Ryan White and Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

As it was in the earliest days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, gay and bisexual men (men who have sex with men, MSM) comprise the majority of HIV/AIDS cases in the U.S. MSM represent 64.1% of clients served by the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program.

MSM comprise over two-thirds of HIV diagnoses in the U.S. reported in 2016. The impact is heaviest on African American MSM. 

Ryan White and MSM

According to the 2016 HRSA RSR client level data report:

• 64.1 % of RWHAP clients were gay, bisexual and other MSM.
• Among MSM RWHAP clients receiving medical care, 86.1% achieved viral suppression, which is slightly higher than the national RWHAP average.
• By race/ethnicity, viral suppression among MSM RWHAP clients was lowest among Blacks/African American MSM (69.6%).

Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Client Fast Facts: Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men

Image credit: 

Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Client Fast Facts: Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men

HRSA TA/Training Targeting Black MSM

HRSA’s HIV/AIDS Bureau has a number of initiatives underway to enhance access to HIV care for black gay/bisexual men, presented in the form of engagement in care best practices, health literacy and more. They include the following:

• Well Versed is an online Resource and Conversation Forum for health care providers and Black MSM that presents a simple platform describing what to do before, during, and after a clinic visit.
• His Health provides a compendium of care models, training modules, and resources for enhanced linkage, retention, and engagement strategies targeting Black MSM. This site targets providers and offers continuing medical education (CME) and continuing nursing unit (CNU) credits for clinicians to increase their capacity to accelerate health care service delivery to Black MSM in culturally appropriate ways.
• In It Together is designed to improve the capacity of health departments and community-based organizations to deliver health-literate HIV services, with a particular focus on health services provided to Black/African American MSM.