Abstract:
Background Long-haul drivers play a role in the spread of
sexually transmitted infections (STI) globally. Truck drivers
engage in frequent travel away from home. They are exposed
to risky sex with commercial sex workers who are a reservoir
of HIV and other STIs. The study aimed to identify factors
associated with commercial sexual exposure among long-haul
truckers in a southern Nigerian town.
Methods A sample of 300 long-haul truckers from a highway
park in Ahor, southern Nigeria was recruited in a cross-sec tional study. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was
used to collect socio-demographic and sexual risk behavior
data. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 20 software. Chi square test, Odds ratio, and confidence intervals were used to
find the association between condom use, STI history, HIV
status, duration of a trip, number of sexual partners, and
truckers’ exposure to commercial sex workers.
Results While 42.0% of the truckers used condoms, 58.0%
were non-users. Reasons for non-condom use were commit ment to partner (72.0%), lack of pleasure (21.0%), and beliefs
(7.0%). Fifty percent of respondents reported two or less sex ual contacts while a third of them reported 12 sexual contacts
in 6 months. Overall, 59.0% of respondents had a history ofmultiple sexual partners. Factors associated with truckers’
exposure to a commercial sex worker were use of psychoac tive substance (OR 2.5 (1.5–4.4), p=0.00; condom use (OR
16.3 (8.0–32.5), p=0.00; previous sexually transmitted infec tion (OR 2.5 (1.2–5.1), p=0.01. The odds of single-sex part ner exposure to a commercial sex worker were 10% less than
the odds in multiple sex partner truckers, p=0.00.
Conclusion This study shows that psychoactive substances and
condoms may be fueling exposure to commercial sex among
truck drivers. Intervention programs should emphasize a single
partner relationship, target substance users and highlight the
potential impact of previous sexually transmitted infections on
the risk of acquiring an HIV infection.
Disclosure No significant relationships.
