International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 3, Issue 9, September 2013 1 ISSN 2250-3153 www.ijsrp.org Socio-cultural Context and Sexual Health Risks of Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) and their Female Partners in Gujarat, India Apurvakumar Pandya 1 , Siddhi Pandya 2 1 Doctoral Candidate, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, M S University of Baroda, Vadodara, 390001, India 2 State Coordinator, Pehchan Project-Gujarat State, The Humsafar Trust, Ahmedabad, India Abstract- After more than two decades of programming and activism aimed at prevention and control of the sexual transmission of HIV, the HIV pandemic continues to grow worldwide. Despite giving sexuality a prominent position in responses to the epidemic, there exist limited context specific understandings of sex health risks of Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) and their female partners of socio-cultural context. This paper discuses socio-cultural determinant of risk behaviors of MSM and their female partners of Targeted Intervention in Vadodara city, India. Such an improved understanding of the sexuality and sexual health risks of MSM is crucial for creating a scientific reference base for designing effective behavior change strategies in targeted interventions (TI). Index Terms- Sexuality and sexual health risks of men who have sex with men, female partners of MSM, targeted interventions (TI) I. INTRODUCTION n Indian society, having sexual relationships with people of the same-sex is considered abnormal. Homosexual behaviors are seen in society as immoral, dirty, and unnatural. As a result, these behaviors are secretly practiced without adequate knowledge about safe sexual practices; hence, Men who have sex with men (MSM) tend to be more vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and host of psychiatric morbidities. MSM population constitute as one of the core groups (such as injecting drug users-IDUs and female sex workers-FSWs) for HIV prevention targeted interventions in India. According to 2009-2010 Annual Report of National AIDS Control Organization € , HIV prevalence among MSM population is 7.3 percent, which is second highest HIV prevalence among core groups as HIV prevalence among IDUs is 9.1 9 percent while FSWs is 4.94 percent [1]. Various researches on risk behaviors of MSM population have enhanced HIV prevention interventions across the country. However, there is scarcity of adequate scientific and programmatic researches on socio-cultural determinants of risk behaviors of MSM population as well as their female partners in targeted interventions (TIs). Lack of refined understanding on invisible socio-cultural determinants that put MSM population as well as their female partners at higher risk of HIV transmission essentially precludes health professionals from receiving adequate and scientific understanding on the topic. Familiarity of invisible socio-cultural determinants may provide reference to health professionals’ to design appropriate strategies and to strengthen effective implementation of TIs in the country. The objective of the present study was to understand socio-cultural determinants of risk behaviors of MSM and their female partners. II. METHODS This study was conducted using qualitative research method in the Vadodara city, which is also known as Baroda in the Gujarat State, India. Qualitative research methodology was applied for the study. Total 38 self-identified homosexual and bisexual men were interviewed using semi-structured interviews [2]. Twenty respondents, who were open about their sexuality and availed health services of Lakshya Trust, were purposively selected for the study while eighteen respondents who were closeted and not open to others yet accept their sexuality were recruited using snowball techniques. Since there exist no institutional review board (IRB) in India for self-financed social science researches, approval for the study was taken from the community members of the organization. Further, all respondents were informed about the study objectives, procedures, possible risks, benefits and their verbal and written informed consent was taken before an interview. Respondents’ participation was primarily voluntary and they were not paid any incentives. Respondents were interviewed, face-to-face, at their convenient time, at counseling centre, drop-in-centre (DIC) of the community-based organization, Lakshya Trust, and/or respondents’ home. All interviews were conducted in the vernacular language Gujarati based on semi-structured interview protocol. Interviews ranged in length from one to two hours. Interview protocol was initially developed in English and was translated and back-translated into Gujarati language by authors. Respondents were asked questions from predefined themes such as experiences of being different from others, awareness about proclivity toward same-sex, development of sexual identity, same sex sexual activities and uptake of HIV prevention activities and so. As interviews progressed, new themes such as strategies to meet heterosexual norm, disclosure of sexual identity and sexual activities, motivations for disclosure and non- disclosure of sexual identity and sexual activities were emerged and added in the interview protocol. Some respondents were followed up when some information was missing or further clarification was needed on the topic. After the data collection, the interview texts were transcribed and translated into English I