via The Jurist, by Elizabeth Hand Shohagi was only fourteen when her father arranged her marriage. Sent away from her home, family and friends to marry an unknown man who was much older, she quickly discovered her partner’s violent nature. The abuse sent her fleeing back home to a family that rejected her for disobeying her father, Read More >>

via International Health, by Sanjay Mehendale, Swapna Deshpande, Rewa Kohli, Sharon Tsui, Elizabeth Tolley Abstract This study reports on the acceptability of 1% tenofovir microbicide gel among participants randomised to the coitally-associated use (n=50) or daily use (n=50) arms of a Phase II clinical trial in Pune, India. In a 6-month follow-up study, information on behavioural domains Read More >>

via The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, by Melanie Newman “India is literally the lifeline of patients in the developing world, especially in the poorest parts of Africa…If Sec. 3(d) is overturned, it means any meaningful effort to make these vital medicines available will be put in jeopardy.” A technical case going through the Supreme Court in India Read More >>

Via UNAIDS. UNAIDS lauds efforts by India’s National AIDS programme to provide HIV services for men who have sex with men and transgender people. Currently around 67% of men who have sex with men in India are accessing prevention services. According to estimates of the National AIDS Control Organization, there are more than 400 000 men who Read More >>

Via Mid-Day, by Rinkita Gurav. “Men having sex with men (MSM) is not only a ‘disease’ but is also ‘unnatural’,” uttered by Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has ruffled the feathers of many gay activists and members from the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) community. During the national convention of Zila Parishad chairpersons and mayors Read More >>

Via The Hindu. India must make an “extra effort” in addressing the medical needs of men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people affected by HIV and sexually-transmitted infections, a top WHO official said on Tuesday. “Though India has addressed the HIV problem among MSM and transgender people, it has to make an extra effort Read More >>

Via Times of India.  South African scientists, who launched a 24-month trial to confirm the efficacy of a microbicide gel that would reduce the risk of women getting HIV, have found an unexpected spin-off – it also boosts sexual pleasure. Wits professor Helen Rees, of the university’s reproductive health and HIV institute, said the R300m trial would Read More >>

via guardian.co.uk The day the high court in Delhi ruled that being gay was no longer a crime was the day that Krishna Gurram Kouda finally came out to his family. Despite having set up a state-wide network for gay men in Andhra Pradesh, the 39-year-old had never told his relatives about his sexuality. “I live with Read More >>

Alcohol Consumption and HIV Risk A Peer Education Strategy for Bar Patrons via AIDSTAR-ONE, by Reshma Trasi In a busy neighborhood in Chennai, cars, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians jostle for space on the narrow streets. Small shops line the sidewalks, offering everything from bright silk saris to auto parts. From a nondescript storefront comes the sound of Read More >>

from News Blaze, by Anjali Singh Having faced ages of neglect, denial and invisibility, “Kothis” (feminised males) are now being mobilized by groups like ‘Bharosa’ in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (India) to be empowered and demonstrate leadership in reaching out within their community for increasing access to essential services including HIV prevention, care, treatment and support services. They Read More >>