While HIV disproportionately affects women and girls and, as a result, it is said that HIV has the face of a woman, men are more likely to die from HIV-related causes. It is estimated that 70% of all AIDS-related mortality rates occurs amongst men. Thus, men are the face of AIDS mortality.
“The AIDS response is leaving men behind”, said Remmy Shawa, manager of the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights portfolio at Sonke Gender Justice, at a side event at the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA), organised by the MenEngage Africa alliance and Sonke Gender Justice last night to discuss the low uptake of HIV services by men.
View a photo gallery of the event here.