Summary Report: Behavioural Surveillance Survey in Healthy Highway Project, India: Part 9

Analysis of high-risk behaviour among the sub-groups in the male segments in various age groups had indicated that such behaviour was highest among respondents aged 18-24 years. In this age group, 54% truck drivers, 51% truck helpers and 33% stationary workers had reported sex with FSWs. Thirty-two percent truck drivers and stationary workers each and, 29% truck helpers in the same age group had said that they had sex with non-regular partners (Figure 1).

Number of commercial sexual partners during the preceding year: The median numbers of commercial sexual partners were 3 among truck drivers, 2 among truck helpers and 1 among stationary workers. A total of 22% truck drivers, 28% truck helpers and 45% stationary workers had reported having had one commercial partner during the preceding year. Twenty percent truck drivers, 15% truck helpers and 4% stationary workers had said that they had 6-10 different sexual partners during the same period (Table 3).

Table 3: Reported number of commercial sexual partners during the preceding year among male respondents – all India analysis

Number of non-regular partners during the preceding year: Seventy-five percent truck drivers and stationary workers each and 72% truck helpers had said that they had one non-regular partner during the last 12 months. A total of 17% truck drivers, 22% truck helpers and 20% stationary workers had reported having had 2-3 different non-regular partners during the same period while the remaining respondents had stated that they had more than 3 such partners. A total of 40-52% respondents from the three male segments had said that their frequency of sex with non-regular partner during the preceding month ranged from one to three encounters.

Condom use with commercial sexual partners

Majority of the respondents in all the three male segments had said that they had used condoms at least sometimes with a commercial partner during the preceding year. A total of 43% truck drivers, 29% truck helpers and 31% stationary workers had reported having used condom during every commercial sex. The proportion of respondents who had said that they had never used a condom was highest among stationary workers (42%) and lowest among truck drivers (21%) as shown in Figure 2.

The reported use of condom during the last sex was higher than the reported consistent use of condoms during the preceding year. It was 67% among truck drivers, 53% among truck helpers and 45% among stationary workers.

Condom use with non-regular partners

The proportion of respondents who had said that they had never used condoms with a non-regular partner during the preceding year was higher than those who had reported such high-risk behaviour with commercial partners. Fifty-one percent truck drivers and 62 % truck helpers and stationary workers each had stated that they had never used condoms with a non-regular partner during the preceding year.

When asked about condom use during last sex with a non-regular partner, 64% truck drivers, 71% truck helpers and 74% stationary workers had said that they had not used condoms during this sexual act.

Knowledge indicators

The study indicated that the awareness of HIV/AIDS was highest among truck drivers (95%). It was 87% among truck helpers and 85% among stationary workers. Awareness of STIs was lower in all the sub-groups. It was 77% among truck drivers, 62% among truck helpers and 61% among stationary workers (Figure 3).