http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1369983.cms
Intervention programmes to prevent HIV/AIDS among MSMs are shifting focus to colleges and gyms. I am 22- yrs-old and would like to hook up with gay men in Hyderabad/India. I am 6ft in height and clean-shaven. you can contact me. This personal ad appears in a website for homosexuals in the city, and is indicative that people here are now declaring their sexuality more openly and actively out seeking partners. The other spectrum of the same trend sees intervention programmes in educational institutions and gyms targeting 'vulnerable youngsters' in order to educate them on safe sex and 'incorporate them into the mainstream.' According to sources in the government, there are about 40,000 men in the city who indulge in sex with men, of whom, 5,000 have declared their sexual preference. Mithrudu conducts intervention programmes working in conjunction with APSACS (AP State Aids Controls Society) towards spreading HIV/AIDS awareness among MSMs (Men having Sex with Men). Its project manager G Prashanth Kumar says, "Our main goal is to facilitate a change in their sexual behaviour which, most of the time, is an aberration and can be changed with support." He adds, "We are planning interventions at colleges and gyms where there are possibilities for young men to indulge in unsafe sex. It is necessary to spread awareness about the problems of unsafe sex. We are making carefully targeted campaigns to channelise their behaviour at an early stage and spread awareness about HIV/AIDS, especially among those who have multiple partners and display high risk behaviour by not using condoms." According to a study spearheaded by Lalit Dandona of the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI) about MSMs in Andhra Pradesh, there is a high rate of penetrative sex among MSMs, a majority of whom are bisexual. And a large number of MSMs indulge in unprotected anal sex. Subbha Reddy, communications officer of the APSACS project aiming to change high-risk behaviour, says, "At present, awareness programmes in colleges are of a generic nature. The low condom usage among men involved with men is especially scary because 60 to 70 per cent of them are also actively involved with women. This means the virus has wider area to infect." Surprisingly, the fear of the disease is gradually fading, and many youngsters are unperturbed as they try to find partners from the Internet and other meeting grounds. Nanda Vardhan of Society for Integrated Development in Urban and Rural Areas, an NGO working in the area, says, "The practice is becoming common and we advise parents to watch out for change of behaviour indicating a shift in their boys' sexual patterns. Hostels are another place to anticipate changes in sexual preferences." But the "reformation" is not the end of the road. Prashanth of Mithrudu, assures that, "We were able to find jobs for 70 boys in call centers after providing them with counselling." [EMAIL PROTECTED] Group Site: http://www.gaybombay.info ========================== This message was posted to the gay_bombay Yahoo! Group. Responses to messages (by clicking "Reply") will also be posted on the eGroup and sent to all members. If you'd like to respond privately to the author of any message then please compose and send a new email message to the author's email address. Post:- gay_bombay@yahoogroups.com Subscribe:- [EMAIL PROTECTED] Digest Mode:- [EMAIL PROTECTED] No Mail Mode:- [EMAIL PROTECTED] Individual Mail Mode:- [EMAIL PROTECTED] Contact Us:- [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives are at http://www.mail-archive.com/gay_bombay%40yahoogroups.com/maillist.html Classifieds for personal advertisements are back on www.gaybombay.info site. Please exercise restraint in the language of your personal advertisement. Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gay_bombay/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
