In Calgary and throughout North America, HIV/AIDS first appeared in the gay community. But HIV/AIDS is not and never has been restricted to gay men. Today, it is estimated that 80% of HIV infections around the world have been transmitted through sexual contact, and the majority are heterosexual contact. In Canada, of new HIV infections among men in 2007, the risk categories were 14% injection drug use, 22% heterosexual and 56% men who have sex with men.
(Source: HIV and AIDS in Canada. Selected Surveillance Tables to June 30, 2008. Surveillance and Risk Assessment Division, Centre for Communicable Diseases and Infection Control, Public Health Agency of Canada, 2009.)
A number of factors place men at particularly high risk of contracting HIV. For example, men tend to have more sex partners than women, including extramarital partners. They are less likely than women to seek health care. There are also more men in prisons, where high risk sexual and drug-related activities are common, and harm reduction tools are not available or easily accessible.
Since the penis is the most likely area of transmission of HIV/AIDS for males, the consistent use of condoms is vital to prevention.
For more information on HIV/AIDS and men,
check out our Briefing Documents.