AEGiS-14IAC: Towards de-constructing india's emerging msm identities and their implications for hiv/aids prevention and male sexual health.

14th International AIDS Conference


Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

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Towards de-constructing india's emerging msm identities and their implications for hiv/aids prevention and male sexual health.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. F11772)

Row-Kavi A, Anand V, Deshmukh V, Aher A, Kumar G, Shetty V, Anand V, Deshmukh V, Aher A, Aher A
The Humsafar Trust, Mumbai, India

ISSUES: Public health authorities and funders are wary of interventions among msm because of invisibility and absolute numbers. De-constructing msm sector and its most vulnerable sub-populations is the main problem for gay ngos in India.

DESCRIPTION: 'Geography of msm' was developed and deconstructed into highly identifiable sub-groups. Thus, vulnerable populations among msm were pinpointed and focused interventions made possible. A simple model was started and sub-groups added after identifying and working with them. Many groups are already highly visible like hijras and jogtas. Others, clustered around behavior are based on same sex desire. Many are vulnerable because of work-place situations. They were quantified by snowball, delphi or capture-recapture methods to make intervention models more credible and accessible for more focused care and support. LESSONS LEARNT: Identified sub-groups were studied for their overlap in mumbai and noted there was a fluidity that increases the estimated number of vulnerable msm. Though there were significant numbers of men with same-sex desires, it was important to focus on those sub-groups who have unprotected anal sex, multiple partners and stis. baseline studies and qualitative research would facilitate focused interventions.

RECOMMENDATIONS: The emergence of aggressive sub-groups called 'kothis' is leading to polemics. Kothis (from the telegu word meaning 'performing monkeys') are mostly married, highly disempowered and easy to manipulate. This has meant other msm sub-groups not being accessed as kothis try to takeover public spaces and attention. It's now kothi versus more needy segments of MSM making it difficult for interventions among more vulnerable MSM to STIs/HIV/AIDS.

Keywords: AEGIS, HIV Infections, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Homosexuality, Male, HIV Seropositivity, Safe Sex, Sex Behavior, Sexual Partners, Health, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, India, Male, Human, prevention & controlKWDaegis,hivinfections,acquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome,homosexuality,male,hivseropositivity,safesex,sexbehavior,sexualpartners,health,healthknowledge,attitudes,practice,india,male,human,prevention&control

020707
F11772

Copyright © 2002 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.