MSM Toolkit


A new publication offers an “implementation toolkit” for developing comprehensive sexual health services across the globe for men who have sex with men (MSM), according to an announcement by the Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF).

The publication is titled Implementing Comprehensive HIV and STI Programs with Men Who Have Sex With Men: Practical Guidance for Collaborative Interventions (MSMIT). Available for free download, the guide is written for public health officials, program managers and health workers, as well as those who work for nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and who implement MSM programs regarding HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Alongside MSMGF, contributors include the United Nations Population Fund, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the World Health Organization and over 100 others.

“Despite major scientific advances in the fight against HIV and AIDS, health departments around the world lack the necessary know-how to deliver responsive sexual health services targeting men who have sex with men. This and other barriers like criminalization, stigma and violence exacerbate worsening health outcomes among men who have sex with men,” said George Ayala, PsyD, the executive director of MSMGF, in the press release.

“Globally, at each stage along the continuum of HIV and STI testing, diagnosis, and subsequent care, a majority of MSM drop off from life-saving services due to these challenges,” Ayala continued. “The MSMIT aims to help planners design and put into action comprehensive programs across the whole spectrum.”

According to MSMGF, the tool’s “chapters are further organized across six areas of focus: community empowerment, violence against men who have sex with men, condom and lubricant programming, health-care services, information and communication technology, and program management.”