Senegal's Anti-Gay Law Threatens Decades of HIV Progress, Activists Warn
In a dramatic escalation of hostility toward homosexuality, Senegal has enacted a new law that is putting decades of hard-won progress in HIV prevention at severe risk. The legislation, signed by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye on March 27, doubles maximum prison terms for same-sex relations to ten years and criminalizes what it broadly defines as the "promotion" of homosexuality.
Arrests and Exodus
The impact has been immediate and devastating. Since February, authorities have arrested at least sixty people under existing anti-gay laws, with many facing forced HIV testing and additional charges if they test positive. Amadou Diouf, secretary-general of the Dakar-based NGO UJEC, describes watching his community disappear—fleeing across borders, being detained, or going silent. "We have stopped all our activities. We are no longer safe," says Diouf, who himself was attacked and briefly fled to Gambia.
This wave of arrests is unprecedented in the region, according to Sylvie Beaumont of the HIV Justice Network. The organization reports that at least twenty-two of those detained since February have been identified as HIV-positive, facing further penalties for intentional transmission—a charge activists say is legally dubious when effective treatment renders the virus untransmittable.
HIV Prevention System Under Threat
For years, Senegal maintained one of Africa's most resilient HIV prevention systems, built partly on reaching key populations like men who have sex with men (MSM) and sex workers. HIV prevalence in Senegal's general adult population is below 0.5%, but among MSM, it rises to 27.6%, with rates as high as 49.6% in parts of Dakar. A 2024 study estimated that male key populations accounted for up to 79% of HIV transmissions in Senegal between 2012 and 2021.
Now, that success is unraveling. A rapid assessment by Senegal's National Council for the Fight Against Aids (CNLS) in late February recorded a 34.5% decline in consultations at treatment sites, with 44% of MSM patients reporting depression or anxiety. Dr. Safiatou Thiam, executive secretary of CNLS, links this directly to the arrests, warning, "We fear that the epidemic will return."
Broad and Dangerous Legislation
The new law's vague wording poses particular danger. Alice Bordaçarre of the International Federation for Human Rights warns that any organization working on fundamental rights—including HIV prevention—could be considered as promoting LGBTQ+ rights. "It risks criminalizing legitimate human rights activities, including those of lawyers, health workers, journalists and NGOs. It is very dangerous," she says.
Cécile Kazatchkine of the HIV Legal Network adds that the hostile environment means "no one will be able to reach out to [MSM patients] any more. They will be too scared to come to get treatment or testing." Already, NGOs like Renapoc have been advised to close offices and move to remote work, while peer mediators have stopped working entirely.
Funding Cuts Compound Crisis
This crisis unfolds against a backdrop of weakened HIV response due to funding cuts. A US freeze on foreign assistance in January 2025 forced an abrupt halt to community-based programs. The Alliance Nationale des Communautés pour la Santé saw activities suspended and outreach capacity reduced across hundreds of member organizations, with services like condom distribution, PrEP access, and patient follow-up scaled back.
UNAIDS has expressed deep concern, noting that new HIV infections in Senegal rose 36% between 2010 and 2024, making it one of only four countries in west and central Africa where infections are still climbing.
Fear and Stigma Spread
Arrests have spread beyond Dakar, with police departments across the country involved since late 2025. The HIV status and names of the accused have been published in Senegalese press, along with professions and sometimes addresses. Some wives of married detainees have felt compelled to publish their own HIV test results publicly to distance themselves from stigma.
Despite neighboring countries like Gambia and Mauritania having stricter anti-gay laws, men continue to flee Senegal, with reports that police are monitoring border crossings to prevent departures. Asylum applications to France have increased.
For Diouf and his community, the future is bleak. "People's statuses are being disclosed, their sexual orientation," he says. "We are not allowed access to health. We are devastated." The question now is whether Senegal's HIV prevention system can survive the legislation and the fear driving key communities underground.
