246216 Assessing risk behaviors for HIV/AIDS among migrant populations

Monday, October 31, 2011: 3:24 PM

Madhulekha Bhattacharya, MD , ¬National Institute of Health &Family Welfare, New Delshi, India
Monika Sawhney, PhD , Assistant Professor, Department of Interdisciplinary Studies/Global Health, Mercer University, Macon, GA
Introduction Poverty and lack of employment opportunities drive young men to search for a living in big cities. Lack of kin, money, and an unknown cultural environment increase the vulnerability of these men into behaviours which may result in acquiring addictions, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS. Objective Identify and assess the sociodemographic factors, influence of social networking, addictions and risk behaviours, knowledge about HIV/AIDS/STIs and treatment seeking behaviours among migrant population. Methodology Study is conducted in industrial area of east Delhi on 401 migrants mostly from the surrounding states of northern India using a questionnaire and focus group discussion. Systematic random sampling was done to collect data on vairous social, economic and behavioral aspects . Results 56% of the respondents used alcohol and while 60% chewed tobacco – these habits were reported to have picked from friends and peers in New Delhi. 14% visited video parlour and 27% watched pornography. Commercial Sex Workers (CSW) were visited by 21% but 27%had multiple sex partners between 2--5. Sex for money and gambling were other recreational activities. 50% reported having knowledge about HIV/AIDS and 25% reported condom use though only 3% had been counselled for HIV/AIDS. 53% received treatment from private sector while 25% utilised government facilities. Conclusion Lack of knowledge reagarding HIV/AIDS, peer pressure, no family support, inadequate social life precipitates risk taking behaviours among migrant population. Strengthing behavioral change communication strategies has to be commensurate with services for healthy living of migrants which will also promote safe sexual behavior.

Learning Areas:
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Program planning
Protection of the public in relation to communicable diseases including prevention or control
Provision of health care to the public
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the risk behaviors for HIV/ADIS among migrant population 2. Discuss strategies to improvise the programs to raise awareness and use of available health services to reduce the rates of HIV/AIDS among migrant population

Keywords: HIV Risk Behavior, Migrant Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have a PhD degree in Public Health and have worked on numerous research assignments and am qualified to work on this research assignment
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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