LONDON, July 1, 2008  –  A report published today clarifies the key groups of gay men who are at highest risk of HIV transmission in the UK.  Multiple Chances reports on the findings from the Gay Men's Sex Survey 2006 which was undertaken by Sigma Research and commissioned by Terrence Higgins Trust.

The report shows that certain groups of gay men are more likely to be involved in risky behaviour and that prevention efforts should be carefully focused.  

And the report calls for commissioners and providers of HIV prevention services to target their work at these groups to reduce the number of new HIV infections across the UK.

Multiple Chances suggests that the groups of men who have sex with men who should be particularly targeted by HIV prevention programmes are:

■ men with diagnosed HIV
■ men with over 30 sexual partners per year
■ Black African and Black Caribbean men
■ men with lower levels of formal education
■ younger men, especially those under 20
■ men who use recreational drugs

“For many years, health planners have known that HIV impacts disproportionately on different communities in the UK,” said Will Nutland, strategic lead of health promotion at Terrence Higgins Trust.

“Not only are gay men the group with the highest prevalence and incidence of HIV but certain groups among them are especially vulnerable to HIV. Identifying and over-serving these groups will have greater impact on HIV incidence in the UK”.

Peter Weatherburn, director of Sigma Research added:  “Multiple Chances” confirms what we have known for some time – that HIV does not affect all groups of gay men and bisexual men equally.

“The challenge now is to re-configure our HIV prevention efforts so those men in most need get the most benefit from them.”

Multiple Chances was undertaken as part of the England wide CHAPS programme.  The report is available online HERE.

The annual Gay Men's Sex Survey has been undertaken as part of the CHAPS programme since 1997.

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Posted: 1 July 2008 at 20:30 (UK time)