MOBI SITE TO PROMOTE SAFE SEX FOR MSM

A groundbreaking new mobi site providing sexual health information to MSM (men who have sex with men, irrespective of their sexual identity) has been launched in South Africa.

Most importantly, said the organisation behind the initiative, the Health4Men Connect site will allow people to post questions directly to a team of experts about MSM sexual health.

The service will be particularly useful to men who don’t have access to the Internet via a computer, or are in situations where they cannot access such information on the Internet due to a lack of privacy.

“There is a marked lack of HIV-related information, specifically for men who have sex with men, in South Africa,” said Professor James McIntyre, head of the Anova Health Institute.

“We are hopeful that this service will help to remedy the situation by allowing MSM throughout South Africa to access topical information, and indeed to interact with our team of experienced doctors.” He added that similar initiatives elsewhere in the world had been very successful.

Information on the site is based on Health4Men’s extensive experience in the area of sexual health care for MSM. It runs clinics dedicated to MSM sexual health with an emphasis on HIV. These are located in Cape Town and Soweto and have over 5000 men in care.

“The service is aimed at both HIV positive and HIV negative men. In addition to information on HIV prevention, we will focus on treatment-related issues such as when to commence antiretroviral treatment, lifestyle issues, responsible sex and challenges related to disclosure,” said Health4Men’s Glenn de Swardt.

Questions posted via Health4Men Connect will be responded to on a daily basis and the site will be updated weekly with articles and links to other sites.

To access the service, got to http://h4m.mobi.