Study on the knowledge, attitude and HIV transmission behaviors among motorbike taxi drivers in Cau Giay district in 2007

ABSTRACT

Background: Cau Giay is a district within Hanoi city, where diverse people live. Motorbike Taxi Drivers (MTDs) are at high-risk of HIV infection. Objectives: To study the knowledge, attitude and HIV transmission behaviors among MTDs in Cau Giay district. Subjects and method: A cross-sectional study was carried out between March and October 2007 on 250 MTDs who worked at Cau Giay district. Results and conclusions:30.4% MTDs perceived that HIV could not be transmitted to others via sharing nail clippers or scissors with HIV infected people, 42% believed HIV can transmit via mosquito bites, 72% thought the rate of the HIV transmission from mother to child was 100%, 40% were aware that HIV could be recognized from people's appearance. Only 26.5% of the respondents were aware of the 3 main effects of condom use (including prevention from pregnancy, STls and HIV). 83.2% considered HIV/AIDS infected people as social evils such as injecting drug users, Commercial Sex Workers (CSWs). 23.2% MTDs showed are agreeable when being asked to look for CSWs by customers. 12% MTDs agreed to seek out drugs when the customers requested. The survey also reveals that there were 49.2% of MTDs having sex with CSWs within the last 6 months, of which, 58.2% did not regularly practice safe sex with CSWs. Some risk factors included low level of education, time of being MTD >3 years, low income (less than 2,000,000 VND a month), less frequent appraisal books and newspapers. MTDs that were ready to look for CSWs and drugs via customers\u2019 requests also had high risk of using drugs as well as unsafe sex.