MSM and the world.It has been a complete failure," says Kevin Robert Frost. acting CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of amfAR, of the global effort to fight HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. and AIDS among MSN--men who have sex with men. Consider the statistics: HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men Men who have sex with men (MSM) is a term used mostly in the United States to classify men who engage in sex with other men, regardless of whether they self-identify as gay, bisexual, or heterosexual. in Kenya is estimated to be nearly 40%, while rates in Ukraine, Uruguay, and Mexico are estimated at 27%, 21%, and 15%, respectively. To combat this, the American-based AIDS research foundation recently announced an initiative to provide seed grants to grassroots organizations It may never be fully completed or, depending on its its nature, it may be that it can never be completed. However, new and revised entries in the list are always welcome. doing innovative work with MSM MSM - Micronetics Standard MUMPS groups in the developing world. Frost spoke with The Advocate. What spurred this initiative? We began developing a report on the escalating rates of HIV among men who have sex with men in Asia. We quickly realized the scope of the problem was much larger--it called for action on a global scale. What kinds of groups do you hope to fund? A good example is a program we've been running in Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, region of Asia (1990 est. pop. 442,500,000), c.1,740,000 sq mi (4,506,600 sq km), bounded roughly by the Indian subcontinent on the west, China on the north, and the Pacific Ocean on the east. . Our role is to be the facilitator of a network of groups working on services specifically aimed at MSM. Many people aren't aware how serious this problem has become. Why does it receive such limited attention? Certainly other vulnerable populations have been on the agenda for some time. Unfortunately, the idea of men having sex with other men is still an uncomfortable one for many governments and people in conservative regions. --Interviewed by Bryan Ochalla |
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