Winder RV; International Conference on AIDS (15th : 2004 : Bangkok, Thailand).

Int Conf AIDS. 2004 Jul 11-16; 15: abstract no. ThPeD7611.

Action for AIDS Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

Issues: The number of men who have sex with men (MSM) testing HIV-positive in Singapore has been steadily rising in recent years, the outcome of either lower levels of safer sex practices or of higher levels of HIV testing. Organising a new HIV/STI prevention programme to deal with this required a clearer understanding of the situation before intervention measures could be planned. Description: In order to have a better understanding of sexual health-related knowledge, practices and behaviour, a research project was conducted from August 2002 to February 2003. This project involved focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and a questionnaire survey involving 1,291 respondents. Topics covered within the project included sexual practices, STI, HIV/AIDS-related knowledge and attitudes, and HIV testing patterns. Lessons learned: The research project has helped to identify more vulnerable sub-groups and areas of concern that need to be addressed in forthcoming intervention measures. Briefly, the vulnerable sub-groups include less-educated MSM, those below the age of 21, and one of the ethnic groups. Among the main areas of concern are the significant frequency of unsafe sexual practices, both with boyfriends and casual partners, the use of no lubricant or less appropriate lubricants with condoms, worrying reasons for not using condoms, low levels of HIV testing, significant ignorance of anonymous HIV testing site options, and inaccurate risk assessments of actual and perceived modes of HIV transmission. Recommendations: The results of the project have been used to inform and guide subsequent intervention measures, including the development of fresh IEC material tackling issues identified as problematic in the survey, and identifying appropriate channels for reaching out to various sub-groups. An evaluation survey will also be conducted to investigate the efficacy of these recent intervention measures.

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
• Attitude
• Condoms
• HIV Infections
• HIV Seropositivity
• Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
• Humans
• Interviews as Topic
• Knowledge
• Male
• Questionnaires
• Safe Sex
• Singapore

Other ID:

• GWAIDS0037170

UI: 102281386

From Meeting Abstracts