ANAL INTERCOURSE EXPERIENCE AND HIV RISK AWARENESS AMONG MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN IN DIRE DAWA, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Background: Men who have sex with men have been disproportionately affected with HIV and anal intercourse carrying more risk of HIV than vaginal intercourse for receptors, which coupled with other factors such as not using proper lubricants and condom. Even most of them did not well understood HIV transmission risk of anal intercourse. Objective: to explore anal intercourse experience and HIV transmission risk awareness of men who have experienced sex with men in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, 2016. Method: A qualitative study design with thematic analysis approach was used. The study participant men who had sex with men recruited using respondent driven sampling method. Sample sizes were attained with saturation of ideas from 15 men who had sex with men. Interviews were carried out with Amharic and were tape recorded. Data analysis was done concomitantly with data collection. A tape recorded data was transcribed and translated to English and then entered into open code software version 3.4 for coding and theme identification. Major themes were identified for final analysis. Result: Men who had had sex with men engaged in anal intercourse for financial reasons, to satisfying sexual pleasure, because of their socioeconomic vulnerability and without their will. Moreover engaging for better sexual pleasure, inaccessibility of condom and thinking as condom is not necessary among men who have sex with men were the reasons for engaging in unprotected anal intercourse. On the other hand not knowing about lubricants was one of the reasons for not using lubricants by men who have sex with men. Exacerbated risk of anal intercourse for HIV transmission not understood by half men who had sex with men. Poor health service utilization and provision about anal intercourse may be the root cause for not applying condom use behaviors and low awareness of HIV transmission risk through anal intercourse among them. Conclusion and recommendation: men who have sex with men engaged in risky anal intercourse and have poor awareness as HIV transmits through anal intercourse. All stakeholders including the ministry of health need to incorporate potential HIV transmission risk awareness for men who had sex with men practice anal intercourse.