2006

According to National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), India accounts for the second largest population of people living with HIV/AIDS (5.1 million); NACO estimates that almost half of new HIV infections occur in young men below age 30. One factor thought to influence young men's HIV risk in India is early socialisation about masculinity. Research has shown that young men in India mature and develop in a male-dominated context, with little contact with female peers and virtually no sex education.

To address this situation, the Horizons Program/Population Council and the India-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) called CORO for Literacy collaborated on a behaviour change communication programme called Yari-dosti (which means friendship or bonding between men). Designed to promote gender equity among young men (ages 16 to 24) in low-income communities in Mumbai, India - with the ultimate goal of reducing HIV risk behaviours - the intervention centred around peer group education sessions that were based on participatory methods of learning with extensive use of role-plays, discussions, and debates. In some sites, group education activities have been combined with a community-based and gender-focused social marketing "lifestyle" campaign.

An independent research team conducted pre- and post-intervention surveys with the young men (n = 107 and n = 92, respectively). Qualitative interviews were also conducted with a subset of young men after selected sessions (n = 16), with those who had dropped out of the intervention (n = 11), and with the intervention facilitators (n = 4). Observations of selected intervention activities also took place. Changes in attitudes toward gender norms were measured using the 24-item Gender-equitable Men (GEM) Scale developed in Brazil; as part of the formative research, GEM Scale items were pre-tested and discussed with a sample of young men from Mumbai (n = 65), to confirm that the items were relevant and clear in the Indian context.

Monitoring data indicate that almost all of the 126 young men recruited for the project consistently participated in the activities.

The proportion of young men who agreed that "There are times when a woman deserves to be beaten" decreased from 31% at baseline to 14% at endline. Respondents who agreed that "Women who carry condoms on them are easy" decreased from 55% at baseline to 19% at endline. Agreement with the statement "It is the man who decides what type of sex to have" decreased from 42% at baseline to 20% at endline. And, young men who supported the statement "A man should have the final word about decisions in his home" decreased from 34% at baseline to 11% at endline.

Self-reported harassment of girls over the past 3 months significantly declined (p < .001) among young men who completed both the baseline and endline survey (n = 92). Reported physical violence against any sexual partner, married or unmarried, over the past 3 months declined from 51% to 39%.

There was also a trend toward increasing condom use at last sex with any sexual partner (from 46% to 58%). In addition, there was a small reduction in the number of young men who reported sex with any non-marital partner in the last 3 months.

Direct submission from Alison Lee to the Health e Communication website (no longer online) on October 3 2006; Shifting Support for Inequitable Gender norms among Young Indian Men to Reduce HIV Risk and Partner Violence [PDF], by Ravi K. Verma, Julie Pulerwitz, Vaishali Mahendra, Sujata Khandekar, Gary Barker, P. Fulpagare, and S.K. Singh. Horizons/Population Council, April 2006; and email from Sherry Hutchinson to The Communication Initiative on February 4 2009.