Throughout the world, especially in Africa, condom-compatible lubricant is inaccessible for most people who engage in anal intercourse. A number of analyses in various settings indicate the use of oil-based products is the most common form of lubrication – and is known to significantly reduce condom effectiveness. Faced with the lack of condom-compatible lubricants, people often resort to such products as body lotion, soap, cooking oil, spit, pre-cum, antibiotic creams, and even motor oil to provide lubrication during anal intercourse. This lack of appropriate lubricant products for people who practice anal intercourse is unacceptable. International Rectal Microbicide Advocates (IRMA) and Project ARM (Africa for Rectal Microbicides) recently released a report “On the Map: Ensuring Africa’s Place in Rectal Microbicide Research and Advocacy” (see: www.rectalmicrobicides.org/ProjectARMreport2012.pdf). A key recommendation in the report is to make affordable condom-compatible lubricant available to all Africans who engage in anal intercourse, including gay men and other men who have sex with men, transgender individuals, and heterosexual men and women. With this recommendation, IRMA and amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research’s MSM Initiative propose to launch the Global Lube Access Mobilisation (GLAM).

1. Concept Note
Global Lube Access Mobilisation (GLAM)
A key priority of IRMA’s Project ARM – Africa for Rectal Microbicides
June 2012
Background: All men, women, and transgender individuals across the globe deserve the
right to have safer sex and protect themselves and their partners from HIV and other STIs.
Using male or female condoms is considered the best way to prevent acquiring HIV and
STIs during anal intercourse. It is also known that many men, women and transgender
people use lubricants (lubes) during sexual intercourse. Importantly, the use of condom-
compatible lubes has been associated with a decreased risk of condoms breaking or
slipping. However, throughout the world, condom-compatible lubricant is inaccessible for
most people who engage in anal intercourse. A number of analyses in various settings
indicate the use of oil-based products is the most common form of lubrication – and is
known to significantly reduce condom effectiveness. Faced with the lack of condom-
compatible lubricants, people often resort to such products as body lotion, soap, cooking
oil, spit, pre-cum, antibiotic creams, and even motor oil to provide lubrication during anal
intercourse. This lack of appropriate lubricant products for people who practice anal
intercourse is unacceptable.
To address this situation, creative community activists and organizations have developed
makeshift strategies to make affordable condom-compatible lubricant available. Some
community-led initiatives have resulted in national level support for such efforts,
however, most have not. And many of these makeshift strategies – such as concerned
individuals bringing home suitcases full of lubricant sachets after visits to the Global North
– are clearly unsustainable and barely qualify as stop-gap measures. A severe lack of
access to safe lubricants remains.
International Rectal Microbicide Advocates (IRMA) and Project ARM (Africa for Rectal
Microbicides) recently released a report “On the Map: Ensuring Africa’s Place in Rectal
Microbicide Research and Advocacy” (see:
www.rectalmicrobicides.org/ProjectARMreport2012.pdf). A key recommendation in the
report is to make affordable condom-compatible lubricant available to all Africans who
engage in anal intercourse, including gay men and other men who have sex with men,
transgender individuals, and heterosexual men and women. With this recommendation,
IRMA and amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research’s MSM Initiative propose to launch
the Global Lube Access Mobilisation (GLAM).
Goal: to increase access to affordable condom-compatible lubricants in the Global South.
GLAM will initially focus on Africa, as the severity of the HIV epidemic is greatest, and
access to condom-compatible lubricants is generally poor. GLAM will engage ministries of
health, UN agencies, and other development partners to make condom-compatible

2. lubricant a priority by positioning lubricant as an absolute necessity, along with male and
female condoms. Efforts will focus on integrating lubricant into national strategic plans,
as well as including lubricant as a line item in HIV prevention budgets. Existing lubricant
access programs in Africa will be documented, as will their successes and challenges, in an
effort to provide models for program implementation. GLAM has already adopted a
tagline “AND LUBE” to emphasise that whenever and wherever male and female condoms
are provided as part of comprehensive HIV prevention programming, appropriate
lubricants must be part of the package.
Objectives/Activities: As a key priority of IRMA’s Project ARM, GLAM will focus its efforts
on Africa, where analysis indicates there is a severe shortage of condom-compatible
lubricant.
1) Assess the current lubricant access situation and develop fact sheets
• Desk review of current research and materials on lubricant availability
• Desk review of current national strategic plans in Africa and UN/WHO
recommendations for lubricant inclusion
• Internet-based survey of current practices
• Develop fact sheets on lubricant availability
2) Document case studies of best/worst practices and lessoned learned
• Conduct an analysis of approaches used by NGOs, governments and the private
sector to procure and/or produce lubricant at the local level, documenting
best/worst practice and lessons learned.
• Conduct key informant interviews with key stakeholders
• Conduct a mapping activity of production flow (e.g. what range of
condom-compatible lube exists, where these are being manufactured and
what economies of scale)
• Host a networking session at the AIDS 2012 Global Village to continue
documentation
• Draft and disseminate summaries of best/worst practice and lessons
learned
3) Advocate for affordable access to condom-compatible lubricant
• Implement the “AND LUBE” campaign at the AIDS 2012 Conference in
Washington, with stickers promoting condom-compatible lubricant access and
GLAM.
• Develop and disseminate a GLAM Advocacy Toolkit – offering tools to civil society
and government partners to secure affordable and sustainable condom-
compatible lubricant access
• Combine fact sheets, best/worst practice summaries and lessons learned
• Develop additional advocacy tools

3. Following the launch of GLAM, additional activities may include:
• On-going facilitation of country specific advocacy activities, technical assistance
and resource mobilisation in the global south.
• Production of an annual resource, mapping the “status” of condom compatible
lubricant access.
• Providing support for in-country advocates to engage national strategic plan
processes for the strategic inclusion of condom compatible lubricants within such
national plans.
• Engaging manufacturers to network and share challenges, opportunities,
regulatory hurdles and other issues with advocates and National AIDS Councils.
• Appoint a focal person in each country or region to collate country specific status
updates to form the evidence base that is needed by other in-country advocates.