HIV/AIDS Behavioral Surveillance among Angolan Military Men

Abstract

To assess HIV-related risk behavior among military men in a post-conflict sub-Saharan African country with low HIV prevalence this study evaluated sexual risk taking and related behaviors among a stratified random sample of 1710 military personnel in four regions of Angola. Over 90% were sexually active and 60% had two or more sexual partners within the past year. Condom use varied depending on partner type, from a low of 10% to a high of 54%. Factors independently predicting the number of sexual partners included younger age, younger age of sexual debut, being away from home, being in the eastern part of the country, higher military rank, higher education, alcohol before sex, and problem alcohol use. Independent predictors of sexually transmitted infection symptoms included age of sexual debut, lower education, higher rank, and having had sex with a casual partner or a commercial sex worker in the previous 12 months. These findings indicate high rates of HIVrisk taking behaviors among military personnel and the need for aggressive prevention campaigns to reduce HIV risk among military personnel and the populations they serve.

Knowledge, Attitude, Behavior, and Practice of the UNIFIL Peacekeepers on Human Immunodeficiency Virus

“…Secondly, the questionnaire itself had several limitations due to deletion of some relevant questions by the UNIFIL project coordination team. It would have been of help to have information on the sexual practices of UNIFIL soldiers in Lebanon, similar to studies that were implemented in other countries (Bazergan, 2006;Bing et al, 2008). Having such information would give a better understanding of the situation.…”

“…Consequently, the percentage of international uniformed personnel reported to be living with HIV varied between missions and was in the range of 1.0% to 2.4%. Available data from selected countries indicate that the HIV prevalence varied from a low of 0.6% among recruits in Vietnam to 10.1% for recruits in Equatorial Guinea (Whiteside et al, 2006;Bing et al, 2008;Lowicki-Zucca et al, 2009;UNAIDS Global Report, 2010). This chapter comes at a time when the global AIDS response is at a crossroads.…”

A study of Chlamydia trachomatis: sexual risk behaviour, infection and prevention in the Australian Defence Force

“…Studies consistently show that personnel in the military are highly sexually active (Chao et al 2010;Bing 2008a;2008b;Celentano et al 2000;Sun 2004) and policy aimed at the avoidance and prevention of STIs has evolved from focusing on punishment and stigmatisation to focusing on personal responsibility and operational preparedness.…”

“…Studies suggest that the content of education interventions needs to include the transmission routes of STIs (Ortiz et al 2005;Yaren et al 2004;Bing 2008a;Kamenov et al 2000), situational awareness and understanding of local STI epidemiology (Kaldmae et al 2000;Nwokoji & Ajuwon 2004), effectiveness of condoms (Ortiz et al 2005;Celentano et al 2000;Nwokoji & Ajuwon 2004); impact of alcohol consumption (Celentano et al 2000) and risk factors for STIs (Bing 2008a;, with the latter focusing primarily on the number of partners.…”

“…-Kewley (2001;2002) argued that strong evaluation is essential to build on interventions that work, and demonstrated in yearly follow-ups that education interventions are able to have an effect on risk behaviours, including condom use. Bing (2008a) suggested that monthly "boosting" sessions that evaluate the acquisition of knowledge and skill over time was an effective mechanism.…”