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Understanding Barriers To Community Participation In Hiv And Aids Services: Summary Report, Population Council, Health Systems Trust
Understanding Barriers To Community Participation In Hiv And Aids Services: Summary Report, Population Council, Health Systems Trust
HIV and AIDS
In 2003, South Africa announced its intention to roll out possibly the largest HIV and AIDS treatment program in the world. Much attention is currently focused on supply-side issues, particularly drug procurement and pricing. Far less attention has been paid to demand for and delivery of treatment, care, and support services. Further, although the role of the community and community organizations is articulated in government policy there has been little active engagement with NGOs on the development of these roles or on how to encourage community organizations to support and participate in the antiretroviral (ARV) rollout. This study collected data …
Technical Assistance To Organizations In Guinea Seeking To Reduce Female Genital Cutting, Nafissatou J. Diop
Technical Assistance To Organizations In Guinea Seeking To Reduce Female Genital Cutting, Nafissatou J. Diop
Reproductive Health
This reports details the technical assistance the Population Council’s FRONTIERS program provided to WHO’s Africa Bureau to implement a project addressing medicalization of female genital cutting (FGC), and to support Tostan in replicating its program in Guinea. Technical assistance had several aims: to improve the effectiveness of strategies to abandon FGC in Guinea, to assist WHO in developing and implementing a project to reduce FGC medicalization by health providers, to build the capacity of Guinean organizations to appropriately monitor and evaluate their FGC-related activities, and to enable the Comité de Lutte contre les Pratiques Traditionnelles portant Atteinte aux Femmes (CPTAFE) …
Fewer And Better-Educated Children: Expanded Choices In Schooling And Fertility In Rural Pakistan, Zeba Sathar, Cynthia B. Lloyd, Minhaj Ul Haque, Mumraiz Khan, Monica J. Grant
Fewer And Better-Educated Children: Expanded Choices In Schooling And Fertility In Rural Pakistan, Zeba Sathar, Cynthia B. Lloyd, Minhaj Ul Haque, Mumraiz Khan, Monica J. Grant
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This report presents the results of a longitudinal study of changing educational opportunities in rural Punjab and N.W.F.P. from 1997 to 2004. The purpose of the study was to answer two major research questions: what were the effects of changes in schooling opportunities in the community over the past six years on enrollment and attainment, and what were the effects on family planning and fertility behavior? This study builds on an earlier study undertaken in 1997. As noted in this report, the study is innovative in several ways: (1) it is longitudinal; (2) it combines consideration of three dimensions of …
Strategies For Encouraging The Abandonment Of Female Genital Cutting In West Africa: Experiences From Senegal, Burkina Faso, And Mali, Nafissatou J. Diop, Ian Askew
Strategies For Encouraging The Abandonment Of Female Genital Cutting In West Africa: Experiences From Senegal, Burkina Faso, And Mali, Nafissatou J. Diop, Ian Askew
Reproductive Health
This article explores efforts to encourage abandonment of female genital cutting (FGC) in Senegal, Burkina Faso, and Mali. The strategy of encouraging traditional practitioners to stop performing FGC is not effective as community-level support for the practice remains high. Training health staff significantly improved healthcare providers' levels of knowledge about FGC and its complications. Consequently, it was recommended that such training be incorporated into preservice medical training. The use of community-based strategies like the Village Education Program (VEP) showed the most promise, as their multifaceted approach addresses knowledge, attitudes, actions, and communal support in an integrated manner. The way forward …
Understanding The Hiv/Sti Prevention Needs Of Men Who Have Sex With Men In Kenya, Washington Onyango-Ouma, Harriet Birungi, Scott Geibel
Understanding The Hiv/Sti Prevention Needs Of Men Who Have Sex With Men In Kenya, Washington Onyango-Ouma, Harriet Birungi, Scott Geibel
HIV and AIDS
Understanding the sexual behaviors of populations who are vulnerable to HIV is an important component in the battle against AIDS. Yet policymakers in developing countries, particularly in Africa, have often overlooked men who have sex with men (MSM) as a vulnerable group because of stigmatization of homosexual behavior and denial of the existence of MSM and the role they may play in HIV transmission. A growing body of literature not only documents the presence of this population in Africa but also the importance of reaching them with information and services to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In …
Expanding Pediatric Access To Antiretroviral Therapy In South Africa, Desiree Michaels, Brian Eley, Lewis Ndhlovu, Naomi Rutenberg, Hena Khan
Expanding Pediatric Access To Antiretroviral Therapy In South Africa, Desiree Michaels, Brian Eley, Lewis Ndhlovu, Naomi Rutenberg, Hena Khan
HIV and AIDS
In sub-Saharan Africa, AIDS has become one of the leading causes of death among children under the age of five years. Yet, despite increased availability of antiretroviral therapy (ART), children have been largely ignored or excluded from treatment initiatives. While efforts to get more children on treatment are increasing, important information is lacking to guide program and policy implementation. To address these gaps, the Horizons Program and the University of Cape Town conducted a rapid situational analysis in 2005 of pediatric HIV treatment sites in South Africa. In 2003, the South African government approved a plan for a national HIV …
Understanding Barriers To Community Participation In Hiv And Aids Services: Final Report, Ashnie Padarath, Catherine Searle, Eka Esu-Williams
Understanding Barriers To Community Participation In Hiv And Aids Services: Final Report, Ashnie Padarath, Catherine Searle, Eka Esu-Williams
HIV and AIDS
In 2003, South Africa announced its intention to roll out possibly the largest HIV and AIDS treatment program in the world. Much attention is currently focused on supply-side issues, particularly drug procurement and pricing. Far less attention has been paid to demand for and delivery of treatment, care, and support services. Further, although the role of the community and community organizations is articulated in government policy there has been little active engagement with NGOs on the development of these roles or how to encourage community organizations to support and participate in the antiretroviral (ARV) rollout. As noted in this final …
Context And Dynamics Of Same-Sex Behavior Among Long-Distance Truckers In India: Findings From Qualitative Research, Vaishali Sharma Mahendra, Ravi K. Verma, Pertti J. Pelto, Sarat Chandra Pradhan, Vibha Singh, Asha Rao, Tarun Vij
Context And Dynamics Of Same-Sex Behavior Among Long-Distance Truckers In India: Findings From Qualitative Research, Vaishali Sharma Mahendra, Ravi K. Verma, Pertti J. Pelto, Sarat Chandra Pradhan, Vibha Singh, Asha Rao, Tarun Vij
HIV and AIDS
It is well established that truckers (drivers and helpers) have higher rates of nonmarital sex than any other occupational group. Because of this multipartner sexual activity, truckers form a key group of prevention efforts for HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Thus far, HIV/STI prevention interventions for truckers have been geared to providing risk-reduction information and services within a heterosexual context. Recent evidence suggests that a significant number of truckers engage in male-to-male (MSM) sexual activity that has implications for HIV/STI transmission. Therefore, information on the nature and extent of MSM activity among these populations is urgently needed for the …
Reducing Stigma And Discrimination In Hospitals: Positive Findings From India, Vaishali Sharma Mahendra, Laelia Gilborn, Bitra George, Luke Samson, Rupa Mudoi, Sarita Jadav, Indrani Gupta, Shalini Bharat, Celine Daly
Reducing Stigma And Discrimination In Hospitals: Positive Findings From India, Vaishali Sharma Mahendra, Laelia Gilborn, Bitra George, Luke Samson, Rupa Mudoi, Sarita Jadav, Indrani Gupta, Shalini Bharat, Celine Daly
HIV and AIDS
People living with HIV (PLHIV) in India face stigma and discrimination in a variety of contexts. Stigma and discrimination against HIV-positive people is common in hospitals and acts as a barrier to seeking and receiving critical treatment and care services. Three New Delhi hospitals, SHARAN, and the Horizons Program collaborated on an operations research project to assess responses to hospital-based stigma and discrimination against PLHIV. A baseline survey to measure HIV/AIDS-related attitudes, knowledge, and practices was conducted in 2000 with a random sample of 884 health workers from four departments: medicine, STD and skin, obstetrics and gynecology, and surgery. Based …
Female Genital Mutilation In Kenya: Evidence Links Health Workers To Fgm, Population Council, Gtz
Female Genital Mutilation In Kenya: Evidence Links Health Workers To Fgm, Population Council, Gtz
Reproductive Health
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a traditional practice that affects women and girls in several African countries. It is practiced in a variety of ways, classified by WHO into four broad types all found in Kenya. In some communities it is associated with passage into maturity; in others, it is considered a symbol of ethnic identity, a religious obligation, or a necessary prerequisite for marriage, either through symbolizing attainment of womanhood or as a means of preserving and demonstrating virginity. FGM is considered a harmful traditional practice because it may be associated with a variety of short- and long-term health …
Safe Motherhood Applied Research And Training (Smart) Report 2: The Interventions, Abdul Wajid, Zakir Hussain Shah, Ashfa Hashmi, Zeba Tasneem, Lubna Shireen
Safe Motherhood Applied Research And Training (Smart) Report 2: The Interventions, Abdul Wajid, Zakir Hussain Shah, Ashfa Hashmi, Zeba Tasneem, Lubna Shireen
Reproductive Health
The Safe Motherhood Applied Research and Training (SMART) project, an operations research project designed to develop and test interventions to reduce maternal, perinatal, and neonatal mortality and morbidity in predominantly rural districts of Pakistan, was a three-year project (2003 to 2006) funded by the European Union. The study area was in the district of Dera Ghazi Khan; the control area was in the district of Layyah. The project focused on three areas to accomplish its goals: empowering women to seek appropriate and timely general, maternal, and newborn care; supporting methods that encourage men to play a positive and active role …
Safe Motherhood Applied Research And Training (Smart) Report 1: Project Overview, Gul Rashida, Peter C. Miller
Safe Motherhood Applied Research And Training (Smart) Report 1: Project Overview, Gul Rashida, Peter C. Miller
Reproductive Health
Maternal mortality in Pakistan is believed to be quite high, at about 350–500 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Reducing maternal mortality is one of the major objectives of the Government of Pakistan. Interventions required to address maternal mortality include safe motherhood, which means a woman’s ability to have a safe and healthy pregnancy and delivery. The Safe Motherhood Applied Research and Training (SMART) project was an operations research project designed to develop and test interventions to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality in a predominantly rural district of Pakistan. The vast majority of maternal deaths are attributed to delays in …
Safe Motherhood Applied Research And Training (Smart) Report 3: Changes In Knowledge And Behavior Of Women And Families, Muhammad Shafique Arif, Peter C. Miller, Nayyer Munir, Irfan Masood
Safe Motherhood Applied Research And Training (Smart) Report 3: Changes In Knowledge And Behavior Of Women And Families, Muhammad Shafique Arif, Peter C. Miller, Nayyer Munir, Irfan Masood
Reproductive Health
The Safe Motherhood Applied Research and Training (SMART) project was conceived as an operations research project designed to test the effectiveness of two different strategies for improving maternal and neonatal health in Pakistan. To evaluate the results of this test, several types of evaluative research were conducted, including qualitative studies of various types, health systems assessments, evaluations of specific components, and household surveys. The household surveys are the subject of this report, which is Report 3 (Changes in knowledge and behavior of women and families) in a series of six. The surveys are two types: a large-scale, before-after household survey …
Facts About Adolescents From The Demographic And Health Survey—Statistical Tables For Program Planning: Nigeria 2003, Population Council
Facts About Adolescents From The Demographic And Health Survey—Statistical Tables For Program Planning: Nigeria 2003, Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
The Population Council initiated its work on adolescents in the mid-1990s. At that time, those advocating greater attention to adolescent issues were concerned about adolescent fertility—particularly outside of marriage—and adolescent “risk-taking” behavior. As an international scientific organization with its mandate centered around the needs of developing countries, the Council sought a more nuanced and context-specific understanding of the problems confronting adolescents in the developing world. In working with colleagues inside and outside the Council, it became clear that information on adolescents, and the way data are organized, were limiting the ability to understand the diversity of their experiences or to …
Biruh Tesfa ('Bright Future'): A Program For Poor, Urban Girls At Risk Of Exploitation And Abuse In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Population Council
Biruh Tesfa ('Bright Future'): A Program For Poor, Urban Girls At Risk Of Exploitation And Abuse In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Low-income and slum areas in urban sub-Saharan Africa attract large numbers of rural-urban migrants in search of work and educational opportunities. Many are adolescents from poor rural areas, who risk the hazards of life in the slums in hopes of carving out a better life. These girls arrive knowing little about life in dense urban centers, often with little or no education, and no family members or friends to turn to. Many new arrivals are initially absorbed into domestic work; some eventually drift into sex work either for lack of choice or in pursuit of better pay and fewer working …
Providing New Opportunities To Adolescent Girls In Socially Conservative Settings: The Ishraq Program In Rural Upper Egypt, Martha Brady, Ragui Assaad, Barbara L. Ibrahim, Abeer Salem, Rania Salem, Nadia Zibani
Providing New Opportunities To Adolescent Girls In Socially Conservative Settings: The Ishraq Program In Rural Upper Egypt, Martha Brady, Ragui Assaad, Barbara L. Ibrahim, Abeer Salem, Rania Salem, Nadia Zibani
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Out-of-school girls are among the most disadvantaged adolescents in rural Upper Egypt. Compared with girls attending school, they are more likely to be engaged in poorly paid farm work, more likely to be married early, and at greater risk for early childbearing and poor pregnancy outcomes. To respond to their situation, through the partnership of Caritas, the Center for Development and Population Activities, the Population Council, and Save the Children, the Ishraq program was designed: a holistic intervention to address the unmet needs of out-of-school adolescent girls. The pilot phase of Ishraq was launched in four rural villages of one …
Berhane Hewan ('Light For Eve'): A Program To Support Married And Unmarried Adolescent Girls In Rural Amhara Region, Ethiopia, Population Council
Berhane Hewan ('Light For Eve'): A Program To Support Married And Unmarried Adolescent Girls In Rural Amhara Region, Ethiopia, Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Berhane Hewan (meaning “Light for Eve” in Amharic) is a program in rural Amhara region designed to assist unmarried girls by imparting the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to avoid child marriage as well as give support to adolescent girls who are already married. With support from UNFPA, DFID, and the Turner Foundation, the program is implemented by the Ministry of Youth and Sport and the Regional Youth Bureaus, with technical assistance from the Population Council. The program promotes functional literacy, life skills, livelihoods skills, and reproductive health education. In developing the project, the Regional Youth Bureau staff felt …
Measuring Women's Work: A Methodological Exploration, Ray Langsten, Rania Salem
Measuring Women's Work: A Methodological Exploration, Ray Langsten, Rania Salem
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
In this working paper, the authors contrast two approaches to the measurement of women’s work applied to the same population of ever-married women. These women were interviewed on two occasions—first during the 2003 Interim Egypt DHS, and again during the Slow Fertility Transition (SFT) survey conducted in 2004. The DHS uses a standard keyword question to measure work, while the SFT employs an activities list question format. The authors argue that the widely used keyword approaches to measuring women’s work underestimate the level of female labor force activity. They demonstrate that the activities list approach captures a wider range of …
Facts About Adolescents From The Demographic And Health Survey—Statistical Tables For Program Planning: Malawi 2000, Population Council
Facts About Adolescents From The Demographic And Health Survey—Statistical Tables For Program Planning: Malawi 2000, Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
The Population Council initiated its work on adolescents in the mid-1990s. At that time, those advocating greater attention to adolescent issues were concerned about adolescent fertility—particularly outside of marriage—and adolescent “risk-taking” behavior. As an international scientific organization with its mandate centered around the needs of developing countries, the Council sought a more nuanced and context-specific understanding of the problems confronting adolescents in the developing world. In working with colleagues inside and outside the Council, it became clear that information on adolescents, and the way data are organized, were limiting the ability to understand the diversity of their experiences or to …
Integrating Adolescent Livelihood Activities Within A Reproductive Health Programme For Urban Slum Dwellers In India, Population Council
Integrating Adolescent Livelihood Activities Within A Reproductive Health Programme For Urban Slum Dwellers In India, Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Although a wide variety of livelihood programs for adult women exist in India, they rarely include adolescent girls. Of those that do, few employ rigorous scientific methods to evaluate program impact. This brief describes a project conducted in slum areas of Allahabad, in Uttar Pradesh. The Population Council, in collaboration with CARE-India, tested the feasibility and impact of adding four livelihoods and life-skill components to a reproductive health program for adolescent girls (both school-going and out-of-school) aged 14–19. Using a quasi-experimental pre- and post-test design that contrasted the experimental group with a comparison group of adolescents, the project investigated whether …
'She Knew Only When The Garland Was Put Around Her Neck': Findings From An Exploratory Study On Early Marriage In Rajasthan, Population Council
'She Knew Only When The Garland Was Put Around Her Neck': Findings From An Exploratory Study On Early Marriage In Rajasthan, Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
In India, despite several policy and program efforts, early marriage persists with considerable variation between and within states. Unraveling the complex drivers of early marriage in particular contexts requires careful site-specific diagnostic research. Whether and how these downward pressures on age at marriage are ameliorated by India's national and state efforts to foster later marriage is not well understood. As noted in this brief, research is required at the community level to understand the extent of actual implementation of various policies and programs intended to prevent early marriage and the extent to which such efforts have found acceptability among parents …
Formation Of Partnerships Among Young Women And Men In Pune District, Maharashtra, Population Council
Formation Of Partnerships Among Young Women And Men In Pune District, Maharashtra, Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Aside from their educational attainment, economic activity levels, and age at marriage, little is known about the lives of young people in India, especially the extent to which and the contexts in which they form romantic, marital, and other partnerships or the nature of these partnerships. At a time when India's youth policy and reproductive and child health programs have acknowledged the need to focus on youth, it is central that these gaps in understanding are filled. The KEM Hospital Research Centre and the Population Council conducted a study in Maharashtra in 2003–05 to obtain information on romantic and sexual …
Youth In India: Situation And Needs Study, Population Council
Youth In India: Situation And Needs Study, Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Youth aged 15–24 represent 20 percent of the Indian population. This cohort faces significant risks related to sexual and reproductive health (SRH), and many lack the knowledge and power to make informed SRH choices. Information on intimate partnerships among youth, female and male, married and unmarried, is sparse and evidence is practically nonexistent that identifies the factors that protect young people's ability to ensure safe SRH and their autonomy to make informed decisions. This brief describes a subnational study of young people's situation and needs that aims to fill these gaps. Six states were selected for study, representing different geographical …
Meeting The Health And Social Needs Of Married Girls In India: The First Time Parents Project's Implementation And Reach, Population Council
Meeting The Health And Social Needs Of Married Girls In India: The First Time Parents Project's Implementation And Reach, Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
India has one of the largest populations of married adolescent girls in the world. Despite the high prevalence of early marriage and the distinct and predictable risks these girls and young women face, little is known about the lives of married young women, and little has been done to support them. In response, the Population Council, in partnership with Child in Need Institute and Deepak Charitable Trust, initiated the First-Time Parents project. This project developed and tested an integrated package of health and social interventions that would improve married young women's reproductive and sexual health knowledge and practices, and expand …
Marriage And Motherhood: An Exploratory Study Of The Social And Reproductive Health Status Of Married Young Women In Gujarat And West Bengal, F. Ram, Ranjana Sinha, S.K. Mohanty, Arup Das, Aruna Lakhani, Nicole Haberland, K.G. Santhya
Marriage And Motherhood: An Exploratory Study Of The Social And Reproductive Health Status Of Married Young Women In Gujarat And West Bengal, F. Ram, Ranjana Sinha, S.K. Mohanty, Arup Das, Aruna Lakhani, Nicole Haberland, K.G. Santhya
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
In India, sexual activity and childbearing among young women take place overwhelmingly within the context of marriage. Despite the high prevalence of early marriage, little is known about the lives of married young women, and few interventions have focused on supporting this group. In response, the Population Council, in partnership with Child In Need Institute in Kolkata (West Bengal) and Deepak Charitable Trust in Vadodara (Gujarat), initiated the First-Time Parents project aimed at developing and testing an integrated package of health and social interventions that would improve married young women’s reproductive and sexual health knowledge and practices, and expand their …
Formation Of Partnerships Among Young Women And Men In Pune District, Maharashtra, Mallika Alexander, Laila Garda, Savita Kanade, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, Bela Ganatra
Formation Of Partnerships Among Young Women And Men In Pune District, Maharashtra, Mallika Alexander, Laila Garda, Savita Kanade, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, Bela Ganatra
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Young people in India face traditional age- and sex-stratified norms that espouse gender double standards. Premarital partnerships are taboo and anecdotal evidence suggests that in many settings in India, the hint of a romantic relationship or even social interaction between young girls and boys is sufficient to damage a family's reputation and/or result in accelerated arranged marriage, particularly for the girl. While there is a prevailing perception at the community level that in these circumstances, premarital partnerships are rare, there is a small body of literature that suggests that such partnerships are indeed formed and sexual relations experienced, among, typically, …
Investing When It Counts: Generating The Evidence Base For Policies And Programmes For Very Young Adolescents—Guide And Tool Kit, Erica Chong, Kelly Hallman, Martha Brady
Investing When It Counts: Generating The Evidence Base For Policies And Programmes For Very Young Adolescents—Guide And Tool Kit, Erica Chong, Kelly Hallman, Martha Brady
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
No abstract provided.
Tap And Reposition Youth (Try): Providing Social Support, Savings, And Microcredit Opportunities For Young Women In Areas With High Hiv Prevalence, Annabel Erulkar, Judith Bruce, Erica Chong, Aleke Dondo, Jennefer Sebstad, James K. Matheka, Arjmand Banu Khan, Anne Gathuku
Tap And Reposition Youth (Try): Providing Social Support, Savings, And Microcredit Opportunities For Young Women In Areas With High Hiv Prevalence, Annabel Erulkar, Judith Bruce, Erica Chong, Aleke Dondo, Jennefer Sebstad, James K. Matheka, Arjmand Banu Khan, Anne Gathuku
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Nairobi, Kenya is home to one of the largest slum populations in sub-Saharan Africa. Adolescents living in these slums, especially girls, are cut off from the potentially protective environments of school and family and lack safe economic opportunities. Unemployment is a major concern for adolescent girls, and desperate circumstances force them to survive however they can: 21 percent of sexually active girls aged 15–19 report exchanging sex for money or gifts. This heightened vulnerability is reflected in rates of HIV infection. In response to these circumstances, the Population Council and microfinance institution K-Rep Development Agency collaborated on the implementation of …
Yaari Dosti: Young Men Redefine Masculinity, A Training Manual, Horizons Program, Coro For Literacy, Mamta, Instituto Promundo
Yaari Dosti: Young Men Redefine Masculinity, A Training Manual, Horizons Program, Coro For Literacy, Mamta, Instituto Promundo
HIV and AIDS
This training manual, developed by the Population Council in collaboration with Instituto PROMUNDO, CORO for Literacy, MAMTA, and DAUD promotes gender equity and addresses masculinity as a strategy for the prevention of HIV. Adapted from the “Program H: Working with Young Men Series” developed in Brazil by Instituto PROMUNDO, it promotes the positive aspects of masculinity, encourages men’s participation in sexual and reproductive health, promotes respect for sexual diversity, and improves understanding of the body and sexuality. In this manual, HIV prevention is addressed within the larger framework of gender roles and relationships. Gender disparity, widely prevalent in Indian society …
Context And Dynamics Of Male-To-Male Sexual Behavior Of Truckers In India: Findings From A Multi-Site Qualitative Research Study, Ravi K. Verma, Vaishali Sharma Mahendra, Pertti J. Pelto, Sarat Chandra Pradhan, Vibha Singh
Context And Dynamics Of Male-To-Male Sexual Behavior Of Truckers In India: Findings From A Multi-Site Qualitative Research Study, Ravi K. Verma, Vaishali Sharma Mahendra, Pertti J. Pelto, Sarat Chandra Pradhan, Vibha Singh
HIV and AIDS
It is well established that truckers (drivers and helpers) have higher rates of nonmarital sex than any other occupational group. Because of this multipartner sexual activity, truckers form a key group for HIV/STI prevention efforts. Thus far, HIV/STI prevention interventions for truckers have been geared to providing risk-reduction information and services within a heterosexual context. Recent evidence suggests that a large number of truckers engage in male-to-male (MSM) sexual activity that has serious implications for HIV/STI transmission. Therefore, information on the nature and extent of MSM activity among these populations is urgently needed for the design and implementation of comprehensive …