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High Burden of HIV Infection and Risk Behaviors Among Female Sex Workers in Three Main Urban Areas of Mozambique

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Abstract

This is the first integrated biological and behavioral survey among female sex workers (FSW) in Mozambique. Using respondent-driven sampling, 400, 411 and 429 FSW were enrolled respectively in Maputo, Beira and Nampula in 2011–2012. Estimates were produced using RDSAT 7.1. HIV prevalence was 31.2, 23.6, and 17.8 % in each location respectively. Among HIV-positive FSW, 48.1, 79.8 and 89.6 % in each city, were unaware of their serostatus. Condom use at last sex with a client was 85.8, 73.4 and 62.8 % among FSW, respectively. HIV was associated with current age, age of first sex for money, low educational level, and having had a genital ulcer in the last 6 months. Results suggest the urgent need to increase behavioral and structural interventions in this key population.

Resumen

Este es el primer estudio biológico y conductual integrado entre las mujeres trabajadoras de sexo (MTS) en Mozambique. En el 2011–2012 usando el muestreo dirigido por los participantes (RDS), se enroló 400, 411 y 429 MTS en el estudio en Maputo, Beira y Nampula, respectivamente. Se utilizó RDSAT 7.1 para producir las estimaciones. La prevalencia del VIH fue del 31,2 %, 23,6 % y 17,8 %, respectivamente, en cada lugar. Entre las MTS seropositivas, el 48,1 %, 81,9 % y 89,6 % en cada lugar, no tenían conocimiento de su estado serológico. El uso del condón en la última relación sexual con un cliente fue 85,8 %, 73,4 % y 62,8 % en cada ciudad. VIH se asocia con la edad, la edad que hizo sexo por dinero primera vez, el bajo nivel escolar, y haber tenido una ulcera genital los últimos seis meses. Los resultados sugieren la necesidad urgente de aumentar las intervenciones conductuales y estructurales en esta población clave.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the members of the IBBS-FSW field teams for their dedication and effort in collecting survey data. This research has been supported by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under the terms of Cooperative Agreement Number U2GPS001468. The views expressed in this manuscript do not necessarily reflect the views of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the U.S. Government.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Nacional de Saúde, Ministério da Saúde, Maputo, Mozambique

    Ângelo do Rosário Augusto, Carlos Francisco Sande Botão & Cynthia Amino Semá Baltazar

  2. Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, Maputo, Mozambique

    Peter W. Young, Beverley Cummings & Heidi Frank

  3. University of California, San Francisco, USA

    Roberta Z. Horth, Henry Fisher Raymond & Willi McFarland

  4. I-TECH, Maputo, Mozambique

    Celso Inguane & Isabel Sathane

  5. Pathfinder International, Maputo, Mozambique

    Katia Ngale & Marcos Benedetti

  6. Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA

    Jennifer Fagan

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  1. Ângelo do Rosário Augusto
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Correspondence to Ângelo do Rosário Augusto.

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Augusto, Â.d.R., Young, P.W., Horth, R.Z. et al. High Burden of HIV Infection and Risk Behaviors Among Female Sex Workers in Three Main Urban Areas of Mozambique. AIDS Behav 20, 799–810 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-015-1140-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-015-1140-9

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