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

222 Abstracts WePeE6553-WePeE6556

XIV International AIDS Conference

services and programs that are culturally competent within the agencies members
of the coalition through a variety of HIV Prevention and Care Services. Evaluation has also shown that there has been an increase in the number of Latinos
and African-American gay and bisexual men who are receiving services at these
agencies.
Lessons learned: Importance of Evaluation in Developing Programs
Importance of Evaluation in creating programs that are culturally competent and
specific to a target community
Importance of Evaluation in obtaining client's perceptions of culturally competent
programs
Recommendations: Applicability of the Evaluation implemented within the Coalition in a variety of programs that will enhance HIV Prevention and Care programs
and services.
Presenting author: Luis Scaccabarrozzi, 1245 North California #2F, Chicago,
IL 60622, United States, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail:
[email protected]
WePeE6553 Reaching young men who have sex with men in
cyber sex chat rooms
G.J. Remafedi1, T.B. Howard2. 1University of Minnesota, University of
Minnesota Youth and AIDS Projects, 428 Oak Grove St., Minneapolis, MN
55403, United States; 2Augsburg College, Minneapolis, MN, United States
Background: Anecdotal data suggest that young men who have sex with men
(YMSM) frequent Internet chat rooms for romantic partners. These might be good
venues to reach YMSM for HIV prevention research and services. Our purpose
was to describe YMSM attending men-for-men (MFM) chat rooms in a major U.S.
urban center.
Methods: Design: direct observation of chat room visitors.
Setting: geographically-specific MFM chat rooms on two different Internet service
providers (ISP).
Subjects: visitors who reported being 13-to-21 year-old men.
Sampling frame:Two-stage stratified sampling was used to divide the week into
nine strata, defined by three day- (i.e., Monday to Thursday, Friday to Saturday,
Sunday) and three time periods (i.e., 8 AM-4 PM, 4 PM-12AM, 12 AM-8 AM). For
each ISP, one-hour sampling events were randomly chosen from the nine strata.
Procedures: During sampling events, the characteristics of YMSM were systematically recorded from chat profiles and web sites.
Results: Sixty-four unique YMSM visited chat rooms during 15 of the 18 events.
84% (54/64) of subjects were Euro-American; 11% (7/64) did not indicate race;
and two were Hispanic- or African-American. 58% (37/64) posted an email address; 53% (34/64), sexually explicit material; and 9% (6/64), a Universal Resource Locator (URL). The number of YMSM per event ranged from 0 to 9.7
(mean: 4.5). Between strata, there was no significant difference in the proportion
of attendees who were YMSM (mean, 15%, range 0% to 20%). On one ISP, there
was a significant difference in attendance between weekdays and Sunday (mean
N: 7.3 vs. 3.0, ANOVA F value 5.35, df 2, P<.05)
Conclusion: At most times of the day or night, YMSM visit MFM chat rooms and
comprise a sizable portion of attendees. The majority posted sexually-explicit
information and provided email addresses. As such, chat rooms may be good
venues to reach YMSM at risk for HIV infection.
Presenting author: Gary Remafedi, University of Minnesota Youth and AIDS
Projects, 428 Oak Grove St., Minneapolis, MN 55403, United States, Tel.: +1
612-627-6820, Fax: [phone], E-mail: remaf001 @umn.edu
WePeE6554 Logging on: the relationship between internet use
and adverse sexual outcomes
M.K. Pitts, A.M.A. Smith, J. Grierson, A.M. Mitchell, S. Misson, A. Madden. La
Trobe University australain research centre in sex, health and society 215
franklin st., melbourne, victoria, Australia
Background: The Internet has been portrayed as a newly emerging risk environment for unsafe sex. This study examines internet use in a large sample of
sexually interested and experienced men and women
Methods: Participants were recruited at a Sexpo Exhibition in Melbourne, Australia. This is an exhibition held annually which showcases the wares of commercial organizations specializing in adult products. Visitors to the exhibition completed a short survey, which included demographic questions, questions concerning sexual health and specific questions on their use of the Internet.
Results: 2,435 respondents returned surveys of which 1298 were women, 1130
were men and 5 were transgender persons. 51% of respondents reported current use of the Internet. They were on line for an average of 6.3 hours per week.
Those who used the Internet were significantly younger than those who did not.
They were also more highly educated. Of those who reported current Internet use
54.5% had intentionally accessed a sex site in the past twelve months. Men were
significantly more likely to have accessed a sex site than women. Sex site users

were older and more educated. Men and women most commonly used the sites
for viewing pornographic pictures or films. Men more commonly reported masturbating whilst visiting sex sites. Only 8% of men and 3.8% of women reported
using the Internet to acquire sexual partners. A further 4% of men and 5% of
women had used the Internet to start a relationship. Virtual sex was reported by
6.8% of men and 6.2% of women. No significant relationship was found between
reported sexually transmitted infections and Internet use.

Conclusions: The Internet is increasingly being used as a medium for sexual
interest and gratification. Internet users are typically younger and more highly educated than non-users. Most Internet use would seem to offer a relatively safe
way of achieving sexual satisfaction.
Presenting author: marian pitts, australain research centre in sex, health and
society, 215 franklin st., melbourne, victoria, Australia, Tel.: [phone],
Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
WePeE6555I The Many Benefits of Peer-led HIV Prevention
Programs for Female Sex Workers: Results from a
Kenya Study
A. Costigan1, W.O. Odek1, F.A. Plummer2, E.N. Ngugi1, A. Gikunil, M. Pere',
V. Kamau 1. 'Strengthening STD/AIDS Control in Kenya Project, Universities of
Nairobi/Manitoba, Strengthening STD/AIDS Control in Kenya Project,
Universities of Nairobi/Manitoba, Department of Community Health, University of
Nairobi, PO. Box 19676, Nairobi, Kenya; 2University of Manitoba, Winnipeg,
Canada
Background: The Strengthening STD/AIDS Control in Kenya Project (STD
Project) has worked with female sex workers (FSWs) in peer-led communitybased HIV prevention programmes for over ten years. These have had a remarkable impact on increasing safe sex behaviour with clients and decreasing levels
of STDs. In order to develop a greater understanding of benefits to FSWs over
and above proven health ones, the project undertook a survey in June 2000.
Methods: The STD Project conducted a cross-sectional study of 394 sex workers
and a control group of 323. The study group had participated in peer-led support
groups for STD/HIV prevention for 3-10 years. The control group had been mobilized but not yet involved in peer-mediated STD/HIV prevention activities.
Results: Seventy six per cent of the study group respondents participated in
HIV/AIDS prevention activities within their community in contrast to 10% of
the control group. Study group activities included condoms distribution (56.6%),
STD/HIV prevention and care education (32.6%) and 56.3% cared for the sick
and dying within their communities in contrast to only 8.7% of the control group.
Within their communities, 27.7% of the study group FSWs were consulted by individuals, groups or organizations for counseling support as opposed to 3.4% of
the control group. The study revealed that FSWs value their self-help groups because they assist them with rotational savings and accessing credit and, such
participation enhances their social status within their families and communities.
Finally, NGOs and church groups in their communities recognize the FSWs as
educational resources.
Conclusions/Discussion: In addition to protection from STD/HIV infection,
FSWs' participation in peer-led support groups enhances their self-esteem, social
status, and ability to cope with poverty, and illness.
Presenting author: Aine Costigan, Strengthening STD/AIDS Control in Kenya
Project, Universities of Nairobi/Manitoba, Department of Community Health,
University of Nairobi, PRO. Box 19676, Nairobi, Kenya, Tel.: [phone] or
718895, Fax: [phone] or 712007, E-mail: [email protected]
WePeE6556 Childhood trauma and the relationship to HIV
status and drug use risk among streetwalking sex
workers in NYC
A.P Weiner1, J.1. Wallace2, K.R. Lorber1. ' Wurzweiler School of Social Work,
Yeshiva University Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University, 500
West 185th Street, New York City, NY 10033, United States; 2FR Our STreets
with Dignity (FROSTD), New York City, United States
Background: This presentation will look at two specific childhood experiences -
sexual abuse and living in some other arrangement than with one?s parents and
the relationships, if any to drug use behaviors.
Methods: During 1998-2001, an Outreach Van from FRom Our STreets with Dignity (FROSTD) tested 505 women for HIV. Data was also collected on their childhood living arrangements, history of sexual abused during childhood/adolescence
and their drug use practices.
Results: 33.8% of the women indicated they had been sexually abused as children and 17.3% had not lived with their parents (ie. foster care, with another relative, etc.). As might be expected those who indicated they were sexually abused
were less likely to live with their parents (p = 0.008). Whether or not they lived
with their parents during their childhood was not related to their current HIV status. Childhood sexual abuse appears to be related to HIV status (p =.055), but not
in the expected direction. A greater percentage of the women (14.0%) who were
not abused as children were HIV positive compared to those who were abused
(7.0%). Women who were sexually abused as children were more likely to inject drugs than those who were not abused (p = 0.032). This was not related to
whether they had a history of crack cocaine use or a lover who was an IV drug
user. Childhood living arrangements were not related to any of the recorded drug
risk factors.

Conclusions: Childhood trauma has a complicated relationship to current HIV
status. Childhood sexual abuse appears to have a mixed significance to the subsequent HIV status of the streetwalking sex workers in this sample. Such abuse
in childhood appears to linked to HIV in an unexpected way and is also a factor in
subsequent IV drug use. It is important to further explore the relationship between
HIV status, drug use and childhood sexual abuse.