OBJECTIVES To assess sexual risk-taking of female sex workers (FSWs) with emotional partners (boyfriends and husbands), compared to regular and casual clients. Experiences of violence and the degree of relationship control that FSWs have with emotional partners are also described. DESIGN Cohort study with quarterly follow-up visit over 12-months. METHODS Four hundred HIV-uninfected FSWs old...

BACKGROUND Population HIV prevalence across West Africa varies substantially. We assess the national epidemiological and behavioural factors associated with this. METHODS National, urban and rural data on HIV prevalence, the percentage of younger (15-24) and older (25-49) women and men reporting multiple (2+) partners in the past year, HIV prevalence among female sex workers (FSWs), men who h...

BACKGROUND Little is known about the structure and context of, and the risks encountered in, sex work in the United States. OBJECTIVE This community-based participatory research (CBPR) study explored female sex work and the feasibility of conducting a larger study of sex work within the immigrant Latino community in North Carolina. METHODS Twelve abbreviated life story interviews were condu...

OBJECTIVE To assess risk behaviours including number and type of sex partners, condom use, knowledge of STIs and HIV/AIDS among hijras (eunuch) of Lahore. METHODS Two hundred hijras were recruited through Respondent Driven Sampling and interviewed by a team of experienced interviewers. RESULTS The mean age of the respondents was 29.2 +/- 6.3 years (Range 18-55). More than two third (68.5%) ...

BACKGROUND Globally, client-perpetrated violence against female sex workers (FSWs) has been associated with multiple health-related harms, including high-risk sexual behavior and increased exposure to HIV/STIs. This study examined correlates of client-perpetrated sexual, physical, and economic violence (e.g., robbery) against FSWs in 13 cities throughout Mexico. METHODS FSWs (N = 1,089) who w...

Objective. To assess the HIV serostatus of clients attending integrated counseling and testing centres (ICTCs) in Tamilnadu, south India (excluding antenatal women and children), and to study its association with demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral risk factors. Design. In a prospective observational study, we interviewed clients attending 170 ICTCs from six districts of Tamilnadu during...

BACKGROUND Male clients of female sex workers (FSWs) are at risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). We conducted a two-arm randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of a sexual risk reduction intervention for male clients of FSWs in Tijuana, Mexico. METHODS/DESIGN Male clients of FSWs who were at least 18, were HIV-negative at baseline, and reported recent unprote...

A cross-sectional survey was conducted to examine factors influencing intention of condom use among 378 clients of female sex workers (FSWs) visiting commercial sex sites in St-Marc and Gonaives, Haiti. Mean age of the study participants was 24 years. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics, behaviors, and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) con...