Al Jazeera examines HIV/AIDS in Persian Gulf

Al Jazeera examines HIV/AIDS in the Persian Gulf, writing, "For much of the past two decades, there has been an information vacuum in the Gulf for epidemiological data on HIV and AIDS. According to a study by the World Bank, the Middle East and North Africa remains 'the only region where knowledge of the HIV epidemic continues to be limited and subject to much controversy.'" The news service notes, "Much of this has to do with cultural objection to some of the means of transmission, particularly in cases of men who have sex with other men (MSM)," and the article discusses how "Qatar and other [Gulf Cooperation Council] countries are making progress tackling these taboos" (Chappelle, 12/5).