PREVENTION, Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre, Bangkok, Thailand.
Faculty of Nursing, Suratthani Rajabhat University, Surat Thani, Thailand.
PLoS One. 2019 Jun 27;14(6):e0219169. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219169. eCollection 2019.
The global trend in HIV incidence overall is declining; however, there is a plateau in new HIV infection among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW) despite extensive investment in HIV prevention targeting these populations. Many studies usually conflate these two groups together, which may overlook many disparate characteristics unique to each population, impeding the efficacy of HIV interventions. To better understand the vulnerable diversity that may put these individuals at risk of HIV infection, we conducted qualitative analysis among Thai MSM and TGW, aiming to identify sexual pattern themes of MSM and TGW in Bangkok in order to better understand their distinctive sexual life context. Convenient and purposive samplings were used to recruit Thai MSM and TGW aged ≥ 18 years old and living in Bangkok, Thailand, for focused group discussions and one-on-one in-depth interviews, respectively. Total of 12 MSM and 13 TGW participated in focused group discussions, which were conducted separately for MSM and TGW. Additionally, 5 MSM and 5 TGW were involved in one-on-one in-depth interviews. Thematic analyses were performed separately for MSM and TGW. The results show that MSM and TGW have distinct and diverse sexual patterns, and within the identified themes: partnering, partner finding, protection, and enhancing sexual pleasure (only for MSM). Participants reported having varying sexual experiences. Recognizing the difference and diversity in partnering and sexual practice of MSM and TGW is crucial in order to develop tailored interventions that suit the vulnerability of the key populations in Thailand.
全球艾滋病毒发病率总体呈下降趋势；然而，尽管针对男男性行为者和跨性别女性群体投入了大量艾滋病毒预防资金，男男性行为者和跨性别女性群体中的新感染艾滋病毒人数仍处于平台期。许多研究通常将这两个群体混为一谈，这可能忽略了每个群体独特的许多不同特征，从而影响艾滋病毒干预措施的效果。为了更好地了解可能使这些人面临艾滋病毒感染风险的脆弱多样性，我们对泰国男男性行为者和跨性别女性进行了定性分析，旨在确定曼谷男男性行为者和跨性别女性的性行为模式主题，以便更好地了解他们独特的性生活背景。采用方便和有针对性的抽样方法，招募了年龄≥ 18 岁、居住在泰国曼谷的泰国男男性行为者和跨性别女性，分别进行焦点小组讨论和一对一深入访谈。共有 12 名男男性行为者和 13 名跨性别女性参加了焦点小组讨论，分别针对男男性行为者和跨性别女性进行。此外，有 5 名男男性行为者和 5 名跨性别女性参加了一对一深入访谈。对男男性行为者和跨性别女性分别进行了主题分析。结果表明，男男性行为者和跨性别女性具有不同且多样化的性行为模式，在确定的主题中：伴侣关系、寻找伴侣、保护和增强性快感（仅适用于男男性行为者）。参与者报告了不同的性经历。认识到男男性行为者和跨性别女性在伴侣关系和性行为方面的差异和多样性，对于制定适合泰国重点人群脆弱性的定制干预措施至关重要。
