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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Health Education and Promotion
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1478592

Knowledge, Attitude, and Preventive Behaviors Related to HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Myanmar Migrants in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand

Provisionally accepted
Kyaw Soe Thant Kyaw Soe Thant 1Aksara Thongprachum Aksara Thongprachum 1*Sineenart Chautrakarn Sineenart Chautrakarn 1Pannawich Chantaklang Pannawich Chantaklang 2Suwat Chariyalertsak Suwat Chariyalertsak 1
  • 1 Faculty of Public Health, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
  • 2 Nakornping Hospital, Chiang Mai, Thailand

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Introduction: Despite progress in controlling HIV/AIDS and STIs, these health challenges persist, with 39.9 million people living with HIV in 2023 and more than 350 million affected by STIs annually. Thailand is a major migrant hub in Southeast Asia. This study investigated the factors influencing preventive behaviors related to HIV/AIDS and STIs among Myanmar migrants in Chiang Mai province, Thailand.A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2023 among 424 Myanmar migrants aged 18-45 years. Participants were selected through convenience sampling from a local hospital and community gathering locations in Chiang Mai province. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors influencing preventive behaviors.The participants' average age was 29.92 years; 56.8% were married, and 67.5% had completed primary or lower education. The average monthly income was less than 10,000 THB (47.6%). Most participants had a good knowledge level of HIV (63.2%), while 80% had poor knowledge of STIs. Among the sexually active participants (n=274), 91.2% had good preventive behavior. The multivariate analysis indicated that migrants working in non-construction or day labor roles were less likely to practice preventive behaviors (aOR = 0.210, 95% CI: 0.046-0.972, p = 0.046). Additionally, migrants who had lived in Chiang Mai for more than 10 years were less likely to engage in preventive behaviors (aOR = 0.067, 95% CI: 0.010-0.465, p = 0.006). There was a statistically significant association between preventive behaviors and a positive attitude, with an aOR of 4.575 (95% CI: 1.226-17.073, p = 0.024).Low STI knowledge and negative attitudes toward condom use were found in this study. Culturally relevant and sensitive interventions and effective sexual health education are needed.

    Keywords: Myanmar migrant, hiv/aids, Preventive behaviors, sti, Thailand

    Received: 10 Aug 2024; Accepted: 13 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Thant, Thongprachum, Chautrakarn, Chantaklang and Chariyalertsak. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Aksara Thongprachum, Faculty of Public Health, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.