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

522 Abstracts ThPeD7744-ThPeD7748

XIV International AIDS Conference

ThPeD7744 Comparative Study to access to MSM group for
HIV/AIDS prevention in Bangkok and Pattaya areas
R. Jommaroeng, T Boonmangum. Gay, Lesbian and AIDS co-organization,
35/138 M.3 Rani 5 Village, Soi-Suksap, Sukhonthasawat Rd., Ladphrao District,
Bangkok 10230, Thailand
Homosexual group is difficult to be reached. Rainbow Sky has done activities to
educate MSM group in HIV/AIDS prevention. We've adjusted methods to educate
them by making them understand and urge them to participate in HIV/AIDS prevention, changing behavior and seeking prototypes of living safely. A method is to
distribute condoms in vulnerable areas and hold activities in MSM nightspots.
According to our operation, we found that accessing the target group gradually by
using interesting and fun activities will be very much effective, especially the onlyfun-seeking group. Condoms distribution is part of the operation. A consecutive
activity is 'Party'. 300-400 participants joined the party each time from 150 participants expected. Afterward, the number of volunteers has increased. They've
become key persons and help distribute condoms and other public interest activities. In a year, 3 workshops were organized, joined by 30 attendants each time.
We've acquired 67 active volunteers, who are playing important roles in the group
and more than 3,000 members. While comparing to requesting cooperation from
MSM nightspots entrepreneurs to organize workshops for male sex-workers in 40
venues, only 16 venues responded. Moreover, field-operation in Pattaya wasn't
much successful due to limitation of time and many want to spend time for earning
rather than attending workshops. Therefore, our volunteers talked to sex-workers
at their workplace instead. The talks encouraged them to express their opinions
toward condoms use, including their attitudes to HIV/AIDS and responsibility to
their guests in condom use issues.
The experience gained from this operation, we found that these people were informed about HIV/AIDS prevention adequately. However, the agencies that conduct this operation are not consistent and change very often, when comparing the
education provision in public parks. People in the public parks lack of knowledge
in HIV/AIDS prevention rather than the other group.
Presenting author: rapeepun jommaroeng, 35/138 M.3 Rani 5 Village, SoiSuksap, Sukhonthasawat Rd., Ladphrao District, Bangkok 10230, Thailand, Tel.:
[phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
ThPeD7745 Sensitizing an urban slum area through an
innovative multi-dimensional approach
R. Wadhwa, J. Harsh, R. Mahendru, R. Kumar, A.S. Philip, G. Bengali,
A. Purohit, A. Haag. Institution, 161, Satya Niketan, Moti Bagh-11, New De/hi-110
021, India
Background: Poor communities, where people are highly vulnerable to HIV/AIDS
due to the lack of information regarding HIV and AIDS, pose a great challenge to
any organization. The FXB-Center at Sanjay Camp, home to 37,000 people, provides a suitable platform to sensitize the varied population regarding HIV/AIDS.
Methods: As part of the needs assessment, FXB-Center at Sanjay Camp conducted a survey to assess the HIV/AIDS awareness level among the community.
Ninety-two percent (92%) of respondents had little or no knowledge of HIV/AIDS.
Twenty percent (20%) of them had never heard the word AIDS and 75% had never
heard the word HIV
The FXB-Center, as part of its activities to improve HIV/AIDS knowledge, has
been providing vocational training to young girls and young women for work as
seamstresses and beauticians, along with information regarding HIV and AIDS.
Also, a sports center was setup to provide an alternative to drug abuse and other
high-risk behaviors for the local youth.
Self-help groups are being formed during the vocational training programs and
are largely instrumental towards getting more and more people to come to our
awareness camps. Tuition classes have the children take home Information, educational and communication materials to their parents; this is playing a huge role
in disseminating the information.
Results: Eighty-five (85) girls have been enrolled in our programs of training for
work in beauty parlors and as seamstresses. Membership for the sports center
is growing and currently stands at 52. The sports center can already boast 15
regular intravenous drug users as more or less regular visitors. The impact assessment survey showed that the awareness levels have increased by 15-20% in
different pockets of the urban slum area.
Conclusions: Community based multi-dimensional, innovative measures are
more likely to be welcomed by the public and so are more likely to succeed.
Presenting author: Ritu Wadhwa, 161, Satya Niketan, Moti Bagh-Il, New Delhi110 021, India, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: rituwadhwa81 @yahoo.com
ThPeD7746 The role of rural storekeepers as disseminators of
information on prevention of HIV/AIDS and

promotion of safe sex in Mexico
P. Merlo1, S. Patten2, S. Chaylian1, T. Venguer3, P. Sharma1. IlMIFAP -
Educaci6n, Salud y Vida, Malaga Norte 25, CoL Insurgentes Mixcoac, 03920
Mexico DF Mexico; 2Alberta Community Council on HIV Bragg Creek, Alberta,
Canada; 3IMIFAP - Educacidn Salud y Vida, Mexico DF Mexico
Issues: IMIFAP-Educacion, Salud y Vida (Mexican NGO) and the Alberta Community Council on HIV (ACCH, Canada) collaborated to develop an innovative

research-based program to deliver safer sex messages to populations at risk of
HIV/AIDS in rural Mexico through education of local storekeepers. IMIFAP contributed its experience in life skills and sexuality education, while ACCH provided
its experience with community-based research to enhance community participation. A training program for storekeepers was developed and evaluated and can
be used as a model for replication in other Latin American countries.
Description: Both ACCH and IMIFAP built cultural competence through educational visits and internship. Other activities included: formative research to determine the contents of training sessions for storekeepers and pamphlets for the
target population; development of the program's materials; training of storekeepers; and program evaluation.
Lessons Learned: Both partners benefited in terms of learning and cooperating
for a common goal, and learned important lessons about international collaboration. The program's process and impact evaluation will determine its final training
contents and strategy, and will assess the utility of communication technologies.
Recommendations: HIV/AIDS prevention strategies require that programs be
developed and implemented according to the population's needs and characteristics. Rural communities in Latin America lack drug stores and hospitals; therefore
trained storekeepers are ideal conduits for education about safer sex behaviours
to their clients. Innovative strategies such as this demonstrate the importance
of accessing key community members for effective and culturally-appropriate
HIV/AIDS prevention services. International collaboration through exchange of
knowledge and skills has been very useful in our fight against HIV/AIDS.
Presenting author: Patricia Merlo, Malaga Norte 25, Col. Insurgentes Mixcoac,
03920 Mexico DF, Mexico, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: patty
@ imifap.org.mx
ThPeD7747 Poor communities network in the fight against
AIDS: working for prevention and solidarity in Rio
de Janeiro/Brazil
K.M.B. Edmundo, M.S.V. Lima, W.L.B. Guimaraes, V. Fonseca, V. Veras,
C. Rodrigues, A.P. Baptista, D. Silva, D.L. Bittencourt, L. Azevedo, D. Becker.
CEDAPS, Travessa do Ouvidor, 17, sala 402, Centro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Issue: Rio de Janeiro/Brazil, one million people living in slums and periphery districts in a context of severe social exclusion, submitted to unemployment, poor
education, violence, precarious housing and limited access to health and social
services. A perfect scenario for a high and rising vulnerability to hiv/aids.
Description: Poor communities are represented by organized groups, such as
residents or women associations and informal groups, that start to understand
the importance of this issue. The "Comunicse" program mission is to support,
and qualify the community initiatives in the aids fight, increasing the information
level on the social, political and biomedical dimensions. Various strategies are
employed: Community Prevention Centers, Resource Banks, Mobile Education
Kiosks, workshops, campaigns and others, all based in the perceptions expressed
by the population about aids, gender, sexuality, violence, and related subjects.
The program is supported by national government agencies and NGOs.
Lessons learned: 32 poor communities meet regularly and set up ways of communication that strengthen their prevention efforts. Besides improving access to
information and prevention, they also organize professional qualification courses,
promote basic education improvement, and establish a positive cycle that favors
the reflection and autonomy, thus promoting the development of their communities and creating a favorable environment for prevention and health promotion.
Recommendation: Poor communities need to include the fight against aids in
their agendas. This is effectively facilitated by the networking of efforts performed
by each one of the participating communities. It contributes to the community
organization and development, and helps to establish a vision of future for the
communities, improving self-esteem in the collective and personal level, reaching
people, their faiths, attitudes and practices.
Presenting author: Katia Edmundo, Travessa do Ouvidor, 17, sala 402, Centro,
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail:
katia@ cedaps.org.br
ThPeD7748 From an early age and for girls HIV-AIDS and STD
peer prevention project, for girls living in the street
A.M.C. Corral, S.K. Kurlat, M.C. Cerutti. AAES, Ravignani 1329, c.p.: 1414, Bs.
As., Argentina
Introduction: The girls living in the street are the most dramatic example of the
failure of social policies. Initially ill-treated and abandoned by their families, they
are also socially abandoned. Although there are no quantitative or qualitative
studies available on the problems that affect the girls living in the street, we know
that such group is particularly vulnerable to HIV infection. LUSIDA supported this
project by selecting it in the year 2000.
Goal: contribute to establish actions to prevent HIV-AIDS and STD among girls
living in the street and others who, having overcome that stage, presently live in

homes of the Salesian Institution
Methodology: 1) Training course for the social educators who interact with the
girls on a daily basis.
2) Prevention workshops with the girls living in the street.
3) Selecting community promoters
4) Designing materials on prevention for the girls living in the street, in collaboration with the educators and the AAES team.