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Abstract
Behavioural change for condom use by male and female sex workers – a missing vital link
M. Rajendran, R.R. William
Issues: In India, most of the AIDS prevention program achieve good results with male and Female Sex-Workers(SWs) in condom-usage. Indepth analysis reveals shocking reality that condom-usage with unknown clients is high, upto 75%, low with known clients (permanent-partners/live-in-partners/legal husbands) because of many complicated reasons. The figures quoted as condom usage is thus completely misleading and could be accepted only if condom is used concurrently with all partners.
Description: CCOORR is working with 2000 FSWs for the past 4 years. From beginning, project initiated data related to condom usage with unknown and known clients of SWs. Following unique strategies employed with known clients; education to SWs on sex & sexuality issues whereby they are empowered to control sexual act and thus negotiate with known clients with condom; secondly special Peer-Educators trained and used from Tea vendors, tea-shoppers, barber-shop-owners/workers and auto-rickshaw-drivers who have links with known clients; the third is finding Peer Educators within the known client categories who will exert peer-pressure; fourth is working through exclusively with known clients by innovative methods like made for each other contests.
After 18 months, evaluation showed 24% condom usage with known clients and 52% with unknown clients; after 36 months, 32% with known clients, 62% with unknown clients; after 48 months, 62% with known clients, 87% with unknown clients. Behavioural change increased with known clients with advancement of project.
Lessons learned: Using condom with known clients is more important indicator in behaviour change. This component is often ignored in computing condom usage behaviour of SWs. Towards this difficult behavioural change, unique, independent, locally developed strategies to be used and monitored.
Recommendations: SWs are major risk group for targeted interventions. In working with this category, separate strategy for condom-usage bahavioural-change with known/unknown clients to be developed. From the beginning, these two indicators should be separately studied.
AIDS 2006 - XVI International AIDS Conference
Abstract no.
THPE0655
Suggested Citation
"M.Rajendran, et al.
Behavioural change for condom use by male and female sex workers – a missing vital link.
:
AIDS 2006 - XVI International AIDS Conference:
Abstract no.
THPE0655"
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