“We really want this to be a tool for public health practitioners and policy makers,” he said.
Gay and bisexual men may be more likely to face additional barriers such as poverty and stigma, he said.īecause federal and state funding for HIV prevention can be directed to where the disease hits hardest, knowing where HIV is most concentrated may enable public health agencies and local organizations to tweak how they distribute resources at the local level, according to Rosenberg. Where health systems fail, according to Ayala, is in the process of identifying people who have HIV and immediately linking them with care.
“Where HIV is most a problem are places that are failing gay men,” said George Ayala, executive director of the Global Forum on MSM and HIV, a leading advocacy group that was not involved in the report.