It is remarkable that 68% of male Shan migrant respondents said they had been HIV tested. That is higher than in the United States.

The slides are attached.

[him] moderator

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HIV-related knowledge, attitudes, stigma, and testing history among Shan migrants in Northern Thailand

Presented by Charles Washington, United States.

C. Washington1, V. Suwanvanichkij1, S. Sam2, S. Lein Harn2, S. Loa Phun2, L. Johnson1, S. Odell1, D. Celentano1, C. Beyrer1

1Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for Public Health and Human Rights, Baltimore, United States, 2Tai Yan Murng Project, Fang, Thailand

Background: Burma faces a generalized, heterogeneous HIV epidemic, with ethnic Shans amongst the most affected. Several hundred thousand Shan have fled their homes due to widespread, systematic human rights abuses. Without refugee status or legal protections in Thailand, they are often forced to work in exploitative conditions and face many barriers to healthcare services. Available HIV prevalence estimates range from 3% to 10.6% in non-high risk Shan populations, higher than ethnic Thais.

Methods: In 2007, Shan community health workers administered a standardized questionnaire assessing HIV knowledge and stigma to 182 adult Shan migrants in Fang, Thailand, a major portal of entry for those fleeing Burma. Data were analyzed using OR and 95% CIs.

Results: 98% answered at least 1 question on HIV transmission incorrectly and 99% expressed some HIV-related stigma (Table 1). Shan women were less likely to access HIV/AIDS-related services (Table 2).

      % (#/total)
Someone can get HIV/AIDS by touching an HIV+ person.     93% (169/182)
Someone can get HIV/AIDS from a mosquito bite.     70% (128/182)
You only need to use condoms with CSW.     98% (177/181)
HIV should be kept a secret or people will treat you badly.     65% (117/181)

      Male     Female     OR (95% C.I.)
Have you heard of HIV/AIDS?     94% (91/97)     84% (71/85)     3.0 (1.0, 9.9)
Have you ever received education about HIV/AIDS?     46% (45/97)     23% (19/84)     3.0 (1.5, 6.0)
Have you ever had an HIV test?     68% (63/93)     39% (33/83)     3.2 (1.6, 6.2)

Conclusions: High levels of HIV misinformation and stigma persist among Shan migrants. Shan women have less access to HIV/AIDS education and testing. There is an urgent need to increase access to HIV-related services for Shan migrants in Thailand, particularly women.