The relationship between sexual violence and symptoms of sti among the self-identified kothis-men who have sex with men in Tamil Nadu, India

Kothis, a subgroup of Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) constitute a high-risk group for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). This study examines the prevalence of sexual violence and the self-reported symptoms of STIs and explores the relationship between the two among the self-identified kothis in Tamil Nadu, India. The study used the data from District Level Communication Campaign (DLCC) Survey, 2010 with a sample of 328 kothis in Tamil Nadu. In order to estimate the pure effect of each variable on the sexual violence and the reported symptoms of STIs, logistic regression model was used. The study revealed that 57.0 percent of kothis experienced any sexual violence ever and 14.3 percent reported any symptom of STIs in the past twelve months. Kothis who were employed as unskilled labourers, who were married but live alone, who had more than 30 partners in the last six months, who were refused payment by clients and those who were refused the use of condoms by their partners were significantly more likely to experience sexual violence. Also, symptoms of STIs were significantly higher among kothis who experienced sexual violence. The results point towards the need for focused interventions to reduce sexual violence and STIs amongst the kothis in Tamil Nadu.