SINGAPORE : A worrying trend has emerged: a local study has
shown Singaporean men are practising safe sex at home but are less
likely to do so abroad.
The study, unveiled at the 4th Singapore AIDS Conference, has shown
that as many as 8 in 10 men do not use condoms when they have sex
with prostitutes overseas.
But when they are in Singapore, almost 9 in 10 men practise safe
sex.
Experts say such behaviour puts them and their families at risk of
sexually transmitted diseases.
Said Associate Professor Wong Mee Lian, assistant dean at the
National University of Singapore's Faculty of Medicine, "If they
don't practise safe sex and if they come back, they may spread it
to their wives and girlfriends.
"And another concern is that one quarter of them continue to have
sex with their wives and girlfriends even though they have symptoms
of sexually transmitted diseases. So they form a bridge of
infection to the community."
Prof Wong says that the most common reasons given for the non-usage
of condoms include less enjoyment during sex and that the sex
workers did not insist on them using one.
Another study found that more men are having sex with
prostitutes.
In 1987, 12 percent of men polled had sex with prostitutes, but in
2001, almost 16 percent engaged in such behaviour.
The study also looked into their awareness of AIDS.
One in 10 think AIDS is curable, and 1 in 5 believes condoms will
not protect them from AIDS even if used correctly.
In fact, the correct use of condoms can reduce the risk of
transmission of any kind of sexually-transmitted diseases,
including HIV/AIDS, by more than 90 percent.
A similar survey of men in Siem Reap, Cambodia, though, had
different findings.
An interesting point that was thrown up by the survey was that
although men in Siem Reap were less educated than the Singaporean
men, they had a higher level of knowledge of AIDS.
Almost 90 percent knew that AIDS could be passed on from a mother
to her child during breastfeeding, as compared to less than half of
Singaporean men.
Experts say the study of behavioural patterns of the men who
frequent prostitutes is useful, as it can help to plan for more
effective prevention programmes for HIV and sexually-transmitted
diseases.
These include educating prostitutes on the importance of condom
usage and promoting family responsibility among men.
Prof Wong said, "It's also important for us to work with other
countries and see what can be done to empower the sex workers to
negotiate condom use and provide condoms to men.
"We have worked on this project in the early 1990s where we empower
the sex workers to negotiate the use of condoms and the brothels to
support the use of condoms among the brothel-based workers in
Singapore. As a result, condom use has increased from less than 50
percent before these behavioural intervention programmes to more
than 90 percent after that."
Another interesting find has also emerged at the AIDS
conference.
A separate study by The National Skin Centre found 30 percent of
over 3,000 licensed massage parlours actually offer sexual services
- discreetly. - CNA
