Abstract:
Background: Understanding people’s views about HIV transmission by investigating a specific population may help
to design effective HIV prevention strategies. In addition, knowing the inherent sexual practices of such a
population, as well as the risky circumstances that may facilitate HIV transmission, is crucial for the said strategies to
become effective. In this article, we report how police officers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, perceived the problem of
HIV and AIDS in their local context, particularly in relation to unsafe sexual practices. The study was done with the
view to recommending ways by which HIV transmission could be minimised within the police force.
Methods: The study was conducted among members of the police force in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Eight focus
group discussions (FGDs) were conducted, with a total of 66 participants who were mixed in terms of age, gender,
and marital status. Some of these were caregivers to patients with AIDS. Data were analysed using the interpretive
description approach.
Results: The participants believed that both individual sexual behaviour and work-related circumstances were
sources of HIV infection. They also admitted that they were being tempted to engage in risky sexual practices
because of the institutional rules that prohibit officers from getting married during their training and for three years
after. Nevertheless, as members of the Police Force, they stressed the fact that the risky sexual behaviour that
exposes them to HIV is not limited to the force; it is rather a common problem that is faced by the general
population. However, they complained, the nature of their job exposes them to road accident victims, subjecting
them further to possible infection, especially when they have to handle these road accident casualties without
proper protective gear.
Conclusion: Individual sexual behaviour and job-related circumstances are worth investigating if proper advice is to
be given to the police regarding HIV prevention strategies. In order to improve the lives of these police officers,
there is a need to review the existing institutional rules and practices to accommodate individual sexual needs. In
addition, improving their working environment may minimize the risk of HIV transmission from handling casualties
in emergency situations.
