– study finds

A little over a quarter of in-school youth between the ages of 15 and 19 are sexually active, according to the findings of a recent behavioural surveillance study, which found that just over 50% of them used a condom their first time.

The study, which canvassed 1,590 students in regions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 10, also found that the students are on average around 14 when they first engage in sexual activity, and while 7.6% of them had sex in return for money, gifts or favours, 24.5% were forced.

The findings of the study, which targeted six key groups, are expected to inform Guyana’s response to HIV and AIDS. They were presented yesterday during a one-day workshop at the Regency Hotel, organised for stakeholders who are expected to come up with recommendations.

In addition to in-school youth, the study, funded by the US President Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), also targeted out-of-school youth, men who have sex with men (MSM), commercial sex workers (CSW), the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Guyana Police Force.

Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy yesterday said that the findings would be vital to the country’s response to the virus and he noted that the lack of knowledge has for years been a gap in the HIV response. He added that a vast majority of persons have knowledge about the virus but there is still a “pocket of ignorance” that the health sector has been attempting to address.  “We have to do a better job of addressing those pockets of ignorance in our country,” Ramsammy said. He noted that while “we have done a marvellous job in the fight” the pocket of ignorance can reverse all of the work done. This is due to the fact that too many persons still engage in behaviours that place them at risk and the minister cautioned that more need to be done to ensure a more “robust and effective job” to ensure people use their knowledge. “There needs to be a more dedicated effort in changing people’s behaviours,” the minister said adding that persons need to know that taking risks can lead to them dying prematurely or living a very difficult life for the rest o f their lives. Importantly, the minister observed, more than a third of the country’s population are youth and this group is at risk.

Ramsammy also said the behavioural surveillance studies must become a routine activity of the ministry and should be integrated into the regular budgetary work plan.

Among those in-school youth who are sexually active, almost half of them reported that they had used a condom during sex with regular partners, and 39% used a condom with persons they had sex with for money. Most heard of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections while a little over half knew of all three methods of HIV prevention–abstinence, condom use and fidelity to one partner.

Of the 1,590 out-of-school youth who participated in the survey, 65.8% were sexually active, including 21.4% who had engaged in sexual activity before age 15. Among this group, which had an age range between 15 and 14, the participants were on average aged 16 at the time of their first sexual encounter. The survey also revealed that 20.9% of the respondents were forced to have sex, while among males, 14.4% admitted to forcing someone to have sex. Most heard of HIV and other STIs and 90% thought abstinence could prevent HIV infection.

The findings done among the 203 commercial sex workers involved in the study revealed that while there was a high awareness of HIV, “comprehensive knowledge” on HIV is low. It was found that many of the workers use condoms with their paying partners and that some use alcohol and illicit drugs.

The survey done on MSMs had 131 participants, all of whom were 18 years and over. It was found that alcohol and substance abuse among the group continues to be high. While there was high condom use among the men, most reported to have an average of three commercial partners in the six months leading up to the survey. Most had knowledge of HIV and others STIs and knew of the methods of prevention. A small amount still had some misconceptions of the HIV virus and some practiced stigma and discrimination.

It was found that among the 304 police officers targeted, the use of alcohol was high with almost half of them using less than once a week and one fifth use less than once a month. The officers hardly do yearly medical check-ups and the majority reported having sex with a regular partner compared to non regular and commercial partners. Most used a condom at their last sexual encounter with a non regular partner. A majority of the police officers had knowledge of HIV and rejected the major misconceptions about the virus and expressed accepting attitudes to persons living with the virus.

And among the 231 GDF officers surveyed, a high knowledge of HIV and Aids was found and most have received HIV counselling and testing. Most had used a condom with partners in the six months leading up to the survey. “Risk perception is generally low with a small proportion of persons being unable to assess their risk,” it was noted.

Many of the soldiers, all of whom are based in Region Four, did not, however, have accepting attitudes to people living with the virus.