Sexual Violence Against Men, Trans Women in Syria Conflict - Human Rights Watch
Sexual Violence Against Men, Trans Women in Syria Conflict - Human Rights Watch |
| Sexual Violence Against Men, Trans Women in Syria Conflict - Human Rights Watch Posted: 28 Jul 2020 11:00 PM PDT  (Beirut) – Syrian state and non-state actors have subjected men, boys, transgender women, and nonbinary people to sexual violence during the Syrian conflict, resulting in severe physical and mental health consequences which are compounded by a lack of support services in Lebanon, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The 77-page report, "'They Treated Us in Monstrous Ways': Sexual Violence Against Men, Boys, and Transgender Women in the Syrian Conflict," found that men and boys have been vulnerable to sexual violence in the Syrian conflict since it began. People Human Rights Watch interviewed said that gay and bisexual men, transgender women, and nonbinary people were subject to increased violence based on their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. Transgender women are often perceived as gay men in Syria and are targeted for the same reasons. "Gay and bisexual men, transgender women, and nonbinary people said they were targeted for sexual violence during Syria's conflict for being perceived as 'soft'." said Zeynep Pınar Erdem, fellow in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights program at Human Rights Watch and author of the report. "Men and boys – regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity – are vulnerable to sexual violence in Syria and often remain unseen and without the support all survivors of sexual violence urgently need." Human Rights Watch conducted interviews in Lebanon with 40 gay and bisexual men, transgender women, and nonbinary individuals, as well as four heterosexual men who experienced sexual violence in Syria. Interviewees said they were harassed and sexually abused at checkpoints because they were "soft looking," meaning perceived as effeminate in this context. In detention centers, detainees were subject to intensified interrogation or torture if their sexual or gender identity was exposed. Sexual violence also took place within the ranks of the Syrian army. Interviewees described being subject to rape, genital violence, threat of rape, forced nudity, and sexual harassment. Survivors told Human Rights Watch that they did not seek medical or mental health services in Syria for many reasons, including shame, fear, and stigma, and a lack of trust in the health care system. The survivors who fled to Lebanon told Human Rights Watch they found limited services and inadequate support from humanitarian organizations that are often poorly funded and not equipped to meet the needs of male survivors of sexual violence. Service providers often lack training in response to male survivors and some belittle them, which contributes to poor treatment and re-traumatization of those seeking help. Survivors described a range of emotional and psychological symptoms, including symptoms consistent with depression, post-traumatic stress, sexual trauma, loss of hope, and paranoid thoughts. They also suffer physically, including severe pain in their rectum and genitals, rectal bleeding, and muscle pain, and may have contracted sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV. In 2013, the UN Security Council for the first time stated in Security Council Resolution 2106 that conflict-related sexual violence also affects men and boys. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and nongovernmental organizations, including All Survivors Project, the Women's Refugee Commission, Lawyers & Doctors for Human Rights, and the Refugee Law Project, have provided significant documentation on the nature and extent of sexual violence perpetrated against men and boys in Syria and elsewhere, and the specific needs of male survivors. In March 2018, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic published a report with detailed evidence on sexual violence against men and boys in Syria. On April 23, 2019, the UN Security Council adopted resolution 2467 on conflict-related sexual violence, which recognizes that men and boys are targets of sexual violence in both conflict and post-conflict settings. Resolution 2467 acknowledges the need for enhanced medical and mental health support for survivors and calls on UN member countries to ensure that they receive nondiscriminatory access to medical and psychosocial care based on their needs. Humanitarian organizations and service providers in Lebanon should provide targeted medical services, including mental health support, to both male and female survivors of sexual violence. They should train their staff including case managers, social workers, and frontline medical workers on the specific needs of men, boys, and transgender women. "Men and boys and trans women can experience deep shame, stigma, and silence due to sexual violence. It is vital to challenge the social and cultural assumptions that they should be invulnerable," said Erdem. "Services need to be funded, and tailored to support their access and care, without diverting funding from services for women and girls." Selected Quotes from Survivors: Yousef, a 28-year-old gay man, was detained by the Syrian intelligence agencies. He told Human Rights Watch that he was not detained because he was gay, but once his sexual orientation was revealed, sexual violence during interrogations increased drastically:
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| Israel sees spurt in STD cases despite months of coronavirus lockdown - Ynetnews Posted: 02 Jul 2020 12:00 AM PDT Israel has seen a record-breaking rise in sexually-transmitted diseases in recent months, despite the lockdown imposed to fight the spread of coronavirus. There are growing concerns among medical professionals that an increasing number of STD-related bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics.  Illustrative (Photo: Shutterstock) According to data collected by the Health Ministry, 860 cases of chlamydia and 314 cases of gonorrhea have been recorded since January 2020, a record number. Israel saw 664 chlamydia infections and 254 diagnoses of gonorrhea for the first half of 2019. The lockdown imposed to fight the spread of the virus was expected to lead to a drop in the number of STDs, but the opposite was found to have been the case, adding to global fears that extensive use of antibiotics has made bacteria more resistant to its effects. The World Health Organization issued a warning earlier this year about the resistance of strains of bacteria that cause chlamydia, making it more difficult to treat as new forms of antibiotics quickly lose their effectiveness against the disease. The bacteria that causes gonorrhea can infect both the genitals and the throat, and throat infections are often treated with the same antibiotics. This makes the area resistant to drugs used to fight gonorrhea, which is common in that part of the body due to oral sex.  The chlamydia bacteria (Photo: Shutterstock ) Since the development of antibiotics, the bacteria has mutated and developed resistance to penicillin, Tetracycline and Quinolones due to overuse or incorrect dosages. Chlamydia causes pelvic pain and inflammation, bleeding, pain during sexual intercourse, infections in the reproductive organs, and even sterility. But patients often do not present symptoms, causing infection in their sexual partners if a condom is not used. Casual sexual relationships are a factor in the increased cases of STD, according to Dr. Bibiana Hazan, the head of the infectious diseases department at Emek Medical Center in Afula. "When we ask patients why they have had unprotected sex, they often tell us that they believe condoms are for prevention of HIV and since that is no longer a fatal illness they are less vigilant. Others also say that they take PrEP [preventative medication] to protect themselves against HIV infection." Gonorrhea is the more prevalent of the STDs, with 60 million people worldwide infected by it each year. The United States alone reports 3 million new infections annually. , which causes the disease is also referred to as Gram-negative bacteria. The name Gonorrhea comes from the ancient Greeks and means a discharge of semen. The ancient Greeks believed the discharge experienced by those infected, contained semen. The bacteria that causes the disease, neisseria gonorrhoeae, is transmitted during sexual intercourse, but women can infect their babies during childbirth, causing conjunctivitis in newborns. Neonatal units in Israel and elsewhere in the West treat all newborn babies with antibiotic eye cream.  Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria (Photo: Shutterstock) The disease can also be transmitted through objects that have been contaminated with the bacteria. Its gestation period can be anywhere from two days to two weeks but most often symptoms appear two to five days after contamination. In 30% to 60% of women, no discernible symptoms would appear. The rest would experience vaginal discharge, pain while urinating, bleeding between menstrual cycles or after sexual intercourse. A clinical examination could show inflammation of the cervix and a discharge of pus. Men with gonorrhea could have an inflammation of the urethra causing pain during urination and secretion of pus. In serious cases, the disease could inflame the pelvis causing stomach pain, bleeding, vomiting, and fever. The bacteria could also infect the testicles and the prostate gland. Infection of the rectum would cause a discharge of pus, although rectal infections often present with no symptoms at all.  |
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