Sexual Practices, Myths and Misconceptions among Long distance truck drivers in North India

BACKGROUND:

Long distance truck drivers and helpers constitute a high risk group for HIV/AIDS. Despite increasing awareness of HIV/AIDS and safe sex practices, they still have a high incidence of new cases of HIV.

AIMS:

This study carried out at an ART (Anti-retroviral treatment ) centre in North India aimed to evaluate the sexual myths and misconceptions prevalent among long distance drivers and helpers.

METHODS:

Data was collected retrospectively from ART records of 129 long distance Truck drivers and 68 helpers. Details of socio-demographic characteristics, contact with commercial sex workers (CSW'S), pattern of condom usage with CSW'S and factors influencing it were studied.

RESULTS:

We found that a significant number of drivers and helpers had sexual contact with CSW's and out of these, 30% of drivers and 50% of helpers reported not using condoms and instead resorting to methods like washing genitalia after sex with battery water/urine to avoid getting HIV. There was no significant relationship between pattern of condom usage and educational status, marital status and age. We also found that certain myths like sex with young CSW's was less likely to cause sexually transmitted diseases (STD's) and HIV were also widespread.

CONCLUSION:

Owing to continuing prevalence of such sexual myths, long distance truck drivers and helpers do not use condoms while having sex with commercial sex workers(CSW's) as they feel that they can enjoy sex with CSW's and still stay protected against STD's /HIV. It is imperative that this battery water/urine antiseptic myth be specifically targeted for better HIV control in this high risk group.

Purchase full article at:  http://goo.gl/VQ4kck

By:  Sawal N1, Raj Hans GD2, Verma G3.

• 1Junior Resident. Dept. of Medicine. Indira Gandhi Medical College - Shimla (Himachal Pradesh). drnishitsawal@gmail.com.
• 2Medical Officer. ART Clinic. Indira Gandhi Medical College - Shimla (Himachal Pradesh). India.
• 3HIV councilor. ART Clinic. Indira Gandhi Medical College - Shimla (Himachal Pradesh). India. 

More at:  https://twitter.com/hiv_insight

And: http://twitter.com/Prison_Health

How Long-Distance Truck Drivers & Villagers in Rural Southeastern Tanzania Think About Heterosexual Anal Sex

Objective To explore ideas of truck drivers and villagers from rural Tanzania about heterosexual anal sex (HAS) and the associated health risks.

Methods Qualitative study using 8 in-depth interviews (IDIs) and 2 focus group discussions (FGDs) with truck drivers and 16 IDIs and 4 FGDs with villagers from the Morogoro region. Study participants included 24 women and 46 men. Data analysis was performed thematically employing standard qualitative techniques.

Results Reasons why men would practice HAS included sexual pleasure, the belief that anal sex is safer than vaginal sex, alternative sexual practice, exploration and proof of masculinity. Reasons why women would practice HAS included financial need, retaining a partner, alternative for sex during menses, pregnancy prevention and beauty enhancement because HAS is believed to ‘fatten the female buttocks’. Most participants believed that condoms are not needed during HAS. This was linked to the ideas that infections only ‘reside in wet places’ (vagina) and that the anus is not ‘conducive’ for condom use; condoms reduce ‘dryness’ and ‘friction’ (pleasure) and may ‘get stuck inside’.

Conclusions The study participants reported practices and ideas about HAS that put them at risk for HIV and sexually transmitted infections. Greater attention to education about HAS is urgently needed in Tanzania, where this sexual practice is still regarded as a taboo. This study offers useful information that could be included in sex education programmes.

Full article at:  http://goo.gl/rRKXi3

By:  S Mtenga¹, D Shamba¹, J Wamoyi², D Kakoko³, J Haafkens⁴, A Mongi⁵, S Kapiga⁵, E Geubbels¹

-Author Affiliations

¹Department of Impact Evaluation, Ifakara Health Institute (IHI), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

²National Institute for Medical Research Institute (NIMR), Mwanza Center, Mwanza, Tanzania

³Department of Behavioural Sciences, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Science (MUHAS), School of Public Health, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

⁴Department of General Practice, Centre for Social Science and Global Health, University of Amsterdam and Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

⁵Mwanza Intervention Trial Unit (MITU), Mwanza, Tanzania

 

More at:  https://twitter.com/hiv_insight

And: http://twitter.com/Prison_Health

Structure & Agency in Long-Distance Truck Drivers’ Lived Experiences of Condom Use for HIV Prevention

Condom promotion has emerged as a mainstay of targeted HIV prevention interventions in India, with its emphasis on individual behaviour change and personal responsibility. However, such approaches often do not account for marginalised populations' structural vulnerability to HIV, arising from social, economic and political factors in the lived environment. 

In this paper, I use a critical health communication framework to analyse how structure and agency interact in influencing condom use among long-distance truck drivers in India. Drawing on an abductive discourse analysis of condom-use discourses among truckers and peer educators in two Indian cities, findings reveal that while truckers understand the biomedical logic of condoms as barriers, they also express anxiety about condom breakage and experience structural barriers to condom use. 

The paper concludes by calling for greater attention to structural vulnerabilities in future HIV prevention efforts with truck drivers.

Purchase full article at: 

By: Sastry S1.

• 1 Department of Communication, University of Cincinnati , Cincinnati , USA.

More at:  https://twitter.com/hiv_insight