In 2007 there were an estimated 15,300 gay or bisexual men infected with HIV in the province. This accounts for over 58 per cent of all HIV infected people in Ontario.

Ontario’s Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance is a coalition of gay men and their allies including representatives from community-based AIDS service organizations, public health units, HIV researchers, policy makers, people with HIV and other interested individuals.

The mission of the GMSH is to foster a systemic, evidence-informed, skilled, consistent and effective response to the sexual health needs of Ontario’s diverse communities of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) to reduce the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections and improve gay men’s overall health and well-being. The GMSH fosters an approach to sexual health work that is gay-affirming, sex-positive and integrates risk and harm reduction approaches.

The GMSH was created by a steering committee composed of gay men and their allies including government representatives, researchers, community representatives and people infected by HIV/AIDS.

The GMSH provides funding for :

• outreach workers who work in local community-based AIDS service organizations in communities across the province.
• a provincial HIV prevention social marketing campaign.
• the development of policies and resources to strengthen the community-based response to the sexual health needs of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.

For more on the GMSH visit the HIVstigma.com website.