Disseminaiton of the study on HIV Related Risk Behaviour of Men Having With Men (MSM)

[Guest guest]

Public Dissemination by Humsafar Trust – A Report

The Humsafar Trust’s dissemination of its research report, ‘A Study on HIV

Related Risk Behaviour of Men Having With Men (MSM) in Mumbai and Thane: Review

of Four years of Intervention’ received an enthusiastic response. More than 110

people–educators, doctors, counsellors, researchers, pharmacists, students and

LGBT people–attended the dissemination held at May 14, 2004 at SNDT Women’s

University Auditorium, Juhu Campus, Mumbai.

The day-long event began with a welcome dance by Humsafar Trust (HST) staff. Dr.

Alka Gogate, Project Director of Mumbai District Aids Control Society (MDACS)

inaugurated the proceedings with an address appreciating the work of HST. She

remarked when she first started working with chairman of HST, Mr. Ashok Row

Kavi, in 1985, even though she was aware that there’s a big gay population, it

was difficult for her to truly believe this fact. Dr. Gogate said that since the

population is mostly invisible, it is often difficult to visualize that they

exist! She recounted how MDACS got involved with HST and emphasized that HST’s

documentation of its work has been its biggest success story. HST, she added, is

the ideal example of public-private partnership.

The dissemination was divided into two sessions, consisting of six unique

presentations around MSM and HIV/STI as well as three case histories.

The first session started with a presentation on HST’s history, organization and

work components by its Chief Executive, Mr. Vivek Anand. This was followed by

the main presentation of the study by its research consultant Ms. Alpana Dange.

A panel discussion and audience question-and-answer session followed. On the

panel were Dr. D. M. Saxena, Additional Project Director of Gujarat State Aids

Control Society; Dr. Rajat Adhikari of FHI; Ms. Dange and Mr. Row Kavi. The

session essentially focussed on the study methodology and the importance of a

qualitative study of the data collected.

The second session started with a presentation of ‘An epidemiological and

clinical study of the prevalence of STI/HIV amongst MSM in Mumbai’ by Dr.

Prashant Palwade. Also, a cross-sectional study, ‘Prevalence of STI/HIV in Male

Sex Workers (MSW) in Mumbai’, was presented by Dr. Santosh Shinde. Dr.Shinde in

his presentation said that very little or practically no study had been done on

male sex workers and it was area of concern. The panel for the discussion

consisted of Dr. Hemangi Jerajani, head of the department of skin and

Dermatology, LTMG (Sion) Hospital along with her colleague, Dr. Maninder Sethia,

and Dr. Ratnakar Kamath, an STI specialist working with HST.

Also, another first, ‘Safe Sailors Club’, a group of MSM living with HIV/AIDS

initiated by the HST and based at Kamathipura Eye Hospital in Mumbai, made a

public presentation of its work. This was followed by a discussion led by Ms.

Seema Shroff, NGO consultant; Dr. Venkatesh Chakrapani, a consultant with SWAM

(an MSM group from Chennai); and Mr. Row Kavi.

The concluding part of the session showcased three case histories–of a lesbian,

a transgender and an MSM person–reported by Ms. Neeti Joshi, counsellor at The

Aanchal Trust; and Ms. Preeti Prabhughate and Ms. Hemangi Mhaprolkar of

counsellors at HST, respectively. Finally, Ms. Vrushali Deshmukh, Counseling

Coordinator of HST gave a presentation on ‘Challenges faced in counselling HIV

positive MSM’. Ms. Breneille D’Souza of TISS, Ms. Geeta Kumana, Chairperson of

Aanchal and Dr. Reeta Sonawat, reader at SNDT Women’s University, were the

panelists for the discussion. The participants showed a lot of interest sharing

views on lesbian issues with Ms. Kumana and Ms. Joshi, and an informative

discussion flowed between the participants and the panelists.

Interested persons may contact HST for a printed copy of the report summary of

‘A Study of HIV Related Risk Behaviour of Men Having With Men (MSM) in Mumbai

and Thane: Review of Four years of Intervention’ at: The Humsafar Trust, 2nd

floor, Old BMC Building, Vakola Market, Santa Cruz (East), Mumbai - 400 055.

Phone: (91-22) 26187476, 26650547. E-mail: humsafar@...

Vivek

The Humsafar Trust

E-mail: <avivekr@...>