Understanding social and environmental factors and their contribution mechanisms to HIV transmission among heterosexual men in Indonesia

The number of HIV infection among heterosexual men in Indonesia continues to increase. This paper describes social and environmental factors and the mechanisms through which these factors may have contributed to the transmission of HIV among men in Indonesia. A qualitative design using one-on-one and face-to-face in-depth interviews was employed to collect data from men living with HIV in Yogyakarta and Belu, from June to December 2019. Participants (n=40) were recruited using the snowball sampling technique. The logical model for socio-environmental determinants diagnosis was used to conceptualise the study and discuss the findings. The findings showed that social factors such as peer influence on sex, condom use and injecting drug use were contributing factors for HIV transmission among the participants. Other factors and drivers of HIV transmission included mobility, migration, and the environment the participants lived, worked and interacted, which facilitated their engagement in high-risk behaviours. The findings indicate the need for wide dissemination of information and education about HIV and condoms for men, within communities and migration areas in Indonesia and other similar settings globally in order to increase their understanding of the means of HIV transmission, and condom use for HIV prevention.