Transgressive women don't deserve protection: Young men's narratives of sexual violence against women in rural Papua New Guinea

Sexual violence against women and girls is commonplace in Papua New Guinea (PNG). While the experiences of women are rightly given central place in institutional responses to sexual violence, the men who perpetrate violence are often overlooked, an oversight that undermines the effectiveness of prevention efforts. 

This paper draws on interviews conducted with young men as part of a qualitative longitudinal study of masculinity and male sexuality in a rural highland area of PNG. It explores one aspect of male sexuality: men's narratives of sexual violence. Most striking from the data is that the collective enactment of sexual violence against women and girls is reported as an everyday and accepted practice amongst young men. However, not all women and girls were described as equally at risk, with those who transgress gender roles and roles inscribed and reinforced by patriarchal structures, at greater risk. 

To address this situation, efforts to reduce sexual violence against women and girls require an increased focus on male-centred intervention to critically engage with the forms of patriarchal authority that give license to sexual violence. Understanding the perceptions and experiences of men as perpetrators of sexual violence is a critical first step in the process of changing normative perceptions of gender, a task crucial to reducing sexual violence in countries such as PNG.

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By:  Kelly-Hanku A1,2, Aeno H1, Wilson L3, Eves R4, Mek A1, Nake Trumb R1, Whittaker M5, Fitzgerald L5, Kaldor JM1, Vallely A2.

• 1 Sexual and Reproductive and Maternal Health Unit , Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research , Goroka , Papua New Guinea.
• 2 Kirby Institute, UNSW Australia , Sydney , Australia.
• 3 School of Political Science and International Studies , University of Queensland , St Lucia , Australia.
• 4 State, Society and Governance in Melanesia Program , Australian National University , Canberra , Australia.
• 5 School of Public Health , University of Queensland , Herston , Australia.
• Cult Health Sex. 2016 Jun 2:1-14. 

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Prevalence and Correlates of HIV Infection among Sex Workers in Papua New Guinea

The primary objective of this study was to estimate the individual and combined impacts of socio-demographic and sexual behaviours on HIV diagnosis among 523 female sex workers who participated in the Papua New Guinea and Australia Sexual Health Improvement Project. 

Logistic regression models were used to identify the factors associated with HIV positivity. We estimated their population level impacts in order to quantify the proportion of HIV seropositivity is attributed to these factors. 

Less than 40 % of women consented to get tested for HIV. HIV prevalence was 7 % (95 % CI 4-11 %); lack of education and knowledge/awareness of HIV accounted for ~70 % of the HIV diagnoses. A major obstacle is lack of interest for testing. Our study underscored the major challenges in this culturally, linguistically heterogeneous country. 

The epidemic in Papua New Guinea requires targeted prevention interventions among those at highest risk of acquiring or transmitting infection.

Purchase full article at: http://goo.gl/tzdlu4

By: Wand H1, Siba P2.

• 1Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. hwand@nchecr.unsw.edu.au.
• 2Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Goroka, Papua New Guinea.

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HIV Prevalence Is Strongly Associated with Geographical Variations in Male Circumcision & Foreskin Cutting in Papua New Guinea: An Ecological Study

An ecological substudy using unique data from an interdisciplinary research programme to evaluate the acceptability, sociocultural context and public health impact of male circumcision for HIV prevention in PNG.

Published data describing (a) self-reported circumcision status by region from the ‘Acceptability and Feasibility of Male Circumcision for HIV prevention in PNG’ study and (b) HIV prevalence by region from PNG National Department of Health were used to correlate male circumcision and other foreskin cutting practices and HIV prevalence. Maps were constructed to visually represent variations across the four regions of PNG.

Regions of PNG with the highest HIV prevalence had the lowest prevalence of male circumcision and other forms of foreskin cutting and vice versa. Male circumcision and dorsal longitudinal cuts were strongly associated with HIV prevalence and able to explain 99% of the observed geographical variability in HIV prevalence in PNG (p<0.01).

The regional prevalence of HIV infection in PNG appears to be closely correlated with the regional distribution of male circumcision and dorsal longitudinal foreskin cuts. Further research is warranted to investigate causality of this correlation as well as the potential of dorsal longitudinal cuts to confer protection against HIV acquisition in heterosexual men.

Below:  Prevalence of HIV, male circumcision (full removal of the foreskin) and dorsal longitudinal foreskin cut across the four regions of Papua New Guinea.

Full article at: http://goo.gl/GKmXZn

By: David J MacLaren¹, W John H McBride¹, Gerard C Kelly², Reinhold Muller³,⁴ Rachael Tommbe⁵,John M Kaldor⁶, Andrew J Vallely⁶,⁷

¹College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia

²Infectious Disease Epidemiology Unit, School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

³Tropical Health Solutions Pty Ltd, Cairns, Queensland, Australia

⁴College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia

⁵School of Health Science, Pacific Adventist University, Port Moresby, NCD, Papua New Guinea

⁶Public Health Intervention Research Group, The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

⁷Sexual and Reproductive Health Unit, Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research,Goroka, Papua New Guinea

  

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HIV Prevalence for Trans Women in Asia and the Pacific

Via: http://ht.ly/Tw3kq @UNDP

Anal Sex, Vaginal Sex & HIV Risk among Female Sex Workers in Papua New Guinea

Female sex workers (FSW) are considered one of the key affected populations in Papua New Guinea at risk of acquiring HIV. 

An integrated bio-behavioral survey of sex workers in Port Moresby was conducted to determine the nature and extent of this risk. 

About half (51.1%) of the 411 FSW who reported having any sexual intercourse with clients had engaged in both anal and vaginal intercourse with clients in the last 6 months. In spite of having poorer HIV knowledge (OR95% CI = 0.14-0.34), FSW who had anal intercourse with clients were significantly more likely to have used a condom at the last vaginal intercourse with a client (OR95% CI = 1.04-2.87). 

Similarly, FSW who had anal intercourse with regular and casual partners were significantly more likely to have used a condom at the last vaginal intercourse. Those who engaged in both anal and vaginal intercourse with clients had similar condom use for both vaginal and anal intercourse, with the majority (78.1%) using a condom at the last occasion for both vaginal and anal intercourse. 

These FSW may have different risk and protective factors that affect their use of condom during sexual intercourse. Further research is needed to investigate this difference between those who practice anal intercourse and those who do not in order to provide evidence for better programming.

Via:   http://ht.ly/QThk0 HT @NCBI 

HIV Infection among Sex Workers in Papua New Guinea

Via: http://ht.ly/NSRNc  HT @KirbyInstitute