Peer educators’ role in raising awareness among MSM

The MSM Project (Men who have Sex with Men) is a branch of ANSS because, as said Jeanne Gapiya, “it’s a group of people very vulnerable to HIV infection. We can’t aspire to fight against HIV while excluding this group”.-By Joanna Nganda

A peer educator meeting.©Iwacu

A peer educator is a person who has been chosen by his community and who has received a particular training in HIV/AIDS and STI (Sexually Transmitted Infections). He sensitizes his peers to change their behavior in order to prevent HIV transmission or worsen their conditions, if they are already infected. To understand the crying need of peer educators, Philippe’s testimony acts as an eye-opening lesson to most MSM “I never thought HIV was transmissible from one male to another. I used to think only heterosexuals’ couples could infect each other. Unfortunately, most MSM think this way. Little do they know that MSM sexual relations are the ones most at risk. It’s a very big mistake to think that you are safe because you are a MSM, in fact, you are the most exposed to HIV”, explains Philippe, a peer educator. The MSM are a vulnerable group, and due to the fact that they are not accepted within the society, sensitizing them to HIV transmission is not an easy task. It demands collecting information that targets their group specifically and it also requires gathering them somewhere, this last part being the hardest. According to Eric, a Project MSM worker, peer educators play a major role in effectively raising awareness among the MSM community.
“Peer educators are people just like the targeted group, i.e. they share the same struggle, experience and lifestyle. This aspect of peer education is a double-edged sword. Not only do the peer educators have to be confident, outspoken, educated and literate people, but they also have to be “out of the closet”. They have to assume and be comfortable with their MSM status”, explains Eric.
“Our mission is delicate; we can’t hold broadcasted programs to talk about MSM and their specific needs and protection. On-the-spot visits are the main way to inform them directly”, continues Eric. Peer educators regularly make on-the-spot visits, these are made by word of mouth and mainly held in a private environment; MSM get an opportunity to get informed and share thoughts. Eric also highlights this: “peer educators are also very valuable for the MSM project itself, because when we need to hold a meeting, we tell 10 peer educators to contact 5 persons for example; you see that it’s easy to make an audience.” Peer educators play a major role in the fight against HIV among MSM; they pass on the message and give precious feedback to the MSM Project. “I wish they knew the importance of their task, in our society right now, it’s a sensitive and taboo subject to talk about…people think you are crazy for approaching them and sensitize them. Also, I have to stress the fact that this is a volunteer job, peer educators do not get a salary which unfortunately discourages most candidates, and we need more peer educators to keep people aware and safe”, Eric concludes.