Preventive Knowledge About HIV/AIDS Infection among Msm in Rajshahi City, Bangladesh
Nazrul Islam Mondal, Rafiqul Islam, Nazrul Haque, Masud Rana, Reazul Karim, Shahid Uzzaman, Rejaul Karim
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ABSTRACT
Globally, HIV/AIDS is
major killer disease and public health concern and men who have sex with men
(MSM) have higher rates of HIV/AIDs and other sexually transmitted infections
(STI) than women and heterosexual men. The assessment of vulnerability to human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV/AIDS) infection among men who have sex with men
(MSM) has long been an interesting topic to population and health researchers. The
aim of this study was an effort to assess the determinant factors of preventive
knowledge about HIV/AIDS infection among MSM in Rajshahi City, Bangladesh. It
was a cross-sectional study with a sample size of 103 MSM. The data and
necessary information were collected through a semi structured questionnaire
from a drop-in center in Rajshahi City, Bangladesh. The preventive knowledge on
HIV/AIDS was measured by eight different questions. Both bivariate and
multivariate analyses were used to analyze the data to find the
associated risk factors on HIV/AIDS among MSM. The results revealed that around half of the MSM (44.66%) were not
aware HIV/AIDS infection. Respondents’ education, employment status, marital
status, a habit to sex with many women,
using condoms, how many time MSM per week, information sources about HIV/AIDS, and having apersonal risk of HIV/AIDS infection
were found significantly (p< 0.05) associated with preventive knowledge
about HIV/AIDS infection. Finally, binary logistic regression model identified
that education, using condoms, information sources about HIV/AIDS, and having personal risk of HIV/AIDS infection were the
most prominent predictors. The MSM were not enough aware of HIV/AIDS infection. In this study strongly recommended advocacy, communication
for social mobilization programs should be taken to increase the preventive
knowledge about HIV/AIDS
infection among MSM population.
Keywords: HIV/AIDS; MSM; Sexually transmitted diseases, Binary
logistic regression model