Key findings of highway FSWs
Demographic information: The median ages of FSWs in various zones were 28 years each in North and Central zones, 26 years each in East and West zones, 25 years in South zone and 24 years in North-East zone. The proportions of illiterate FSWs were higher in South zone (72%) and East zone (67%) as compared to other zones. It was lowest (48%) in North-East zone.
Behavioural indicators: Majority of the FSWs in all the zones reported first commercial sex between the age of 17-25 years.
Number of different sexual partners: The median number of different sexual partners during the week preceding the survey was highest (27) in South zone and lowest (8) in NorthEast zone.
Condom use with commercial clients: Reported condom use by FSWs for every commercial sex during the preceding week was high in West and South zones (85% and 84% respectively) as compared to other zones. It was lowest (31%) in Central zone. Reported condom use with the last client was 71% in North zone, 62% in East zone, 94% in West zone, 96% in South zone, 54% in Central zone and 77% in North-East zone.
Reported condom use with non-paying partners: The proportion of FSWs who had reported consistent condom use was highest (70%) in the West zone. Reported condom use during the last sex with a non-paying partner was also highest (75%) in West zone and lowest (16%) in Central zone.
Knowledge indicators: Awareness about HIV/AIDS was higher than that of STIs in all the zones except the East zone.
Sexual health: More than 75% FSWs in various zones had said that they did not have genital discharge or ulcer during the preceding year.
Introduction
Orecent times is the prevention and control of acquired-immune deficiency syndrome ne of the most important challenge for health professionals all over the world in (AIDS) caused by human-immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in India, the Government of India launched its National AIDS Control Programme in 1992 with an aim to retard the spread of HIV in order to reduce morbidity, mortality, and mitigate the impact of AIDS epidemic.
More than 75% HIV infections in India are reported to be due to sexual transmission. This is why groups at higher risk of getting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) were considered to be at higher risk of contracting HIV infection also. One of the high-risk groups identified for health promotion interventions was truck drivers and helpers, especially those travelling on trucks having national or inter-state permits.
The Department for International Development (DFID) has been supporting Healthy Highways Project (HHP) along the national highways since 1996. This project has been implemented by various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) all over the country. The HHP was mainly implemented in various major halt points where at least fifty trucks were parked at any time of the day or night. The project components included (a) behavioural change communication (BCC), (b) STI treatment and referral, (c) counselling STI patients and (d) condom promotion.
Behavioural Surveillance Surveys (BSS)
The BSS is a monitoring and evaluation tool designed to track trends in HIV/AIDS related knowledge, attitudes and behaviours in sub-populations at particular risk of HIV infection. The BSS findings provide indicators of success or failure of prevention activities, highlight persistent problem areas, identify appropriate intervention target populations, identify specific behaviours in need of change, function as a policy and advocacy tool and supply comparative data concerning behavioural risks.
The Healthy Highways Project Behavioural Surveillance Survey (HHP-BSS) was conducted by Indian Market Research Bureau (IMRB), which is a leading market research agency, and was identified through a competitive bidding process. The data collection of the survey was completed during February – June 2000.
Objective
The objective of the HHP BSS is to provide repeated measures of behavioural indicators for observing trends in high-risk behaviours in key target groups in the areas covered under the project. The key target groups are truck drivers, truck helpers, stationary workers and highway female sex workers. The first round of BSS serves as a benchmark, and provides baseline measurements of risk behaviours.
Target segments
The study covered the following four segments, which were known to practice high-risk behaviour:
- Truck drivers, who were aged 18 years or more, had 2 or more years of experience as a truck driver, and whose truck had a national or an interstate permit;
- Truck helpers, who were aged less than 50 years, had been a truck helper for at least one year on a truck with national or interstate permit;
- Stationary workers, who were aged 18 - 49 years, worker for 6 months or more, in a service outlet providing services to truck drivers, e.g., dhaba worker, mechanic, loading worker, etc.; and
- Highway Female Sex Worker (FSWs), who was aged 18 years or more and had been doing sex work on the highways for at least six months.
Methodology
The four phases of the methodology included (1) exploratory qualitative phase, (2) pilot interviews, (3) mapping study to develop sampling frame and (4) quantitative phase.
