Play Nice Campaign

Health4Men has collected a database of phone numbers and uses techniques like sending out a bulk text message on a Friday night to remind men who are "playing" to bring condoms and lubricant. Later in the evening, another text message might be sent informing recipients that if they have had unsafe sex, they have 48 hours to begin post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), and giving a number they can contact to receive treatment.

Health4Men, which has an office in a Cape Town's so-called section, De Waterkant, with a high population of MSM, also holds seminars at MSM venues, posts articles in the MSM newspaper Pink Tongue, and distributes messages in the lockers at a steam baths frequented by MSM. Health4Men also plans to open a facility at the Ivan Toms Centre for Men's Health in the Cape Town suburb of Woodstock for people who feel embarrassed to go to the local government clinic, where they might be known. According to Glenn De Swardt, co-director of Health4Men and a leading expert on MSM issues in South Africa, "personnel are all male, though not necessarily all gay." All services will be free and will include HIV tests, CD4 counts to measure immune system strength, viral load testing to check the quantity of HIV-virus in the body, screening for sexually transmitted infections, counselling, and antiretroviral (ART) and other treatments. In addition, De Swardt also runs different support groups for HIV-positive men - one for people who have just found out their status, a second for those with difficulty adjusting to it, and a third for those going into treatment.

The Play Nice campaign website emphasises "celebrating male-to-male sexuality", "trumpeting male to male interaction based on accountability, respect and playfulness"; and "introducing some stereotypical characters to get [their] message across". It includes messages in the form of a graffiti wall, a kit that includes descriptions of safer sex "tools" like condoms, and other messaging techniques aimed to have appeal along with an underlying theme of accountability and information on where to get testing and treatment.

HIV/AIDS

Results from a survey in Soweto, Gauteng, South Africa, by PHRU and the University of San Francisco, California, United States, found that about 21% of MSM were HIV-positive. While 44% reported they had also had sex with women, 41% reported unprotected anal intercourse among their last five partners.