Changing Gender Attitudes and Reducing HIV Risk and Gender-Based Violence among Young Men in Low-Income Settings of India

Ravi K. Verma, International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)
Vaishali Sharma Mahendra, Population Council
Julie Pulerwitz, Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH)
Ajay Kumar Singh, International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)

This paper presents findings from a longitudinal study in India focused on testing the impact of interventions to promote male engagement and gender equity as strategies to reduce HIV and violence risk for both men and women. Participants included young men (16 to 29 years old) from low-income urban communities in Mumbai (n = 537 at endline) and rural communities in Gorakhpur (N=601 at endline). There was a significant shift (p<0.05) in all intervention sites toward more support for equitable gender norms, but not control sites. Condom use at last sex significantly increased (p<0.05) and partner violence significantly decreased (p<0.05) in all intervention areas, but not at control sites. Results from multiple variable logistic regression analyses indicate that young men with high gender equity scores were more likely to show positive changes in key HIV/STI risk outcomes including increased use of condoms at last sex and reduced partner violence.