Key findings
Profile of respondents
Female Sex Workers: The mean age of the female sex workers (FSWs) was 27.7 years. In total, 47 % respondents had stated that they were once married but were divorced/ separated/widowed at the time of the survey, 31% FSWs had said that they were never married. Forty four percent of the sex workers were illiterate and 80% had no other source of income.
Clients of Female Sex Workers: The mean age of the clients of female sex workers was 28.8 years and 77% was literate. Fifty three percent of them were reported to be married, 34% had said that they were unmarried and 15% had said that they were separated, widowed or divorced. The occupational profile of the clients of FSWs ranged from skilled and unskilled categories. For example 27% were autorickshaw/taxi/truck drivers, 29% were manual labourers and 20% were reported to be working in government or private service.
Other sub population groups: The mean age of the male diamond industry workers was 26 years. Only 5% of them were illiterate and 54% of them had studied up to class X and 53% respondents had said that they were married. The mean age of the male slum dwellers was 30.3 years, 14% of them were illiterate and 41% had studied up to class X. In total, 75% of the respondents in this group were married. The mean age of the working female slum dwellers was 30 years, 58% of them were illiterate and 84% were reported to be married. The mean age of the university students living in hostels was 20.9 years.
Indicator measurements
Female Sex Workers and condom use: Ninety six percent FSWs had said that they had one-time clients and 75% had stated that they also had regular clients. Regarding condom usage, 93% sex workers who had one-time clients had reported that these clients used a condom during the last sexual intercourse with them. The corresponding figure for regular clients was 90%.
Other sub population groups and non-regular partners: The percentage of diamond industry workers, university students and male slum dwellers who had sex with non-regular partner was higher than those who had sex with female sex workers. Paid sex or sexual intercourse with a female sex worker was reported by 7% of the male diamond industry workers, 2% of the male slum dwellers and 1% of the university students.
Condom use by male sub population groups: Eighty-eight percent of clients of FSWs had said that they had used condoms during the last sexual intercourse. Of the other sub-populations who had reported having sexual intercourse with a FSW, 75% of the male diamond industry workers, 71% of the university students and 68% of the male slum dwellers had stated that they had used condoms during their last sex.
Other findings
University students: Percentage of students who had said that they had ever had sex was 17.5%. The mean age at first sexual intercourse for the students was 19 years. 12.3% of the students had reported that they had sexual intercourse in the preceding twelve months.
Other sub population groups: The mean age at first sexual intercourse for male clients of female sex workers was 19 years, for male diamond industry workers and male slum dwellers, it was 20 years, was 17 years for working female slum dwellers and female sex workers.
Introduction
HIV/AIDS in Gujarat
Gujarat is classified as Group II State based on the HIV prevalence among adults in the state as measured through sentinel surveillance data. This means that HIV infection had crossed 5% or more among high-risk groups but the infection was below 1% in the low-risk groups. Sentinel surveillance reports in the year 2000 had indicated that the prevalence of HIV infection among STI patients (which represents the high-risk group) was 4.65 and among women attending antenatal clinics (which represents the low-risk group) was 0.5. The prevalence of HIV among these groups was higher in the districts of Ahmedabad, Baroda and Surat as compared to other districts in the state.
Prevention activities by the State AIDS Control Society
The Gujarat State AIDS Cell was established to prevent and control the spread of HIV infection in the state. The initial activities included ensuring blood safety in the state, training of health care providers in the public sector in the syndromic management of sexually transmitted diseases, strengthening of public STI clinics and provision of counselling services in these clinics. In order to create awareness in the public regarding HIV/AIDS, campaigns had been conducted using TV, radio, print media and folk art forms. The thrust of the programme, however, had shifted from creating awareness to changing behaviour through interventions in populations at high risk of contracting and spreading HIV/AIDS in the general community.
