Partnership for prevention development and community based HIV testing for men who have sex with men in Slovenia

Response to HIV

Association Cultural, information and advisory centre Legebitra

Partner 1: Student Cultural Centre ŠKUC

Partner 2: DIH Association

Partner 3: University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Medicine

Partner 4: University Medical Centre Ljubljana

Partner 5: Helseutvalget for bedre homohelse - Gay and Lesbian Health Norway

12.02.2015 - 31.08.2016

409,700.00 EUR

368,700.00 EUR

Public health initiatives

Life-style related diseases prevented or reduced

In Slovenia, the number of people living with HIV is increasing rapidly; most of the newly infected are men who have sex with men (MSM). In general, health care workers lack specific competences for HIV/MSM. The project aims to reduce HIV/sexually transmitted infections transmission rate among MSM in Slovenia and to educate health care workers of all levels regarding living with HIV and stigma around it. The project will implement a comprehensive programme of safe sex promotion and community based HIV/sexually transmitted infections testing for MSM and increase the number of trained professionals in HIV/MSM field. This will be achieved with an innovative communication campaign, including new media, new field work, new testing services approaches, and multidisciplinary study of infection dynamics, and with new and specific trainings for health care workers. The project target groups are MSM (young, rural, elderly) and health professionals. The Norwegian partner brings experience with HIV/MSM in Norway that will be shared and exchanged with Slovene partners during study visits, evaluation and follow-up. The partnership will benefit those people living with HIV, MSM in general and health workers of all levels to better deal with stigma, HIV and MSM.