DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2016.v04i06.005

Pages: 1888-1901

The objectives of present study is to determine the awareness regarding clinical features, routes of transmission prevention and various misconceptions of sexually transmitted diseases among study subpopulation. The present study was conducted within the municipal limits of Srinagar city. The subpopulations studied were:Long distance Truck Drivers and their helpers. The study was conducted by in-depth face to face interviews with the target populations using the questionnaire based on Family Health International‟s instrument for Behavioral surveillance surveys with suitable modifications. The parameters studied included: 1) STD‟s : awareness, symptoms & treatment seeking behavior 2) Knowledge, opinions & attitudes towards HIV/AIDS 3) Exposure to interventions. The sampling strategy used for Long distance truck drivers was time / location cluster sampling.. The interviews were conducted twice in a week at each of the sites and at each visit a total of 10% truck drivers available at that time were interviewed using systematic random sampling. The data was collected over a period of six weeks from a total of 245 truck drivers. A total of 245 in depth face-to-face interviews were conducted in the study. Though condom awareness was high in the study groups but condom usage was low . Consistent condom usage in spousal (16%) & casual sex workers (31%) was overall much lower than consistent condom usage in commercial sex workers the same group (60%).The overall awareness about STDs was high in study group (TH) 74.29%. However the correct knowledge about at least two symptoms of STDs was low in study group (TH) 17.14%. The overall awareness about HIV /AIDS & its main modes of transmission was high in the group (above 80%).