Epidemiology of HIV-1 subtypes among men who have sex with men in Cape Town, South Africa

Includes abstract. === Includes bibliographical references. === There are few data describing the HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men (MSM) in South Africa, and thus little information is available to inform appropriate public health response strategies for this high-risk group. One such ex...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Middelkoop, Keren
Other Authors: Myer, Landon
Format: Dissertation
Language:English
Published: University of Cape Town 2014
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9379
Description
Summary:Includes abstract. === Includes bibliographical references. === There are few data describing the HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men (MSM) in South Africa, and thus little information is available to inform appropriate public health response strategies for this high-risk group. One such existing knowledge gap is an understanding of HIV transmission patterns between different MSM communities and between MSM and the heterosexual population. Studies in the early 1990s identified two independent HIV-1 epidemics in Cape Town: a predominantly subtype B epidemic among white MSM and the mainly subtype C epidemic among the predominantly black heterosexual epidemic. While the heterosexual epidemic remains primarily due to subtype C virus, few recent HIV-1 subtype data are available for MSM in South Africa. This study examined circulating HIV-1 subtypes among MSM in Cape Town.