Despite greater awareness HIV/AIDS transmission and access to condoms, preliminary research on men who have sex with men (MSM) in Fiji's capital city Suva shows that a significant number continue to practice unprotected sex.

"Knowledge does not necessarily link to behaviour change," peer educator Jovesa Speith told a session earlier this week. "Despite fairly good knowledge about HIV/AIDS and STDs, men who have sex with men are still engaged in activities that increase their vulnerability."

The AIDS Task Force of Fiji research project on the behaviour and attitudes of men who have sex with men is the first of its kind among the 25 island countries and territories that span the 30 million square kilometres of the Pacific Ocean.

Speith says there are no prevention programmes in the region that specifically target MSM. HIV surveillance is ''very uneven and inconsistent, and despite the relatively low number of reported cases, in many countries the risks remain significant."

this story can also be found in The Bridge, the onsite print newspaper

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