Heterosexual men with HIV fall into healthcare cracks

 

All people who have HIV or a sexually transmitted disease (STD) deserve to have access to treatment and care, but unfortunately some individuals slip between the cracks in the healthcare system. For example, researchers in Canada have recently found that many heterosexual men who are infected with HIV feel as though existing HIV programs and services are not geared toward them, and are rather designed to meet the needs of gay men and heterosexual women with HIV.

According to study author Tony Antoniou, a pharmacist and research scholar in the Department of Family Medicine at St. Michael's Hospital in Canada, heterosexual men tend to go through HIV alone. He surveyed many HIV-positive men in the Ontario area and found that many of them believe gay men have an easier time obtaining HIV-related services because of the "social capital" they have in the AIDS awareness community.

"Nobody is looking at [heterosexual men with HIV] as husbands and fathers, people who need to be supported in those roles," said Antoniou. "In keeping with the tradition of involving people living with HIV in developing services to meet their concerns, researchers and policy makers should strive to integrate heterosexual men living with HIV in decision-making and community-based research initiatives."

The scientist added that while men who have sex with men still have the highest HIV rate in the world, the number of new infections in heterosexual men has been increasing. Many men in this survey said that they are afraid to be seen entering AIDS clinics due to the stigma surrounding the virus. Furthermore, many individuals said they were afraid that they would lose their jobs if an employer or coworker found out they were HIV-positive.

While this research was conducted in Canada, these findings should encourage health officials in America to examine if heterosexual men in America feel comfortable seeking out treatment and counseling services.