Razieh Khajehkazemi1, AliAkbar Haghdoost2, Soodabeh Navadeh1, Hamidreza Setayesh3, Leily Sajadi1, Mehdi Osooli1, Ehsan Mostafavi4. 1. Regional Knowledge Hub, and WHO Collaborating Centre for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman 7618868368, Iran. 2. Research Center for Modeling in Health, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman 7618868368, Iran. 3. UNAIDS, Khartoum 11111, Sudan. 4. Department of Epidemiology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran 1316943551, Iran.
Abstract
UNLABELLED: Background In this study data of three national surveys conducted among female sex workers (FSW), prison inmates and people who inject drugs (PWID) were presented and compared in relation to knowledge, attitude, and practises. METHODS: The surveys were conducted in 2009 and 2010 and included 2546 PWID, 872 FSW and 5530 prison inmates. Knowledge, attitude and practises towards HIV were measured through similar questions for each category. RESULTS: Over 90% of all participants had ever heard of HIV/AIDS, although only approximately half of them perceived themselves at risk of contracting HIV. More than 80% were able to correctly identify the ways of preventing the sexual transmission of HIV; while more than two-thirds did not use condom in their last sexual contact. Approximately 20% of prisoners and FSW had a history of injecting drugs. Among all participants who have injected drugs, prisoners had the highest unsafe injecting behaviour at the last injection (61%), followed by FSW (11%) and PWID (3%). CONCLUSIONS: Despite major efforts to control the HIV epidemic in Iran, the level of risk and vulnerability among prisoners, FSW and PWID is still high. The level of comprehensive knowledge about HIV/AIDS is relatively good; however, their risk perception of contracting HIV is low and high-risk behaviours are prevalent. Therefore, HIV prevention programs should be redesigned in a more comprehensive way to identify the best venues to reach the largest number of people at a higher risk of contracting HIV and decrease their risk overlaps and vulnerability factors.
UNLABELLED: Background In this study data of three national surveys conducted among female sex workers (FSW), prison inmates and people who inject drugs (PWID) were presented and compared in relation to knowledge, attitude, and practises. METHODS: The surveys were conducted in 2009 and 2010 and included 2546 PWID, 872 FSW and 5530 prison inmates. Knowledge, attitude and practises towards HIV were measured through similar questions for each category. RESULTS: Over 90% of all participants had ever heard of HIV/AIDS, although only approximately half of them perceived themselves at risk of contracting HIV. More than 80% were able to correctly identify the ways of preventing the sexual transmission of HIV; while more than two-thirds did not use condom in their last sexual contact. Approximately 20% of prisoners and FSW had a history of injecting drugs. Among all participants who have injected drugs, prisoners had the highest unsafe injecting behaviour at the last injection (61%), followed by FSW (11%) and PWID (3%). CONCLUSIONS: Despite major efforts to control the HIV epidemic in Iran, the level of risk and vulnerability among prisoners, FSW and PWID is still high. The level of comprehensive knowledge about HIV/AIDS is relatively good; however, their risk perception of contracting HIV is low and high-risk behaviours are prevalent. Therefore, HIV prevention programs should be redesigned in a more comprehensive way to identify the best venues to reach the largest number of people at a higher risk of contracting HIV and decrease their risk overlaps and vulnerability factors.
Authors: Mohammad Karamouzian; Hamid Sharifi; Mehrdad Khezri; Mostafa Shokoohi; Ali Mirzazadeh; Fatemeh Tavakoli; Nima Ghalekhani; Ghazal Mousavian; Soheil Mehmandoost; Parvin Afsar Kazerooni; Ali Akbar Haghdoost Journal: AIDS Behav Date: 2022-02-23
Authors: Mohammad Karamouzian; Ali Mirzazadeh; Mostafa Shokoohi; Razieh Khajehkazemi; Abbas Sedaghat; Ali Akbar Haghdoost; Hamid Sharifi Journal: PLoS One Date: 2016-11-18 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Samira Hosseini Hooshyar; Mohammad Karamouzian; Ali Mirzazadeh; Ali Akbar Haghdoost; Hamid Sharifi; Mostafa Shokoohi Journal: Int J Health Policy Manag Date: 2018-11-01
Authors: Mostafa Shokoohi; Mohammad Karamouzian; Razieh Khajekazemi; Mehdi Osooli; Hamid Sharifi; Ali Akbar Haghdoost; Kianoush Kamali; Ali Mirzazadeh Journal: PLoS One Date: 2016-01-25 Impact factor: 3.240