Using National Surveys to Uncover and Assess Potentially Harmful Sexual Practices in Southeast Asia

Potentially harmful sexual practices including genital cutting, vaginal drying and penile implants are known to increase susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections, and are likely to shape patterns of gendered interactions disadvantageous to women. These practices have not been adequately documented in Southeast Asia. This project will build on previous work to develop standardised methods to assess prevalence of such practices in urban and rural areas and analyse demographic and socio-cultural characteristics of users. Outputs will include questionnaire modules to gauge prevalence and characteristics in national health surveys, and analyses presented in journal articles, country monographs and a book.