Assessing HIV and AIDS information needs of the General public using a telephone hotline in Yangon

To reduce the further spread of HIV infection and its impact on the society through the dissemination of correct information about HIV transmission and prevention in a confidential and anonymous discussion over the telephone and to assess information needs of people calling the hotline, a hotline number was advertised in three major journals and in one news paper for December 1, World AIDS day. the counsellors took note of demographic characteristics and reason for calling the hotline. A simple questionnaire was filled up by the counsellors to reflect demographic characteristics as well as behaviour risk of callers. The data gathered was analyzed using the software EpiInfo 6. Only calls during World AIDS Day were analyzed. Out of 74 calls on world AIDS Day, most of the callers were males and the mean age of female callers was 26.32 years, while males was 31.52 years, Majority of the callers were in their 20's (47 per cent) and 30's (21 per cent). Most of the callers were single. Regarding the risk practices, (26 per cent) admitted risk behaviour of whom 52 per cent said that they had multiple sexual partners, while nearly a quarter of callers said they injected drugs (21 per cent) and a quarter said they had sexual partners who had multiple sexual partners (26 per cent). When they talk about condom use, most of the young male callers asked about how to use condom properly. Regarding HIV/AIDS knowledge more than half of the callers had misconception about the basic information about HIV/AIDS. More than two thirds of the callers wanted to know how HIV is transmitted and prevented. Some of the callers expressed concern about their feelings towards the disease and some were concerned about their own personal behaviours that could put them at risk for infection. almost a quarter asked about the HIV/AIDS services available in Yangon. At least one hotline service should be established to disseminate the HIV AIDS information and also for the people who are worried about their risks. The anonymity of the conversations in the hotline might encourage people to discuss freely their sexual activities.

KAP study on HIV/AIDS among fishermen, traders, drug abusers and commercial sex workers in kawthaung township (September 1993)

As a baseline study for implementing an intervention programme for HIV/AIDS/STD prevention in Kawthaung area, a combined team of members of Myanmar Medical Association and World Vision International conducted a KAP study on HIV/AIDS among 213 fishsermen, 263 traders, 24 drug abusers and 31 commercial sex workers in September 1993. The results of this study showed that a substantial proportion of all study groups had some correct but incomplete knowledge on transmission and prevention of HIV/AIDS whereas a high proportion of these groups was still practising risk behaviours concerning sex and drugs. Only 8.5 to 12.5 percent of males inteviewed in this study regularly used condoms during sexual intercourse outside their marriage. For history of getting STD, it was foound that as much as 74.2 percent of CSWs had STD in the pats. CSWs also had the highest proportion of drug abuse 45.2 percent. Among male respondents, 13.2 percent of fishermen, 9.5 percent of traders and 20.8 percent of drug abusers had homosexual experience. The risk of getting HIV.AIDS and STD was high among all these study groups irrespective of their marital status.