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Abstract
Addressing misconceptions & negative moral judgements against males who have sex with males among medical practitioners in Lucknow, India
I. Khan1, A. Jafar2
Background: From experience medical services providing traetment for sexually transmitted infections along with other medical practitioners hold a range of negative beliefs and myths around same sex behavior and gender performance of some males which reduces accessibilty to such medical services by MSMs particularly around STI treatment and volunatry HIV testing and counselling.
Methods: A series of 18 workhops for medical practitioners (80% STI treatment and 20% general medical practitioners) with 300 paricipants have been conducted. These sensitaisation workshops explored the issue of male to male sex and HIV - risk and vulnerabities. Addressing many of the myths being held including its unnnaturalness, the concept of being a western phenomenon and the nature of Indian masculinity that shapes male to male sex in India. A pre workshop questionnaire was developed to identify the myths, misconceptions of the partcipants. And the same questionnaire was used following the workshop as a comparision.
Results: 300 participants took part in these workshopsA post and pre workshop questionnaire was given to the participants. After question/answer session a set of questioner prepared by Bharosa Trust had been distributed. Every questionnaire has only six questions, which focused on Sexual Health of MSM.
Before the start of the workshop about 62.33% believed that homosexuality was abnormal and a disesae. Following the workshop, only 18.3% believedhomoseualty as abnormal and a disease.
Conclusions: There needs a study to be conducted to find out that why that 18% still hold on their belief.
AIDS 2008 - XVII International AIDS Conference
Abstract no.
CDC0852
Suggested Citation
"I.Khan, et al.
Addressing misconceptions & negative moral judgements against males who have sex with males among medical practitioners in Lucknow, India.
:
AIDS 2008 - XVII International AIDS Conference:
Abstract no.
CDC0852"
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