Demographics, Sexual orientation and sexual behaviors of middle aged and elderly samples of Men who have sex with men in urban India recruited through conventional outreach methods

As a function of globalization and AIDS pandemic ,issues related to global health have become a major area of research. India has the second largest HIV/AIDS infected population in the world. Although literature like “Kamasutra” makes it clear that homosexual behavior has long been a part of ancient India's culture, there is scanty research on Men who have sex with men (MSM) in India and thus the health risks this population poses to sexual health have been largely ignored. The current paper presents findings of series of interviews of 182 middle aged and elderly MSM( age range 35-68) recruited from public cruising areas and/ or through social networks in India over three years period. The transcripts of these interviews are analyzed to provide information on :1) Nature and contexts of first same sex encounter 2) The nature and contexts of their current homosexual encounters and its impact on self and family 3) Views on sexual identity 4) Sexual health and behavior. These samples have great difficulty relating to the Western paradigms of sexual orientation and are married. Additionally, they report having multiple one time partners and a lack of privacy and space. These factors translate into high risk sexual behaviors among this sample. The results will throw lights on the prevailing socio-cultural norms in India and its impact on the sexual behaviors and identity of these individuals who have grown up in a more rigid traditional settings and are now facing the impact of growing socio-economic connectivity with the West.