Sexual risk behavior among military personnel stationed at border-crossing zones in the Dominican Republic Comportamiento sexual riesgoso del personal militar en zonas de paso fronterizo de la República Dominicana

• Main Authors: Michael P. Anastario, Maria Isabel Tavarez, Helen Chun
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Spanish; Portuguese
• Published: Pan American Health Organization 2010
• Subjects: Conducta sexual; personal militar; condones; coito; conducta de riesgo; salud fronteriza; síndrome de inmunodeficiencia adquirida; trastornos por estrés postraumático; Haití; República Dominicana; Sexual behavior; military personnel; condoms; coitus; risk behavior; border health; AIDS; stress disorders; post-traumatic; Haiti; Dominican Republic; Medicine; R; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/ee8b39c01b714e3ca4ad81fa7b2755d3

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of sexual risk behaviors among military personnel stationed along major border-crossing zones between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. METHODS: From November 2008 to January 2009, behavioral surveys were administered to 498 active duty military personnel stationed along the three largest border-crossing zones on the western border of the Dominican Republic. Participants were selected using systematic random sampling and asked about their sexual behavior over the past 12 months, alcohol use, and mental health. RESULTS: Forty-one percent reported having casual sex during the past 12 months, 37% of men had a history of having sex with a commercial sex worker (19% during the past 12 months), and 7% of men reported a history of having sex with a transmigrating Haitian (6% during the past 12 months). Among sexually non-monogamous respondents (51%), inconsistent condom use exceeded 60% for those engaging in anal, vaginal, or oral sex. Fifteen percent reported using sexual coercion during the past 12 months. CONCLUSIONS. Sexual risk behaviors were prevalent among military personnel stationed along border-crossing zones between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Prevention programs targeted at military personnel in this region should incorporate sexual coercion and mental health as key elements of their HIV prevention programs. OBJETIVO. Calcular la prevalencia del comportamiento sexual riesgoso del personal militar que sirve en las principales zonas de paso fronterizo entre la República Dominicana y Haití. MÉTODOS. De noviembre del 2008 a enero del 2009, se aplicaron encuestas sobre comportamiento a 498 miembros del personal militar que estaba en servicio activo en las tres zonas principales de paso fronterizo de la frontera occidental de la República Dominicana. Se seleccionó una muestra aleatoria y sistemática de participantes, a los que se les formularon preguntas sobre su comportamiento sexual de los últimos 12 meses, el consumo de bebidas alcohólicas y la salud mental. ...