Trends in Criminalizing Same-Sex Sex: Where Do Sub-Saharan African Countries Stand?

Matthew M. Kavanagh, Varsha Srivatsan, Amanda Banda, Agrata Sharma, Sharonann Lynch, Arjun Narayan, Abigail Rosenbaum

As of this year, two-thirds of the countries in the world do not criminalize consensual same-sex sex – a clear reversal of trends from the start of the AIDS pandemic.

While recent years has seen a strong global trend toward decriminalization, including in sub-Saharan Africa, many countries in sub-Saharan Africa have countered this trend and deepened criminalization measures on same-sex sexuality making this an important moment for engagement where policy is out of step with global trends.