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smokers, hotel, brothel, street based commercial sex workers, casual sex
workers, so called sex workers, violence, exploitation, Rainbow Nari O
Shishu Kallyan Foundation, Mohammad Khairul Alam
Mohammad Khairul
Alam
Executive Director
Rainbow Nari O
Shishu Kallyan Foundation
24/3 M.C. Roy Lane
Dhaka-122
Bangladesh
rainbowngo@gmail.com
www.newsletter.com.bd
Tell: 880-2-8628908
Mobile: 01711344997
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The issue of AIDS in
India: Sex
Workers and Truck Drivers are playing vital roles
AIDS has become a
global crisis. As of the end of 2005, an estimated 42 million people
worldwide - 38 million adults and about 3 million children younger than 15
years - were living with HIV/AIDS. Approximately two-thirds of these people
live in Sub-Saharan Africa; another 18 percent live in
Asia and the Pacific.
The pandemic kills millions, destroys families and communities and renders
millions of children parentless. It threatens the social and economic fabric
of many nations.
It is generally
accepted that truck drivers have been and continue to be a main force in the
spread of HIV to epidemic proportions. Truck driver’s work long hours on the
road and often spend several days in one place clearing customs or resolving
mechanical problems. Seeking entertainment, they turn to sex with women or
girls in the prostitution or floating sex workers who are at high risk of
being HIV/AID positive and transmitting HIV to the drivers. As a result, the
drivers have high rates of HIV. Their highly mobile lifestyle requires a lot
of travel. In other stopover town locations they visit other commercial
male/female sex workers thereby potentially transmitting the virus. In
addition, many of the truck drivers are married and also have girlfriends
(commercial sex partner) who are likely to become infected with HIV and
become a pool in their local communities.
Truck drivers and
commercial sex workers constitute core transmitter populations of HIV/AIDS
throughout
India. The sexual interactions between these particular groups are conducive
to rapid population-wide HIV/AIDS transmission. Other evidence supports the
view HIV was introduced to Indian populations with pre-existing patterns of
sexual behavior that have long been susceptible to high STI/STDs rates.
Sexual encounters
between truck drivers and commercial sex workers are the basis of
transmission of HIV in
India. While, almost
all truck drivers (98%) have heard of HIV/AIDS. The extent of knowledge
about specific aspects of HIV/AIDS was less consistent. Correct knowledge of
transmission by sexual contact was found in two-third (Bombay). Several
studies have attempted to elucidate the percentage of truck drivers who
actually do have sex with Commercial sex workers (CSWs) and if so, how often
they do. 80% of the truck drivers are frequenting CSW.
Commercial sex workers
(CSWs) have sex with different populations of men depending on their class.
Some of the CSWs contacts were with regular partners. CSWs tend to be a
highly mobile population and one of the main factors placing CSWs in
high-risk categories is that they have multiple partners. Usage of condoms
is still low among the truck driver population; however, it seems to be
increasing. Ever usage of condoms seems to range between 25 and 60 percent.
Knowledge surrounding condom use seems to be uneven. 90% of the truck
drivers know condoms prevent transmission of HIV, many drivers were not
aware of the proper storage techniques nor proper usage.
The classification of
the partners of truck drivers is complex and not standardized across studies
nor, at times, within studies. Distinguishing between a casual and regular
partner is often ambiguous. Many truck drivers report that they have had
large numbers of sexual partners. About one-third of the drivers reported
more than 50 lifetime partners. The number of partners in the recent past
indicates a driver’s current sexual behavior trend.
A recent survey in
Bangladeshi track drivers conduct by Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan
Foundation, found that 80% track driver in Bangladesh have no clear concept
of HIV or AIDS. But 90% respond it is a deadly disease.
India
is the second largest HIV/AIDS infected country in the world, more then 5.2
million people are living with AIDS or HIV.
India
is a neighboring country of Bangladesh, every day many people cross border
movement take place both officially and also illegally. Due to reason of
that great chance to spread out HIV/AIDS in Bangladesh.
Reference: UNAIDS,
UNICEF, World Bank
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