Abstract Book Vol. 2 [International Conference on AIDS (14th: 2002: Barcelona, Spain)]

XIV International AIDS Conference

Abstracts WePeD6292-WePeD6296 159

The programme enabled to increase communication on sex related matters.
Also children were able to recognise problems encountered.Furthermore,children
raised their voices at variuos levels.
Recomondations: The socio-cultural model,as the key determinants of sexual
abuse related matters was found ideal to adress the issues on sexual health
and exploitattion.Accordinglyit is recommended that such programmes be implemented with this model.Also,children should be provided with life skills to promote
explotation prevention through children.
Presenting author: Neethanjali Chandrasekera, 740, Freeman road, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: priyanthi@scfsl.
childalliance.org
WePeD6292 Transtheoretical approach of communication skills
in enhancing condom use among female sex
workers - A pilot study in China
M.S. Wang. Associate Professor, HIV Social Study, Institute of Sociology,
Sichuan Academy of Social Science, HIV Social Study, Institute of Sociology,
Unit 24, National Peoples Congress, Zhi-Hui St 99, Chengdu, Sichuan 610016,
China
Background: Although condom promotion for STI/HIV prevention have been
broadly launched to focus on sex workers in China, most prevention programs
have demonstrated little effect among them to persuade clients to use condoms.
Major limitation for most programs which were based on single action paradigm
of behaviour change, were difficult to responding to the clients' queries. A study
was conducted to develop a transtheoretical approach of negotiation skills, with
understanding how communication strategies through a stage paradigm among
female sex workers success in persuading their clients to use condoms to beat
HIV/AIDS.
Methods: The cross-sectional design in matched intervention comparison group
was employed in the study 400 female sex workers were randomly selected from
Yucheng areas, PRC. The role-model stories as the major education material in
the project are based on the transtheoretical stage model of behaviour change, focused on developing the sex workers' negotiation skills from peer network support
approach. The stories are constituted by representative experiences in negotiating sexual practices with displaying positive influencing information in success in
persuading their clients to use. The training program for the peer educators was
carried to develop their communication skills and practise delivering prevention
message within their peer networks.
Results: The study shows the success rate in persuading clients to use condoms
in intervention group rising from 17.2% at baseline to 84.6% post-intervention
with 67.4% difference (p=0.0001), in control group rising from 17.9% at baseline
to 18.2% post-intervention with 0.3% difference (p=0.3006).
Conclusions: The success in persuading clients to use condoms in the study
showed that the adoption of the stage paradigm of communication skills was significant strategy in enhancing behaviour change in Chinese female sex workers.
Presenting author: M. Shuguang Wang, HIV Social Study, Institute of Sociology,
Unit 24, National People's Congress, Zhi-Hui St. 99, Chengdu, Sichuan 610016,
China, Tel.: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
WePeD6293 Training: impact on services for HIV/AIDS affected
children
S. Sen Gupta. UNICEF-NISD, National Institute of Social Defence, West Block
1, Wing 7, Gd. Floor, R.K. Puram, New Delhi- 110066, India
Issue: Lack of trained counsellors to effectively deal with issues of children affected by HIV/AIDS
Descriptions: The growing numbers of children affected by HIV/AIDS in India
moved UNICEF & Govt. of India to ensure effective and professional services for
them. Training staff of NGOs working for child protection is now an important goal
of all programs. In certain States where the prevalence of HIV is high, the number
of children orphaned, is ever increasing and they are left to fend for themselves
because of the stigma attached to HIV/AIDS. Training under this program aims to
equip street educators, counsellors and social workers to deal with the emotional
trauma inevitably experienced by these children. It also aims to enhance communication skills of service providers to enable them to sensitize communities, ignorant and unaware of HIV/AIDS and its consequences. NGOs working on issues
of Child Rights, providing services to various categories of children were sent a
questionnaire to assess their training needs for counselling skills with a special
emphasis on Child Sexual Abuse, Sexual Exploitation and STD/HIV/AIDS. 108
NGOs responded, on the basis of which a counselling training module has been
developed and pre-tested. In trainings conducted throughout the country, 120
people were trained and follow up programs were conducted 2 months later to
assess the impact.
Lessons learned: The lacuna in counselling skills for dealing with related issues of HIV/AIDS resulted in various interventions failing. Experienced service

providers working with children require training to counsel sexually abused and
traumatized children effectively
Recommendation: Train service providers from all NGOs working with childrenreview the counseling training after 1 year and ensure that strategies are
developed for effective communication with communities. Counselling skills training need to continue to enable service providers to effectively help children affected by HIV/AIDS.

Presenting author: Sheema Sen Gupta, National Institute of Social Defence,
West Block 1,Wing 7, Gd. Floor, R.K. Puram, New Delhi-110066, India, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
WePeD6294I Concern about the counseling on HIV
E.R. Entore Ramachandran Babu, N. Noor Mohamed Usman, J.P. Saulina
Arnold, R. Atharunnisa Begum. TNVHA, 2/50 Perumal Koil Street, Veerapuram,
Chennai 600 055, India
Issues: Counselors themselves in India do not understand the concept of counseling pertaining to HIV disease properly. They offer health education under the
presumption of counseling and thus the counseling has become a mockery
Description: In India pre and posttest counseling is offered leaving big lacunae in
other segments. There is no proportionate number of trained counselors available
to cater the needs of prevalent 3 million PLWHA. Available counselors are not well
equipped with the concept of counseling. Very few institutions are offering training for counselors on this subject. The centers which offer counseling are more
interested in the numerical values than quality of the counseling and thus the
time spent on counseling become inadequate. Failure of counselors to equip with
updated knowledge on HIV hampers with their ability to pass on this information
to the needy Most of the projects designed are targeted towards certain groups
resulting in creating only awareness and pushing the counseling to the rear. The
community is unaware of any information regarding availability and accessibility
of counselors due IEC. Hotlines are not able to satisfy the needy because of the
usages of recorded versions instead of direct talks.
Lessions learnt: (A) Clients are not attending counseling sessions regularly because of getting only information rather than solving individual issues. (B) Quality
of the counseling is sacrificed at the expense of quantity. (C) Improper counseling
has resulted in lack of adherence pertaining to ART. (D) Incidence of HIV infection
is increasing.
Recommendations: The proper concept of counseling should be thrust in the
curriculum of training of counselors. More training centers may be started. Reorientation programs should be conducted periodically for updating the knowledge
of counselors.
Presenting author: Babu Entore Ramachandran, 2/50 Perumal Koil Street, Veerapuram, Chennai 600 055, India, Tel.: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
WePeD6295 Mobilizing and capacity building of community
based organizations of rural Gujarat
R.D. Bhattacharya', J. Upadhyay2, P. Patel2, R. Seth3. 1Director GAP-ISRCDE,
GAP-ISRCDE, B02 Siddhachakra Apartments, Ellisbridge, Ahmedabad, 380006
Gujarat, India; 2GAP-ISRCDE, Ahmedabad, India; 3Project Co-ordinator
GAP-ISRCDE, Ahmedabad, India
Background: Gujarat AIDS Awareness and Prevention unit (GAP) is working in
the field of HIV/AIDS for 14 years. The interventions have been mainly in the
urban sector It was realized that HIV has already spread to the rural areas, without motivating and mobilizing the grassroots level NGOs in the intervention programmes, the mitigation of this spread cannot be achieved.
Methods: 8 districts from Gujarat were chosen, in the initial phase, depending
on the prevalence rate of HIV. From each district 4 NGOs were selected by applying the criteria developed for such selections like, legal status, organizational
capacity, no. of paid staff, infrastructure, financial management and minimum two
years experience to work with the community. As HIV is not only a health related
issue, flexibility was maintained in respect to the past project activities. Once the
NGOs were selected, two staff members (preferably one male and one female)
were trained in skills development in fields of communication, gender, basic counselling, participatory methodology, mapping, use of appropriate IEC materials,
project proposal writing and administration requirements.
Results: and Conclusions: The capacity building programmes were well accepted and 90% NGOs found the training methodology a unique experience,
which facilitated the learning process. Participants learned the root causes of the
HIV, susceptibility, and vulnerability to different problems like poverty, exploitation, illiteracy and gender. Through mapping exercises, vulnerable groups were
identified and intervention strategies were planned. Monitoring programmes reveal that many of the NGO representatives feel comfortable in carrying out the
interventions in their area and use proper methodologies to carry out their project
During initial field visits it was seen that some NGOs are not even existing at the
mentioned addresses and some NGOs wanted to work in the field, because they
thought that funding is easily available.
Presenting author: Radium Bhattacharya, GAP-ISRCDE, B02 Siddhachakra
Apartments, Ellisbridge, Ahmedabad, 380006 Gujarat, India, Tel.: +91 79
6575282, Fax: [phone], E-mail: radium @ icenet.net

WePeD6296 Scale up program to meet HIV prevention & care
needs of street children in India
B. George. Salaam Baalak Trust (Organization), /st Floor, 37/1235, DDA Flats,
Madangir, New Delhi, 110062, India
Issues: The needs of street children are varied but the response from organizations - government & non-government has been patchy and isolated. Salaam