable access of minorities to health systems (read full post by Alejandra Victoria Portatadino, Argentina).

-          Educative and cultural activities that fight against discrimination putting emphasis on the concepts of family, respect to free and responsible choice of sexual orientation and gender identity (read full post by Mirta Villanueva Dominguez, Cuba).

-          Prevention campaigns and that raise awareness against discrimination due to sexual orientation or gender identity (read full post by Alejandra Victoria Portatadino, Argentina).

-          Raise awareness among health workers so that sexual minorities have better access to health systems; promote the rights of sexual minorities; raise awareness among the general public. (read full post by Claudia Bernal, Bolivia).

-          Raise awareness among health workers through workshops, congresses or meetings. (read full post byGuido Chaves, Colombia).

Russian Forum

-          Research on the psychological construction of MSMs and their interpersonal relationships, as well as the factors that determine the lifestyle they lead (read full post by Tatiana, Ukraine).

-          The inclusion of sexual minority representatives in CCMs; creation of specialized centers to provide services to sexual minorities; activities at a community level to acknowledge sexual minorities, and irradiate stigma and discrimination (read full post by Ulan, Kyrgyzstan).

-          Needs analysis of sexual minorities; defined focus of work with MSMs; Global Fund grants to institutions that work in together with MSM and PLWHIV; continuous monitoring and evaluation on the conditions among MSMs (read full post by bakster, Lithuania).

-          Mobilization or organizations and groups uniting MSMs – the creation of a European Positive Gay Society (read full post by bakster, Lithuania).

 
What are the challenges for programs for sexual minorities?

English Forum

-          Programs lack capacity, skills; lack of funding; weak civil society force; lack of recognition; laws that condemn sexual minorities; (read full post by Fenna, Kenya).

-          Lack of community acceptance of sexual minorities (posts by: Fenna, Kenya; Marcos Gomes, Canada).

-          Severe stigma and discrimination (posts by Ali Asad, Jordan; Oliver Eze, Nigeria).

-          Pressure to engage in sexual relations; limited availability of prevention services; violence against members of sexual minority groups (read full post by Ali Asad, Jordan).

-          Geographical spread in population-dense countries (read full post by Raupathy, India).

French forum

-          Lack of recognition of sexual minorities in predominantly Muslim societies (read full post by Tambalou, Guinea).

-          Cultural pressure that creates stigma and discrimination (read full post by Marie Emilie Damier, Haiti).

-          The organization of sexual minorities in legally recognized associations or NGOs. (read full post by Tambalou, Guinea.

-          The involvement of minorities in health and social development programs (read full post by Tambalou, Guinea).

-          Encouraging these minorities to change their profession (read full post by Michel Lay Mayamba, DR Congo), to convert and re-integrate (posts by: Mme Gnoka, Cote d'Ivoire, Bah Amadou, Cote d'Ivoire, Honv2000, Benin).

-          Collect reliable data on their health problems to effectively plan interventions (read full post by Dryokamyglobalfund, DR Congo).

-          Prostitution, socio-cultural norms, power relations between men and women (read full post by Michel Lay Mayamba, DR Congo).

 Spanish Forum

-          Fund administration; untrained health personnel; drug and alcohol consumption issues; human trafficking and mafias (read full post by Alejandra Victoria Portatadino, Argentina).

-          Low participation from sexual minorities; irradiate discrimination and stigma; include minorities in society (read full post by Claudia Bernal, Bolivia).

-          Lack of understanding from health workers; lack of administration of activities to strengthen these weaknesses (read full post by Guido Chaves, Colombia).

Russian Forum

-          The specific behavior and lifestyle of MSMs (read full post by Tatiana, Ukraine).

-          Society’s attitudes of discrimination and intolerance with regards to sexual minorities (read full post by Ulan, Kyrgyzstan).

-          The taboo surrounding discussions on male prostitution among IDUs; anonymous testing for HIV that must be paid for; lack of preventative or treatment programs for HIV/AIDS and STI targeting MSMs; lack of programs to distribute informative publications and condoms to MSMs; lack of access to psychological and social support services; lack of attention placed on the proliferation of HIV among MSMs in national programs; minimal financing of programs targeting MSMs (read full post  by bakster, Lithuania).

-          Discrimination against PLWHIV inside civil society and the MSM community; lack of leadership in initiatives targeting MSMs and organizational unity among MSMs and PLWHIV at the European and global levels (read full post by bakster, Lithuania).