Summary Report: Behavioural Surveillance Survey in Gujarat, India: Part 10

The reported condom use during last sexual intercourse with a female non-regular partner was low. It was 32% among diamond industry workers and 16% among male clients. Condom use was lowest among male slum dwellers (11%). A larger proportion of the university students (58%) had said that they had used condoms during their last sex with a female non-regular partner. The difference between condom use with a FSW and non-regular partner was least among the university students at 13% and was highest among clients of sex workers at 72%. Only the clients of sex workers had reported condom use (20%) during last sexual intercourse with a male partner.

Consistent condom use

The consistent condom use over the preceding year as reported by all groups was considerably lower than condom use during their last sexual intercourse.

The pattern here was similar to the pattern reported on condom use during last sexual intercourse. The percentage of clients of sex workers who had reported consistent use of condoms was 66%, which was higher than that reported by other sub-groups (Figure 11).

Similarly, just as in the previous section, the reported consistent condom use with non-regular partners was lower than that with female sex workers.

Knowledge indicators

Knowledge of methods to prevent transmission of HIV

Only 28% of the working female slum dwellers had heard about HIV/AIDS. Except for clients of sex workers (71%) and university students (75%), the proportion of respondents who knew that using condoms could prevent HIV infection was low among other groups. More clients of sex workers had mentioned "not using used syringes" (30%) as a way to prevent HIV infection than mutually faithful relationship between HIV negative partners (17%). Seventy five percent university students had said that a mutually monogamous relationship would prevent HIV infection. The percentage of other respondents who had stated the same way to prevent HIV infection ranged between 14% and 35% (Table 3).

Table 3: Knowledge of methods to prevent transmission of HIV

Forty-two percent male university students also mentioned that using tested blood prevented HIV infection and 81% respondents in this age group had said that creating awareness would prevent HIV infection.

STI Knowledge – that consistent condom use can prevent STIs

The knowledge that condom use prevented STI was highest among students (66%) and male clients (56%) (Figure 12). This proportion was similar to those who had knowledge about HIV prevention. Similarly, a higher percentage of university students (58%) had cited mutual monogamy as a means to prevent STI as compared to those who stated condom use as a preventive measure.

Other findings

Age at first sexual intercourse

The reported mean age at first sexual intercourse ranged from 17 years among FSWs to 19 years amongst the clients of FSW. It was 20 years for diamond industry workers and male slum dwellers, 19 years for male university students and 17 years for working female slum dwellers.

About 6% female sex workers and 8% of the working female slum dwellers had said that they had their first sexual intercourse below 15 years of age. A little more than half the sex workers had first sexual intercourse between the ages of 15 and 17 years (Figure 13). For all the male groups, however, about half in each group had their first sexual intercourse between the ages of 18 and 20 years.