title: Initial commitment to pre-exposure prophylaxis and circumcision for HIV prevention amongst Indian truck drivers.
abstract: Studies of HIV prevention interventions such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PREP) and circumcision in India are limited. The present study sought to investigate Indian truck-drivers initial commitment to PREP and circumcision utilizing the AIDS Risk Reduction Model. Ninety truck-drivers completed an in-depth qualitative interview and provided a blood sample for HIV and HSV-2 testing. Truck-drivers exhibited low levels of initial commitment towards PREP and even lower for circumcision. However, potential leverage points for increasing commitment were realized in fear of infecting family rather than self, self-perceptions of risk, and for PREP focusing on cultural beliefs towards medication and physicians. Cost was a major barrier to both HIV prevention interventions. Despite these barriers, our findings suggest that the ARRM may be useful in identifying several leverage points that may be used by peers, health care providers and public health field workers to enhance initial commitment to novel HIV prevention interventions in India.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America. jschnei1@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Rakhi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dandona
authors.forename: Shravani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pasupneti
authors.forename: Vemu
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lakshmi
authors.forename: Chuanhong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Vijay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Yeldandi
authors.forename: Kenneth H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Mayer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002944:Circumcision, Male; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult