Fridae

Sex alert in Thailand!
Thailand will this month see its first ever nation-wide campaign to educate men who have sex with men (MSM) about HIV infection, reported Thailand's The Nation newspaper.

Run by the US non-government organisation (NGO) Family Health International, in conjunction with local NGOs and government agencies, including the Public Health Ministry, the five-month campaign named "Sex Alert" will be executed by a public relations firm which will distribute safe-sex information through various media.

The campaign aims to target gay and bisexual men, male sex workers (many of whom are straight) and transgender individuals.

Safer-sex information will be disseminated through magazine and radio adverts, mobile phone text messages, the Internet and posters on "moving media" such as Thailand's ubiquitous tuk-tuks. Safer-sex material such as postcards and packets of condoms with lubricant will also be handed out at gay venues.

Dr Frits van Griensven, associate director for science at HIV/ AIDS Collaboration, a joint activity of the Health Ministry and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said the nature of the epidemic in the country had changed.

"Previously Thailand faced a heterosexual epidemic of enormous size that required all its resources and attention," he said.

"As that epidemic has been controlled � (it) diversified to other groups."

USAID regional mission director Tim Beans said the problem of detection and outreach had been complicated by a tendency for men who have sex with men to be "stigmatised" and "neglected" by society. And to add to that, "men having sex with men has not been included in the national strategy plan," he said.

Van Griensven said the rate of HIV infection among MSM under 21 has risen rapidly, tripling from 2003 to 2005.

HIV researchers predict about a third of the 16,000 Thais expected to get HIV this year would be MSM.

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China releases number of gay men for first time
China's first survey report on gay groups entitled "Chinese MSM (men who have sex with men): survey on sex and the state of self-identity" was completed in Beijing recently.

Supported by the Ford Foundation in the United States and published by Beijing Gender Consultation Center, the 650,000-character survey report is believed to be a comprehensive, in-depth, concrete and true reflection of China's MSM behaviour and current status. It also reported to contain details of "covert social existence of China's gay groups and cultural state of mind little known to the public from the point of view of sociology of sex," reports the China Daily.

It is said to include over 400 cases of personal experiences of sexual intercourse and is written by written by famous scholar and writer Tong Ge.

China has also released the number of gay men and people infected with AIDS for the first time. According to official reports, the survey by the Ministry of Health of sexually active gay men in China account for approximately 2 per cent to 4 per cent of the total number of sexually active men. Based on these percentages, it is believed that China has a total of about 5 million to 10 million gay men.

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Aussie PM brands gay civil unions a "cop-out"
Australia Minister John Howard on Tuesday branded same-sex civil unions a "cop-out" ahead of a new push by Liberal moderates to tackle discrimination against same-sex couples and legally recognise gay relationships.

Liberal MP Warren Entsch, described by local media as a "rough-edged, Harley-riding former crocodile farmer from far north Queensland," has been on the forefront of the fight against Howard on the issue.

Entsch, who opposed the Government's ban on same-sex marriages in the lead-up to the 2004 election, vowed to pursue his push for Australia to follow nations such as New Zealand, Britain and Canada in allowing civil unions for gay couples.

Howard, who called a civil union a "cop-out," told Mr Entsch: "Mate, I am sorry. I just disagree with you."

"A lot of people would probably not expect anyone with my background as an ex-crocodile farmer and Cape York grazier would be supporting this cause," Entsch told The Age.

Although he views marriage as for heterosexuals, he said he believed the Government should allow civil unions or some other form of legal recognition for gay couples.

"I've got no issue with my own sexuality � I'm fiercely heterosexual � but I will defend (homosexual couples') rights to any extent to ensure people in that situation are fairly treated."

His viewpoint is backed by other Liberal backbenchers including Victorian Petro Georgiou and West Australian Mal Washer.

Entsch said critics of his push to make the system fairer for gay couples were too hung up on sex.

"Over time, sex tends to take a back seat, if you don't mind the pun," he said. "There are other emotions - that reliance on another person. Those emotions don't really know gender parameters, in my view. These attachments are not exclusive to heterosexual relations. " he was quoted as saying in The Australian.

"Most of the gay people I talk to, all they want is to have an opportunity to formalise a commitment to each other and get the same sort of recognition� as any other couple who have committed themselves to a relationship," Entsch said.

Mr Howard said in December that he was opposed to recognition of such civil unions and that marriage was for men and women.