An exploration of elevated HIV and STI risk among male sex workers from India
نویسندگان
چکیده
BACKGROUND Men who have sex with men (MSM) who also report transactional sex (male sex workers or MSWs) are known to be at higher risk for HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The study aimed to profile socio-demographic characteristics and risk factors associated with high HIV prevalence among MSWs. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2008-9 among 483 high-risk MSM who attended STI clinics at Mumbai and Hyderabad, two large cities in India. RESULTS About 70% of the MSM reported transactional sex. As compared to other MSM, MSWs had more male partners (8.9 versus 2.5, p < 0.001) and higher rates of receptive anal sex (96% versus 72%, p < 0.001). HIV prevalence among MSWs and other MSM was 43.6% and 18.1% respectively. HIV prevalence among MSWs was associated with the place of residence (MSWs from Hyderabad were 7.3 times more likely to be infected), positive syphilis serology (3.8 times) and duration of sex work (increased by 8% for every additional year). CONCLUSION The study showed that MSWs are at high risk for HIV acquisition/transmission, which highlights the need for intensified interventions for personalized risk-reduction counselling and STI screening. Newer biomedical interventions such as pre-exposure prophylaxis and treatment as prevention could also be considered.
منابع مشابه
Author's response to reviews Title:An exploration of elevated HIV and STI risk among male sex workers from India Authors:
متن کامل
The importance of sex-worker interventions: the case of Avahan in India
Since the very beginning of the HIV epidemic, sex workers have been at increased risk for HIV, because of multiple partners, and highly vulnerable because of environmental and structural barriers that prevent them from accessing services or having control over their activities. Experience with feasible and effective prevention programmes has been accumulating for more than 20 years. In Democrat...
متن کاملTricks of the trade: sexual health behaviors, the context of HIV risk, and potential prevention intervention strategies for male sex workers.
Sex work is a significant risk for HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) among men who have sex with men (MSM); however, there is a dearth of knowledge about how to reduce risk in this group. MSM sex workers (N = 32) completed a semistructured qualitative interview and a close-ended quantitative assessment. Analyses focused on themes relevant to intervention development. Participants rep...
متن کاملHigh burden of STI and HIV in male sex workers working as internet escorts for men in an observational study: a hidden key population compared with female sex workers and other men who have sex with men
BACKGROUND Male sex work in the western countries has changed, including now a subculture of male sex workers who have paid sex with men arranged for via the internet. The men involved in this subculture do not easily identify themselves as sex workers nor as homosexual, and are therefore missed by regular health care and public health interventions. These male sex workers may form a hidden key...
متن کاملAvahan: the transition to a publicly funded programme as a next stage
The prevention community is coming to terms with the complexity of HIV prevention and being urged to make better use of existing data, to ensure resources are directed to where the epidemic is and to what drives it, to address vulnerability and structural determinants, and to apply what we know works with sufficient quality, intensity and scale. 8 13 14 These are the principles that have charac...
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
عنوان ژورنال:
دوره 13 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2013