Study On HIV/AIDS Prevention & Interventions For Long Distance Truck Drivers In Shanghai

Objective: To study HIV-related knowledge and risky behavior as well as knowledge and acceptance of voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) for HIV among long-distance truck drivers in Shanghai.Methods: After a baseline survey, a VCT clinic was established in the parking lot for long-distance trucks in Southern Shanghai and a comprehensive HIV education and behavioral intervention program targeting at long-distance truck drivers in this parking lot was carried out and evaluated.Results: The baseline results showed that 40% of subjects reported having sex with commercial partners during the past 12 months, and 53% of subjects had heared of free HIV voluntary counseling and testing. 80.1% reported willingness to accept VCT after participants were informed that HIV counseling and testing was offered free of charge. Logistic regression analysis indicated that high awareness rate of VCT was associated with higher HIV knowledge score. After interventions and VCT service were implemented for 12 months, four were tested syphilis positive and nobody was tested HIV positive. Moreover, the awareness rate for knowledge about HIV transmission route and condom prevention was enhanced obviously. The proportion of these drivers having sex with commercial partners during the past 12 months reduced from 40.2% to 29.7%. But the rate of condom use had no siginifient change.Conclusion: Commercial sex was common among long-distance truck drivers. Currently, the HIV prevalence among long-distance truck drivers was low in Shanghai. Acceptance of VCT among truck drivers was high. On-site VCT service in the parking lot for long-distance trucks was an effective measure for HIV prevention and intervention. It is necessary to implement HIV prevention and intervention programs for long-distance truck drivers and to provide free VCT service, in order to maintain a relatively low HIV infection rate in this population.