INTERPLAY OF ACTIVITY SPACE AND HIV TRANSMISSION AMONG MEN HAVING SEX WITH MEN IN AIZAWL CITY, INDIA

This study examines the spatial dimensions of HIV vulnerability among Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in Aizawl City, Mizoram-one of India's highest HIV prevalence settings.Using a cross-sectional exploratory design, data were collected from 52 MSM registered under the Zoram Drivers Ramthim Board's Targeted Intervention program between January and March 2021.A semi-structured questionnaire captured socio-demographic characteristics, substance use, sexual behavior, and self-reported HIV status, while GIS-based activity space mapping analyzed spatial mobility patterns.Results revealed that MSM in Aizawl lead spatially constrained lives, with mean core and peripheral activity spaces measuring 0.4 km and 1.86 km respectively.Social stigma and moral regulation by institutions such as the Church and the Young Mizo Association limited participation in public life, driving social and sexual interactions into hidden or semi-private settings.Substance use, particularly alcohol, was prevalent (80.77%) and often coincided with unprotected sexual encounters.HIV prevalence stood at 25%, with most transmissions occurring through unprotected sex in private residences.Only 37.5% of reported HIV transmission sites overlapped with mapped activity spaces, indicating that some risk behaviors occur beyond routine mobility zones.The findings underscore that HIV risk among MSM in Aizawl city is not merely behavioral but spatially produced emerging from the intersection of stigma, restricted mobility, and concealed social networks.Interventions must therefore integrate spatial understanding with stigma-informed and community-based strategies to enhance HIV prevention, testing, and care within this marginalized population.