1. Men Who Have Sex with Men in India: A Systematic Review of the Literature.
- Author
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Setia, Maninder Singh, Brassard, Paul, Jerajani, Hemangi R., Bharat, Shalini, Gogate, Alka, Kumta, Sameer, Row-Kavi, Ashok, Anand, Vivek, and Boivin, Jean-François
- Subjects
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SEXUALLY transmitted diseases , *HIV infections , *GENDER identity , *MEN'S sexual behavior , *PREVENTION of communicable diseases , *DISEASE prevalence - Abstract
This study systematically reviews the existing literature on sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in the men who have sex with men (MSM) in India. After a comprehensive literature search of Medline (1950-June 2008), Embase (1980-June 2008), and the Cochrane Library (1950-June 2008), 12 published studies met the inclusion criteria. The link between sexual identity and sexual behavior is a complex phenomenon strongly embedded in a very specific context in India. MSM in India are an important risk group for acquiring STIs/HIV and effective culturally sensitive prevention programs should be designed for them. The combined estimate of HIV prevalence in theMSM population in India calculated from 5 included studies was 16.5% (95% confidence intervals: 11% to 22%). The review also identifies the lacunae in existing literature and provides future directions for research in the MSM community in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
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