Nontobacco Substance Use, Sexual Abuse, HIV, and Sexually Transmitted Infection Among Street Children in Kolkata, India

Abstract

A community-based cross-sectional study among 554 Kolkata city street children assessed nontobacco substance use and sexual abuses along with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/ sexually transmitted infections (STIs) during 2007, using conventional cluster sampling technique for “hard-to-reach population” with a field-tested questionnaire and the collection of a blood sample for HIV and syphilis serology testing as a composite indicator of STIs. The reported prevalence of nontobacco substance use was 30%; 9% reported having been sexually abused. Some factors (age, lack of contact with family, orphan children, night stay at public place, etc.) were documented to be associated with substance use and sexual abuses. Seroprevalence of HIV was found to be 1% and that of STIs was 4%. This 1% HIV seroprevalence in street children is a matter of concern. Community-based intervention is necessary for them. The study's limitations are noted.

RÉSUMÉ

L’Utilisation de Substance de Non-tabac, l’Abus Sexuel, VIH et l’Infection Sexuellement Transmise parmi les Enfants de La rue dans Kolkata, l’Inde

Une communauté a basé l’étude trans-à éléments parmi l’utilisation de substance de non-tabac évaluée d’enfants de rue de 554 ville Kolkata et les abus sexuels avec HIV/STIs pendant 2007, en utilisant la technique de sondage par segments conventionnelle de la ‘Population de Portée “durement” à ‘ avec un champ ont évalué le questionnaire et la collection d’un échantillon de sang pour VIH et d’une syphilis serology évaluant comme un indicateur composite d’infections sexuellement transmises (STIs). La prédominance annoncée d’utilisation de substance de non-tabac était 30%; 9% ont signalé avoir été sexuellement abusés. Quelques facteurs (l’âge, le manque de contact avec la famille, les enfants orphelins, le séjour nocturne à l’endroit public etc.) ont été documentés pour être associés à l’utilisation de substance et aux abus sexuels. La Sero-prédominance d’a VIH été trouvée pour être 1% et ce de STIs était 4%. Ce 1% VIH la sero-prédominance chez les enfants de la rue est une question d’inquiétude. L’intervention basée de communauté est nécessaire pour eux. Les restrictions de l’étude sont notées.

RESUMEN

Uso de Sustancia de No tabaco, Abuso Sexual, VIH e Infección Sexualmente Transmitida entre Niños de la Calle en Kolkata, India

Una comunidad el estudio enfadado seccional basado entre 554 niños de calle de ciudad Kolkata tasó uso de sustancia de no tabaco y abusos sexuales junto con HIV/STIs durante 2007, usando el racimo convencional que prueba la técnica para la Población de ‘el Alcance “con fuerza” a ‘ con un campo probó el cuestionario y la colección de una muestra de sangre para VIH y serología de sífilis que prueba como un indicador compuesto de infecciones sexualmente transmitidas (STIs). El predominio relatado del uso de sustancia de no tabaco era el 30%; el 9% relató haber sido sexualmente abusado. Algunos factores (edad, carencia del contacto con familia, niños huérfanos, permanencia de la noche en el lugar público etc.) fueron documentados para tener que ver con uso de sustancia y abusos sexuales. El Sero-predominio del VIH fue encontrado para ser el 1% y aquel de STIs era el 4%. Este sero-predominio de VIH del 1% en niños de la calle es una materia de preocupación. La comunidad intervención basada es necesaria para ellos. Las limitaciones del estudio son notadas.

Keywords :

• street children
• substance use
• sexual abuse
• human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
• sexually transmitted infection (STI)
• Kolkata
• risk factor
• Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL)
• Treponema pallidum haemagglutination (TPHA)

THE AUTHORS

Baishali Bal, M.A., is a sociologist, researcher, administrator, and author of many national and international journals. Her areas of interest include sociological studies of HIV/AIDS among injecting drug users, sex workers, and street children; creating and disseminating knowledge on HIV/AIDS; and uplifting of socioeconomically backward communities.

Rupa Mitra, M.B.B.S., D.G.O., P.G.D.H.H.M., is a physician, public health worker, researcher, and administrator. She is interested in conducting community-based epidemiological surveys on HIV/AIDS, improving maternal and child health among Indian railway employees, and creating awareness among illiterate mothers.

Aiyel Haque Mallick, M.Sc., is a computer programmer, data analyst, and data manager. His efficiency lies in data handling and data management of community-based surveys and integrated diseases surveillance systems in the community as well as in hospitals, particularly in the field of HIV/AIDS.

Sekhar Chakraborty, Ph.D., is a virologist, molecular biologist, researcher, consultant, administrator, conference organizer, author, guide, and developer of a particular type of HIV-1 vaccine undergoing HIV vaccine trials in India. His areas of interests include the molecular biological study of HIV to understand its genetic diversity and transmission dynamics of the virus in a community.

Kamalesh Sarkar, M.D., is an epidemiologist, researcher, administrator, conference organizer, and author of many scientific articles, published in a number of national and international journals. His specialization areas of consists of controlling diseases of public health importance through integrated disease surveillance systems, studying the epidemiology of HIV, particularly in injecting drug users and sex workers with the objectives of finding out suitable community-based intervention strategies for its prevention/control.

Notes

1 The journal's style utilizes the category substance abuse as a diagnostic category. Substances are used or misused; living organisms are and can be abused. Editor's note.

2 The reader is referred to Hills’ criteria for causation, which were developed in order to help assist researchers and clinicians determine if risk factors were causes of a particular disease or outcomes, or merely associated. (Hill, A. B. [1965] The environment and disease: associations or causation? Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine 58: 295–300.).