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Determinants of HIV Infection Among Female Sex Workers in Two Cities in the Republic of Moldova: The Role of Injection Drug Use and Sexual Risk

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Abstract

In 2009–2010, females who reported having vaginal, anal or oral sex in exchange for money in the previous year, ≥16 years, and living in either Chisinau (n = 299) or Balti (n = 359), Moldova, were recruited into a respondent driven sampling survey. One fifth reported ever injecting drugs and over 30 % ever had sexual intercourse with men who inject drugs. In both cities, condom use with permanent and casual partners was much lower than condom use with commercial partners. In Chisinau, 6.9 % and in Balti, 24.7 % tested positive for HIV; 18 and 23.7 % had antibodies to hepatitis C; 9.1 and 8.9 % had antibodies to HBV; and, 8.4 and 6.1 % tested positive for syphilis. HIV seropositive FSW in either city were more likely to have ever injected drugs and to be infected with HCV. Limited government initiative and drastic reductions in international funding will likely impact urgently needed HIV prevention and harm reduction services targeting FSW in Moldova.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank all those who participated in this survey as well as the organizations that implemented the data collection within these surveys: Sociological Agency CBS “AXA”, NGO “Medical Reforms” (Chisinau), Youth Friendly Center “ATIS” (Balti) and Youth Friendly Center “Neovita” (Chisinau). We would also like to thank Caitlin Evrard, Tulane University, for her help in data analysis.

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Author notes

  1. Lisa Grazina Johnston

    Present address: , Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 64F, 1012 SC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Authors and Affiliations

  1. UNAIDS Regional Support Team, Moscow, Russia

    Lev Zohrabyan

  2. Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Lisa Grazina Johnston

  3. Tulane University of International Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA

    Lisa Grazina Johnston

  4. UNAIDS Monitoring and Evaluation Adviser for Central Asia, Almaty, Kazakhstan

    Otilia Scutelniciuc

  5. UNAIDS Country Office, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova

    Alexandrina Iovita & Gabriela Ionascu

  6. National Center for Health Management, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova

    Lilia Todirascu, Tatiana Costin, Valeriu Plesca & Tatiana Cotelnic-Harea

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  1. Lev Zohrabyan
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Correspondence to Lisa Grazina Johnston.

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Zohrabyan, L., Johnston, L.G., Scutelniciuc, O. et al. Determinants of HIV Infection Among Female Sex Workers in Two Cities in the Republic of Moldova: The Role of Injection Drug Use and Sexual Risk. AIDS Behav 17, 2588–2596 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-013-0460-x

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