Sexual health knowledge and practices and STI/HIV prevalence among long-distance truck drivers in Peru
Objectives: HIV and other sexually transmitted infections remain a challenge globally and many key groups have yet to be studied. Evidence shows that truck drivers may have high-risk behaviors and higher sexually transmitted infection/HIV prevalence because they are a highly mobile population. Howev...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2017-12-01
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| Series: | SAGE Open Medicine |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/2050312117746308 |
| _version_ | 1819059455849922560 |
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| author | Patricía J García Boris Fazio Angela M Bayer Aldo G Lizarraga Marina Chiappe Sayda La Rosa Marcela Lazo Lorena López María Valderrama César P Cárcamo |
| author_facet | Patricía J García Boris Fazio Angela M Bayer Aldo G Lizarraga Marina Chiappe Sayda La Rosa Marcela Lazo Lorena López María Valderrama César P Cárcamo |
| author_sort | Patricía J García |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives: HIV and other sexually transmitted infections remain a challenge globally and many key groups have yet to be studied. Evidence shows that truck drivers may have high-risk behaviors and higher sexually transmitted infection/HIV prevalence because they are a highly mobile population. However, there is little to no information on this group in Peru. Therefore, we explored the sexual health knowledge and practices and carried out sexually transmitted infection/HIV testing among male truck drivers and their assistants in Peru. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study utilizing cell phone-based behavioral surveys and sexually transmitted infection testing, including HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, with truck drivers and their assistants who were traveling on two major international highways in Peru. Results: A total of 1150 truck drivers and assistants participated. Participants were middle-aged men (average age = 39.8 years), 96.0% had complete secondary education, 78.4% were in stable relationships, and 88.7% earned more than minimum wage. The majority were aware of sexually transmitted infections/HIV, but very few recognized sexually transmitted infection symptoms. Few participants (under 5%) reported recent sexually transmitted infection symptoms. Prevalence of sexually transmitted infections was also low: no one had gonorrhea; 0.1% had HIV; 0.4% had recent syphilis infection (rapid plasma reagin ≥1:8); and 2.0% had chlamydia. The prevalence of these diseases is not different from that of the general population in Peru. Conclusion: When compared to other truck drivers worldwide, Peruvian truck drivers appear to have a lower risk of HIV/sexually transmitted infections. This may be since Peruvian drivers are older, more educated, have higher income, and spend fewer days away from home than their peers globally. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T14:11:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7b237b06a4f1495c91cdcd050b2cd2ce |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-3121 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T14:11:23Z |
| publishDate | 2017-12-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | SAGE Open Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-7b237b06a4f1495c91cdcd050b2cd2ce2022-12-21T19:01:02ZengSAGE PublishingSAGE Open Medicine2050-31212017-12-01510.1177/2050312117746308Sexual health knowledge and practices and STI/HIV prevalence among long-distance truck drivers in PeruPatricía J García0Boris Fazio1Angela M Bayer2Aldo G Lizarraga3Marina Chiappe4Sayda La Rosa5Marcela Lazo6Lorena López7María Valderrama8César P Cárcamo9School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, PeruSchool of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, PeruDivision of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USASchool of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, PeruSchool of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, PeruSchool of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, PeruSchool of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, PeruSchool of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, PeruSchool of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, PeruSchool of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, PeruObjectives: HIV and other sexually transmitted infections remain a challenge globally and many key groups have yet to be studied. Evidence shows that truck drivers may have high-risk behaviors and higher sexually transmitted infection/HIV prevalence because they are a highly mobile population. However, there is little to no information on this group in Peru. Therefore, we explored the sexual health knowledge and practices and carried out sexually transmitted infection/HIV testing among male truck drivers and their assistants in Peru. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study utilizing cell phone-based behavioral surveys and sexually transmitted infection testing, including HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, with truck drivers and their assistants who were traveling on two major international highways in Peru. Results: A total of 1150 truck drivers and assistants participated. Participants were middle-aged men (average age = 39.8 years), 96.0% had complete secondary education, 78.4% were in stable relationships, and 88.7% earned more than minimum wage. The majority were aware of sexually transmitted infections/HIV, but very few recognized sexually transmitted infection symptoms. Few participants (under 5%) reported recent sexually transmitted infection symptoms. Prevalence of sexually transmitted infections was also low: no one had gonorrhea; 0.1% had HIV; 0.4% had recent syphilis infection (rapid plasma reagin ≥1:8); and 2.0% had chlamydia. The prevalence of these diseases is not different from that of the general population in Peru. Conclusion: When compared to other truck drivers worldwide, Peruvian truck drivers appear to have a lower risk of HIV/sexually transmitted infections. This may be since Peruvian drivers are older, more educated, have higher income, and spend fewer days away from home than their peers globally.https://doi.org/10.1177/2050312117746308 |
| spellingShingle | Patricía J García Boris Fazio Angela M Bayer Aldo G Lizarraga Marina Chiappe Sayda La Rosa Marcela Lazo Lorena López María Valderrama César P Cárcamo Sexual health knowledge and practices and STI/HIV prevalence among long-distance truck drivers in Peru SAGE Open Medicine |
| title | Sexual health knowledge and practices and STI/HIV prevalence among long-distance truck drivers in Peru |
| title_full | Sexual health knowledge and practices and STI/HIV prevalence among long-distance truck drivers in Peru |
| title_fullStr | Sexual health knowledge and practices and STI/HIV prevalence among long-distance truck drivers in Peru |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sexual health knowledge and practices and STI/HIV prevalence among long-distance truck drivers in Peru |
| title_short | Sexual health knowledge and practices and STI/HIV prevalence among long-distance truck drivers in Peru |
| title_sort | sexual health knowledge and practices and sti hiv prevalence among long distance truck drivers in peru |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/2050312117746308 |
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