Goal
To assess how alcohol availability and promotion affects young people’s sexual health and safety in India, Tanzania and South Africa.
Context
Alcohol use is associated with prevalent and incident HIV infection, as many studies in sub-Saharan Africa and India show. Excessive alcohol use by male partners is strongly connected with women’s experience of partner violence, a key factor in HIV vulnerability. Binge drinking in particular is associated with risky behaviours including:
- unprotected sex
- multiple partners
- commercial sex
- physical and sexual abuse of women
Drinking venues are strongly associated with HIV risk as they bring together the opportunity to drink alcohol and to meet casual sex partners.
Alcohol use among adolescents is a growing problem, with young people exposed to industry messaging (alcohol can make you sexy, popular, etc.) Multiple exposures to advertising together with easy availability of alcohol have been shown to promote early and unhealthy drinking behaviour. The introduction of ‘sachets’ is also supporting growth in drinking among adolescents and women.
Activities
A short participatory study in three locations – Mwanza, Tanzania; Mumbai, India; and North West Province, South Africa – to investigate the impact of alcohol availability, promotion and affordability on young people’s sexual health and safety. One part of the study involves GPS mapping of drinking venues, advertising, schools etc, to map environments that support risky drinking. The other aspect will involve photo elicitation: young people photographing drinking venues and advertising and using the images as the basis for indepth interviews or focus group discussions on the impact of alcohol on their families and lives.
Key resources
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of alcohol use among young people in eastern Africa (Francis et al, Tropical Medicine & International Health, 2014).
- Technical measurement brief: Measuring alcohol-related HIV risk
View all resources related to alcohol and HIV here.
Engagement
- Working with the Tanzanian Ministry of Health and other ministries in drafting a national alcohol policy
- Presentation to representatives of Ministries of Health from eight sub-Saharan African countries at a technical workshop, hosted by UNDP and WHO in Windhoek, Namibia, on linkages between HIV, violence and alcohol use (Katherine Fritz (ICRW-DC)
Chairs
Dr Katherine Fritz ICRW-DC, Washington, DC, USA
Dr Gerry Mshana NIMR, Mwanza, Tanzania
