The Panos Institute Southern Africa (PSAf) has published a new booklet focusing on sexual minorities in Mozambique. The new publication, O Grito Inaudivel! (the Inaudible scream!) presents Oral Testimonies of Men who have Sex with Men (MSM).
The booklet highlights the experiences of MSM and their challenges in accessing HIV prevention services in Mozambique.
The aim of this publication is to highlight the Sexual and Reproductive Health challenges that sexual minorities encounter, especially the challenges around access to HIV prevention services and information in order to bring to appreciation the plight of MSM, understand what is working well and what is the problem that challenging the HIV response among MSM, and highlighting the gaps and challenges are from policy response to actual implementation, including how MSM are affected by negative media coverage.
The report uses literature review and direct stories as told by Mozambique MSM to bring out the following:
· Current responses and interventions of HIV/AIDS among MSM in the country, both policy and programme levels;
· Existing challenges and gaps with the responses.
· State of service uptake by MSM and reasons why it is low
· Media reporting on HIV/AIDS and MSM;
· a set of recommendations on how the response can be improved in order to achieve more impact.
The report has already started creating debate and dialogue around sexual minority issues.
“This is a powerful report, it will create a lot of dialogue around this issue and change the way people think,” said Gil Lauricao of GMG- Gil Media in Maputo .
The report is a publication of Panos Southern Africa, and it was produced with financial support from Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.
Copies of this report can be accessed the PSAf Mozambique office in Maputo on the following details: Av. Vladmir Lenine, 568 -1st Floor, Maputo. The Mozambique national office can be contacted by phone on Tel/Fax: (+258)21305064. You can also contact the PSAf regional office to request your copy.
