Title :

Reducing risk of STI/HIV among Male Sex Workers (MSW) and their clients and high risk males on and around truckstops in Mumbai.

Goal:
This project proposes to intervene and visiblize issues of prevention, treatment and care and support with sex workers and their clients both in formal and unorganized male and transgendered sex work.

Summary:
In 2002 the Mumbai District AIDS Control Society (MDACS) partnered with the Humsafar Trust to undertake a targeted community based intervention with male sex workers at 5 identified truckstops in Mumbai. The program aims at prompt treatment of STIs and OIs, increased condom use, and health seeking behavior among the male sex workers operating on and around truckstops. It has also undertaken and successfully completed a qualitative analysis of service access and delivery issues of the targeted community.

Project duration:
2002 - ongoing

Funded by:
MDACS (Mumbai District AIDS Control Society)


Achievements:

- This project is highly focused on interventions among male sex workers operating around the five truck stops, including octroi check-nakas.

- This project aims to mentor and network with Satla (Cross dressers males) kothis and Hijras / Transgender male sex workers at various truck stops and train community workers from among the male sex workers to build rapport, distribute condoms and educate them on STIs in introducing safer sex practices and prompt treatment of STIs.

- This project reaches out to 1,000 male sex workers (200 MSWs at each site) and their trucker sex partners at the five truck stops.

- Sex work along highways is also high - risk activity. However most truckers have young male cleaners with them. There is considerable sexual activity reported in these relations. This Men- to-Men trans-generational sexual activity is high risk as it is unprotected and puts both at risk.

- The Humsafar Trust found male sex workers at all six major truck stops in Mumbai and on its municipal outskirts. The rapid overview of these truckers revealed that nearly 30 percent of sex work is in MSM sector. In places like Cotton green and Wadala truck terminus , which are not well lit and unsafe for woman in sex work , male sex work is considerably larger and around 50 percent or more of total sex interactions.