Rapid Assessment of Male Vulnerabilities to HIV and Sexual Exploitation in Afghanistan

Between October- November 2008, a small rapid assessment of male adolescent sexual exploitation and abuse, along with HIV risk and vulnerability among males who have sex with males, was conducted in Kabul, Kandahar and Maz-e-Sharif in Afghanistan. Preceding this, a scoping mission, a literature review, and a training workshop for the study teams were conducted.

The findings clearly demonstrate that, as in many other societies, sexual exploitation and abuse of highly vulnerable adolescent males, as well as consensual male-to-male sex exists in Afghanistan at significant enough levels to require an immediate response to the requirements of social justice, health and well-being of these males, and to ensure that the country does not develop a range of concentrated HIV epidemics among males who have sex with males, and highly vulnerable adolescent males over the next few years, adding already to the economic burden that already exists.