| Background:HIV/AIDS is one of the real emergencies that affect Southern Africa, especially Botswana, where predominance rates have come to 17.1% of the grown-up populace in 2008. The migrant workers have been vulnerable to HIV infections because of the demanding workplace and long periods of separation from their partners. While much research has been done with diggers and truck drivers, not much studies have explored the danger variables of migrant workers, which shapes the biggest occupation aggregate in Botswana and Southern Africa. The motivation behind this study was to assess sexual behaviour, knowledge and attitudes related to HIV/AIDS among a large group of migrant workers in Botswana, in order to help the development of an adequate HIV/AIDS awareness raising component of a national HIV prevention program based on the current needs of the population.Methods:A cross-sectional explanatory study to analyse variables adding to sexual behavioural patterns and expanded danger of HIV disease amongst migrant workers in Botswana. Structured interview in the form of a standardized questionnaire was administered to 900 skilled and semi-skilled migrant workers and 385 migrant commercial sex workers in two major urban communities in Botswana, in particular, the capital city, Gaborone and the second largest city, Francistown. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was completed to figure out which contributing elements were fundamentally connected with respondents’ sexual risk behaviours.Results:It is fascinating to note that confusions about the transmission courses of HIV is not recognised among migrant workers, especially mosquito bite (p=0.04; OR 0.593, 95% CI [0.354-0.993]), sharing of utensils to individuals infected (p=0.01; OR 0.082, 95% CI [0.011-0.602]). Participants were asked whether they thought that HIV/AIDS is a problem for other people such as commercial sex workers or homosexuals, rather than themselves. Of the 188 responses,28 (14.9%) agreed with the statement that HIV was a problem for others, not themselves. The majority,160 respondents (85.1%), though, disagreed with the statement quoting that HIV was a problem for everyone counting themselves.Unprotected sex was observed to be the most prevalent sexual risk behaviour, practiced by 36.2% of migrant workers. Significantly,89.9 percent of migrant workers were occupied with unprotected sex with their long-term partners while 10.1 percent of them were found to practice unprotected sex with their additional temporary partners. The second most common sexual risk behaviour was observed to be having concurrent sexual partners. Around 52 percent of migrant workers were found to have occupied with numerous simultaneous sexual exercises in the six months preceding the interview. Transactional sex, including the trading of sex for material backing, was observed with 72.1 percent to be the key variable affecting migrant workers to take part in concurrent relationships. Commercial sex, albeit infrequently reported, represented just 10.8 percent among migrant workers. In the multivariate analysis, a logistic regression model was utilized to dissertation elements connected with having a various concurrent relationship in the six months preceding the interview. Four variables contributed fundamentally for having had various concurrent relationships in the six months preceding the interview. These elements incorporate migrant worker’s age, monthly pay, working environment and separation from the main partner. Older migrant workers were observed to be less inclined to draw in into various concurrent relationships (95% CI:0.79 to 1.21) in danger with every year of age (p=0.028). Migrant workers with a salary of 1,000 Pula (about US$ 108) or more were observed to be 3.66 times (95% CI:1.95 to 5.01) more prone to have had occupied with unprotected sex with their additional temporary partner in the most recent six months (p=0.002). Migrant workers in Gaborone are 5.19 times (95% CI:2.21 to 8.72) more prone to have had engage in into numerous concurrent relationships in the most recent six months, contrasted with those in Francistown (p<0.001). The second logistic regression model was utilized to look at variables contributing to transactional sex. Around four elements were found to have contributed significantly to engaging into transactional sex in the six months before the interview. These elements include; (i) worker’s level of education; (ii) regularity of visits to the main partner; (iii) workers’ monthly salary and (vi) participants’ workplace. Respondents who did not finish their junior school education were observed to be 9.37 times (95% CI:3.88 to 27.99) more prone to have had engaged in transactional sex (p=0.001). Workers who stayed for more than 500km far from their main partners were observed to be 6.11 times (95% CI:2.43 to 9.12) more prone to have transactional sex contrasted with the workers who stayed under 500 km from their main partner (p=0.014). Various socio-demographic variables are significantly allied with sexual risk behaviours, including workers’age, the number of children, occupation position, salary, workplace location, and education level. It is, on the other hand, essential to note that migrant workers’alcohol consumption and level of HIV/AIDS awareness don’t significantly impact their sexual risk behaviours.Conclusion:These discoveries demonstrate that labour migration assumes a focal part in deciding workers’ engagement in sexual risk behaviour. Employers ought to give more leave days and occasions for workers. In conjunction with migration, which plays a key role, is indicating the requirement for more education which cincentrates on behavioural change instead of exclusively on HIV/AIDS awareness. |
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