Venkatesan Chakrapani
Dados Biográficos
| ID | 159796 |
|---|---|
| NOME | Venkatesan Chakrapani |
| PRENOMES | Venkatesan |
| SOBRENOME | Chakrapani |
| ASSINATURA | CHAKRAPANI V |
| AFILIAÇÕES | Centre for Sexuality and Health Research and Policy |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-9998-9135 |
| VERIFICADO | Sim |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 44 |
| TOTAL DE CITAÇÕES | 47 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 44 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 0 |
| PRIMEIRO ANO DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 2007 |
| ANO MAIS RECENTE DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 2026 |
| ÍNDICE H | 4 |
Psychosocial Mechanisms Linking Intersecting Stigmas and Condomless Anal Sex Among Transgender Women in India
Preferences for ART adherence–focused service delivery among transfeminine individuals living with HIV in Mumbai and New Delhi, India
Background Transfeminine individuals in India face disproportionately high HIV prevalence and encounter multilevel barriers to sustained antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence. While India’s National AIDS Control Program (NACP) has expanded outreach to transfeminine individuals, few interventions address the intersectional challenges undermining long-term optimal adherence and viral suppression. Methods We conducted 30 in-depth interviews with tr…
The moral-behavioural logic of silence
Silence, the deliberate non-disclosure of HIV status - remains an overlooked yet central aspect of long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART) survivorship. While disclosure is promoted as empowerment, such framings may neglect the gendered, relational, and institutional contexts in which non-disclosure occurs. We conducted in-depth interviews with 21 long-term ART users (10-22 years on treatment) in Tamil Nadu, India, and analysed narratives using st…
Psychosocial problems, sexual violence victimization, and substance use among sexual and gender minorities in India
Undetectable = Untransmittable (U = U) Awareness and HIV Treatment Optimism Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Mumbai, India
Little is known about Undetectable=Untransmittable (U = U) awareness among MSM in India. We analyzed baseline survey data from MSM (N = 1004) in an mHealth HIV testing trial in Mumbai and Thane, India. We assessed factors associated with U = U awareness and agreement (HIV treatment optimism) using multivariable Poisson regression. U = U awareness (29%) was associated with English survey completion, searching for sexual health information online, …
Effectiveness of a program to lower unwanted media screens among 2–5-year-old children
Background Limited interventions exist on reducing unwanted screen time (ST) among children from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), so we developed and assessed the effectiveness of the program to lower unwanted media screen time (PLUMS) among children aged 2–5 years in Chandigarh, Union Territory, North India. Methods An open-label randomized control parallel group trial per CONSORT guidelines was conducted among randomly selected 340 fam…
Access to transition-related health care among transmasculine people in India
Little research has examined the health care experiences of transmasculine people in India, where government initiatives to improve access to transition-related (also called gender-affirmative) care have recently been announced. We draw on data from ‘ Our Health Matters’, a mixed-methods community-based participatory research project, to characterize the transition-related care experiences of transmasculine people in India. Peer researchers condu…
Associations between water insecurity and mental health outcomes among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer persons in Bangkok, Thailand and Mumbai, India
Water insecurity was common among LGBTQ participants in Bangkok and Mumbai and associated with poorer well-being. Findings signal the importance of assessing water security as a stressor harmful to LGBTQ mental health
Mental health in India
A scoping review of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) people’s health in India
Amid incremental progress in establishing an enabling legal and policy environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer-identified people, and people with intersex variations (LGBTQI+) in India, evidence gaps on LGBTQI+ health are of increasing concern. To that end, we conducted a scoping review to map and synthesize the current evidence base, identify research gaps, and provide recommendations for future research. We conducted a sco…
Intersectional stigma and gender non-affirmation hinder HIV care engagement among transgender women living with HIV in India
Among transgender women living with HIV (TGWLH) in India, little is understood about the mechanisms through which multiple intersecting stigmas impact HIV care engagement, or intervention strategies that might mitigate this impact. We conducted focus groups with TGWLH (N = 30) in three Indian cities and analysed data using theoretical frameworks related to HIV stigma, gender affirmation, and syndemics. Findings revealed that enacted and anticipat…
Trends in willingness to receive Covid-19 vaccines among healthcare workers in India
Background: COVID-19 vaccination of the healthcare workers (HCWs) is a key priority in the fight against the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. India launched its COVID-19 vaccination program in January 2021. We aimed to understand the trends in willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccines and its associated factors among HCWs in India. Methods: = 812, May 2021) the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines in India. The third survey coincided with the peak of the second …
Sociodemographic Determinants of Willingness and Extent to Pay for Covid-19 Vaccine in India
Background Responding to the fast transmission rates and increasing fatality rates, countries across the world expedited the development and deployment of the vaccine for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Evaluation of individuals' willingness to pay (WTP) would provide pertinent information regarding future demand and financing preferences, which shall help to devise the effective payment strategy for COVID-19 vaccination. Methods A nationwid…
Syndemic violence victimization, alcohol and drug use, and HIV transmission risk behavior among HIV-negative transgender women in India
Transgender women globally are disproportionately burdened by HIV. Co-occurring epidemics of adverse psychosocial exposures accelerate HIV sexual risk, including among transgender women; however, studies using additive models fail to examine synergies among psychosocial conditions that define a syndemic. We examined the impact of synergistic interactions among 4 psychosocial exposures on condomless anal sex (CAS) among transgender women in India.…
PrEP eligibility, HIV risk perception, and willingness to use PrEP among high-risk men who have sex with men in India
HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is not yet included in India’s national AIDS program, with demonstration projects for MSM in planning stages. In order to support PrEP roll-out for MSM, we assessed: (1) associations between guideline-informed PrEP eligibility, HIV risk perception, and perceived PrEP benefits and costs, with willingness to use PrEP (WTUP); and (2) correlates of non-WTUP among PrEP-eligible MSM. Data were collected from MSM (n =…
Associations between sexual stigma, enacted HIV stigma, internalized HIV stigma and homonegativity, and depression
Limited data is available on the associations between intersectional stigmas and mental health outcomes among men who have sex with men living with HIV (MSMLH) in India. The minority stress model postulates that sexual stigma contributes to depression through proximal stressors like internalized homonegativity (IHN). Using cross-sectional survey data from 119 MSMLH in 2015/16, we tested whether: (1) sexual stigma and enacted HIV stigma (EHS) are …
Affirming and negotiating gender in family and social spaces
17 participants) and 10 in-depth interviews with transmasculine people in Mumbai and Chennai. Data analyses were guided by minority stress theory and the gender affirmation model. Within family, the pressure to conform to assigned gender roles and gender policing usually began in adolescence and increased over time. Some participants left parental homes due to violence. In educational settings, participants described the enforcement of gender-nor…
The impact of a syndemic theory-based intervention on HIV transmission risk behaviour among men who have sex with men in India
Factors Influencing Covid-19 Vaccination Intentions Among College Students
Background: Students act as messengers in delivering effective messages for better uptake of health-promoting behavior. Understanding their knowledge about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), intentions to use the COVID-19 vaccine, and its associated factors will help develop promising strategies in vaccine promotion concerning the current COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was carried out among students in the healthcar…
Willingness to Use Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Preferences Among Men Who have Sex with Men in Mumbai and Chennai, India
Health of transgender men in low-income and middle-income countries
INTRODUCTION: Despite the rapid growth of research on transgender (trans) health globally, the extent of research on trans men and other transmasculine persons assigned the female sex at birth remains unclear. We, therefore, conducted a scoping review on trans men's health in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). METHODS: The review included peer-reviewed articles and conference abstracts, and grey literature published from 1 January 19…
HIV-related stigma trends in the general population of India during an era of antiretroviral treatment expansion, 2005-16
BACKGROUND: In India, which has the world's third-largest HIV epidemic, the extent to which levels of HIV-related stigma have changed during an era of ART scale-up is unknown. METHODS: We analyzed data from the 2005-06 and 2015-16 National Family Health Surveys (NFHS) to estimate trends in two stigma domains among people in the general population: desires for social distance from people living with HIV (ie, unwillingness to interact) and fear of …
Multilevel Influences on Fat, Sugar, Salt, Fruit, and Vegetable Consumption Behaviors Among Urban Indians
Designing effective interventions for achieving desired dietary behavior changes requires an in-depth study of people’s behaviors situated in sociocultural and interpersonal contexts. Guided by the Social Ecological Model, we explored the individual, family, and social-structural-level influences on dietary behaviors related to consumption of fat, sugar, salt, fruits, and vegetables among urban adults in India. We conducted 10 focus groups with a…
The syndemic of violence victimisation, drug use, frequent alcohol use, and HIV transmission risk behaviour among men who have sex with men
The theory of syndemics has been used to explain elevated HIV risk facing men who have sex with men (MSM). However, few studies have employed suitable analytical methods to test this theory. Using data from a probability-based sample of MSM in India, we tested three proposed models linking the co-occurring epidemics of violence victimisation, drug use, and frequent alcohol use to HIV risk: 1) the syndemic model of synergistically interacting epid…
Reducing sexual risk and promoting acceptance of men who have sex with men living with HIV in India
HIV-positive men who have sex with men (HIV+MSM) in India need culturally-relevant interventions to promote safer sex. We tested a multi-level intervention among HIV+MSM that targeted individual, interpersonal, and community factors, based on the Social-Personal and Social Ecological Models. We conducted a 2 × 2 factorial RCT with 119 HIV+MSM randomised to receive either an individual-level intervention (ILI) using motivational interviewing to pr…
Adapting the minority stress model
Gender Transition Services for Hijras and Other Male-to-Female Transgender People in India
This qualitative investigation explored access to and use of gender transition services by hijras and other male-to-female transgender people in the public and private hospitals in 7 Indian cities. We conducted 7 focus groups (n = 42 participants) and 30 in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of hijras/transpeople and 22 key informant interviews with service providers. Findings reveal a near-absence of gender transition services in public ho…
The impact of a syndemic theory-based intervention on HIV transmission risk behaviour among men who have sex with men in India
Assessment of a “Transgender Identity Stigma” scale among trans women in India
Background: Sexual minority stigma has been shown to influence mental health and sexual risk, but limited research is available on measuring transgender-identity stigma among trans women in India. We adapted an Exposure to Transphobia scale to the Indian context and tested a 14-item Transgender Identity Stigma Questionnaire (TGISQ) among trans women in India. We aimed to assess and validate the factor structure of the TGISQ and to assess its reli…
Like Holding an Umbrella Before It Rains
Topical rectal microbicides (RMs) are a new prevention technology in development that aims to reduce the risk of HIV acquisition from anal sex. We examined RM acceptability among men who have sex with men (MSM) in India. We conducted a qualitative exploratory study guided by a modified Technology Acceptance Model, with 10 focus groups ( n = 61) of MSM and 10 key informant interviews. Data were explored using framework analysis. RM acceptability w…
Structural Violence Against Kothi –Identified Men Who Have Sex with Men in Chennai, India
This qualitative investigation explored the experiences and contexts of stigma and discrimination among HIV-positive and high-risk kothi-identified men who have sex with men (MSM) in Chennai, India, and ramifications for HIV prevention. MSM were recruited through community agencies (n = 10) and public sex environments (n = 8), along with three key informants. In-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted, audiotaped, and transcribed. Narrati…
Secondary HIV prevention among Kothi ‐identified MSM in Chennai, India
This study explored experiences and contexts of HIV risk and prevention among HIV-positive kothi-identified men in Chennai, India. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 HIV-positive men and three service providers, recruited using purposive sampling. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed in Tamil and translated into English. Data were analysed using a narrative thematic approach and constant comparative method. Misconcept…
Barriers to free antiretroviral treatment access among kothi-identified men who have sex with men and aravanis (transgender women) in Chennai, India
The Indian government provides free antiretroviral treatment (ART) for people living with HIV. To assist in developing policies and programs to advance equity in ART access, we explored barriers to ART access among kothis (men who have sex with men [MSM] whose gender expression is feminine) and aravanis (transgender women, also known as hijras) living with HIV in Chennai. In the last quarter of 2007, we conducted six focus groups and four key-inf…
Correlates of HIV Testing Uptake among Kothi-Identified Men who have Sex with Men in Public Sex Environments in Chennai, India
Adapting the minority stress model
Consistent condom use with regular, paying, and casual male partners and associated factors among men who have sex with men in Tamil Nadu, India
HIV interventions among MSM need to promote CCU with all types (regular, paying, and causal) of male partners, and need to reach MSM across all age groups. In addition to enhancing interventions that focus on individual level risk reduction, it is important to undertake structural interventions that promote social acceptance of same-sex sexuality and address contextual barriers to condom use such as alcohol use
If It’s Not Working, Why Would They Be Testing It?”
Evidence-informed interventions that engage with shared mental models among potential trial volunteers, along with policies and funding mechanisms that ensure local access to products that demonstrate efficacy in trials, may support the safe and ethical implementation of HIV vaccine trials in India
Contextual influences on condom use among men who have sex with men in India
Quantitative studies among men who have sex with men in India have shown high levels of unprotected anal sex. However, there is little information about the contexts in which such men may not use condoms. Relevant information on these contexts can assist in designing HIV prevention programmes to remove barriers to consistent condom use. As part of a larger study on sexual and social networks, we explored the contexts in which men who have sex wit…
Barriers to antiretroviral treatment access for injecting drug users living with HIV in Chennai, South India
India's National AIDS Control Organization provides free antiretroviral treatment (ART) to people living with HIV (PLHIV), including members of marginalized groups such as injecting drug users (IDUs). To help inform development of interventions to enhance ART access, we explored barriers to free ART access at government ART centers for IDUs living with HIV in Chennai by conducting three focus groups (n = 19 IDUs) and four key informant interviews…
Association Between Alcohol Use and HIV-Related Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM)
This paper examines the association between alcohol use and HIV-related sexual risk behaviors among men who have sex with men (MSM). A cross-sectional bio-behavioral survey was conducted among 3,880 MSM, recruited using time-location cluster sampling from cruising sites in three Indian states. Nearly three-fifths of the participants reported alcohol use. Among frequent users (40 % of the sample), defined as those who consumed alcohol daily or at …
Gender Transition Services for Hijras and Other Male-to-Female Transgender People in India
This qualitative investigation explored access to and use of gender transition services by hijras and other male-to-female transgender people in the public and private hospitals in 7 Indian cities. We conducted 7 focus groups (n = 42 participants) and 30 in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of hijras/transpeople and 22 key informant interviews with service providers. Findings reveal a near-absence of gender transition services in public ho…
Barriers and facilitators to voluntary HIV testing uptake among communities at high risk of HIV exposure in Chennai, India
In India, increasing uptake of voluntary HIV testing among 'core risk groups' is a national public health priority. While HIV testing uptake has been studied among key populations in India, limited information is available on multi-level barriers and facilitators to HIV testing, and experiences with free, publicly available testing services, among key populations. We conducted 12 focus groups (n = 84) and 12 key informant interviews to explore th…
Syndemics of depression, alcohol use, and victimisation, and their association with HIV-related sexual risk among men who have sex with men and transgender women in India
We examined the presence and co-occurrence of psychosocial health conditions (depression, frequent alcohol use, and victimisation) among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender (TG) women in India, and their cumulative association with sexual risk. A survey questionnaire was administered among a convenience sample of 600 participants (MSM = 300; TG women = 300) recruited through six non-governmental organisations in four states. Prevalenc…
Comparison of Sexual Risk, HIV/STI Prevalence and Intervention Exposure Among Men Who Have Sex with Men and Women (MSMW) and Men Who Have Sex with Men Only (MSMO) in India
Using data from a cross-sectional bio-behavioral survey conducted among men who have sex with men (n = 3833) in India, we examined differences related to HIV-related sexual risk, HIV/STI prevalence and intervention exposures between men who have sex with men and women (MSMW, 35 % of the sample) and men who have sex with men only (MSMO). Among MSMW, 93 % reported having female regular partners, 14 % had female paid partners, and all types of male …
A mixed methods study on evaluating the performance of a multi-strategy national health program to reduce maternal and child health disparities in Haryana, India
MCH plans of NRHM might have succeeded in improving the MCH outcomes and reducing the geographical and socioeconomic MCH inequalities by successfully implementing the schemes like accredited social health activists, free ambulance services, free treatment and medicines in hospitals for the poor and in rural areas
Assessment of a “Transgender Identity Stigma” scale among trans women in India
Background: Sexual minority stigma has been shown to influence mental health and sexual risk, but limited research is available on measuring transgender-identity stigma among trans women in India. We adapted an Exposure to Transphobia scale to the Indian context and tested a 14-item Transgender Identity Stigma Questionnaire (TGISQ) among trans women in India. We aimed to assess and validate the factor structure of the TGISQ and to assess its reli…
Like Holding an Umbrella Before It Rains
Topical rectal microbicides (RMs) are a new prevention technology in development that aims to reduce the risk of HIV acquisition from anal sex. We examined RM acceptability among men who have sex with men (MSM) in India. We conducted a qualitative exploratory study guided by a modified Technology Acceptance Model, with 10 focus groups ( n = 61) of MSM and 10 key informant interviews. Data were explored using framework analysis. RM acceptability w…
Syndemic Classes, Stigma, and Sexual Risk Among Transgender Women in India
The syndemic of violence victimisation, drug use, frequent alcohol use, and HIV transmission risk behaviour among men who have sex with men
The theory of syndemics has been used to explain elevated HIV risk facing men who have sex with men (MSM). However, few studies have employed suitable analytical methods to test this theory. Using data from a probability-based sample of MSM in India, we tested three proposed models linking the co-occurring epidemics of violence victimisation, drug use, and frequent alcohol use to HIV risk: 1) the syndemic model of synergistically interacting epid…
Reducing sexual risk and promoting acceptance of men who have sex with men living with HIV in India
HIV-positive men who have sex with men (HIV+MSM) in India need culturally-relevant interventions to promote safer sex. We tested a multi-level intervention among HIV+MSM that targeted individual, interpersonal, and community factors, based on the Social-Personal and Social Ecological Models. We conducted a 2 × 2 factorial RCT with 119 HIV+MSM randomised to receive either an individual-level intervention (ILI) using motivational interviewing to pr…
Syndemics and HIV-related sexual risk among men who have sex with men in India
Using syndemics theory as a framework, we explored the experience of men who have sex with men in India in relation to four syndemic conditions (depression, alcohol use, internalised homonegativity and violence victimisation) and to understand their resilience resources. Five focus groups were conducted among a purposive sample of diverse men along with seven key informant interviews with HIV service providers. Participants' narratives suggested …
Health of transgender men in low-income and middle-income countries
INTRODUCTION: Despite the rapid growth of research on transgender (trans) health globally, the extent of research on trans men and other transmasculine persons assigned the female sex at birth remains unclear. We, therefore, conducted a scoping review on trans men's health in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). METHODS: The review included peer-reviewed articles and conference abstracts, and grey literature published from 1 January 19…
HIV-related stigma trends in the general population of India during an era of antiretroviral treatment expansion, 2005-16
BACKGROUND: In India, which has the world's third-largest HIV epidemic, the extent to which levels of HIV-related stigma have changed during an era of ART scale-up is unknown. METHODS: We analyzed data from the 2005-06 and 2015-16 National Family Health Surveys (NFHS) to estimate trends in two stigma domains among people in the general population: desires for social distance from people living with HIV (ie, unwillingness to interact) and fear of …
Multilevel Influences on Fat, Sugar, Salt, Fruit, and Vegetable Consumption Behaviors Among Urban Indians
Designing effective interventions for achieving desired dietary behavior changes requires an in-depth study of people’s behaviors situated in sociocultural and interpersonal contexts. Guided by the Social Ecological Model, we explored the individual, family, and social-structural-level influences on dietary behaviors related to consumption of fat, sugar, salt, fruits, and vegetables among urban adults in India. We conducted 10 focus groups with a…
Factors Influencing Covid-19 Vaccination Intentions Among College Students
Background: Students act as messengers in delivering effective messages for better uptake of health-promoting behavior. Understanding their knowledge about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), intentions to use the COVID-19 vaccine, and its associated factors will help develop promising strategies in vaccine promotion concerning the current COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was carried out among students in the healthcar…
Medicine (37 obras) · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions (31 obras) · Psychology (28 obras) · Family medicine (24 obras) · Men who have sex with men (21 obras) · Psychiatry (20 obras) · Environmental health (19 obras) · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk (18 obras) · Psychological intervention (18 obras) · Sociology (17 obras)