According to the international research conducted by Eurosurveillance and published in its third edition in December 2009, the HIV prevalence among gays of Southern Europe is higher than in Europa Orientale. Almost 17% of men of Barcelona practicing sex with men were HIV positive to only 3% in Prague. However, researchers note that sexual behavior of gay men from Eastern Europe is more unsafe than of their Southern colleagues, moreover the frequency of AIDS testing is notably low among gays from former Soviet bloc, reports www.aids.ru (automatic translation >>).

Since 2000 new HIV+ cases among gays in Europe have been rising annually and this problem might be connected with the increase of HIV testing of homosexuals and on-going HIV dissemination in LGBT community. Research made earlier shows that significant number of gays still have risky sexual behavior. To understand better how does HIV infection transmit among men who practice sex with other men (MSM), researchers made a poll involving 2241 men from six European cities (Barcelona, Bratislava, Bucharest, Lubljana, Prague and Verona) who said they practiced MSM for the last 12 months. Oral tests were used during that research. These men filled out questionnaire in which described their sexual behavior, attitude to drugs and revealed their HIV testing history.

The results showed that HIV prevails in Southern Europe more than in Eastern. Barcelona has 17% of HIV+ cases, Verona - 12%. In Eastern Europe the cities with the top level of HIV+ cases are Bratislava, Lubljana and Bucharest (5-6%), then goes Prague (with 3%). Moreover, the poll showed that 56% of respondents in Barcelona made HIV testing, Verona - 53%, Bucharest - 43%, Prague - 42%, Lubljana - 38% and Bratislava -32%.

The sexual behaviour of gays from these cities is also diverse: 67% of Barcelona men said that they practice safe accident-sex and only 36% in Prague. Moreover, 43% of gay men in Barcelona and Bucharest said they used condoms during anal sex with their regular partners and only 20% of gay men did so in Bratislava.

Men from Barcelona (16%) and Verona (12%) are prone to accident MSM sex as against 6-8% of their Eastern neighbours. Risky sexual behaviour in most cases followed after taking alcohol.

Translated by Yerdna Bananes