IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0084950.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

HIV, Syphilis, and Behavioral Risk Factors among Female Sex Workers before and after Implementation of Harm Reduction Programs in a High Drug-Using Area of China

Author

Listed:
  • Li Zhang
  • Shu Liang
  • Weixia Lu
  • Stephen W Pan
  • Benli Song
  • Qianping Liu
  • Yunan Xu
  • Hui Dong
  • Hui Xing
  • Yiming Shao
  • Yuhua Ruan

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the impact of harm reduction programs on HIV and syphilis infection and related risk behaviors among female sex workers (FSWs) in a drug trafficking city in Southwest China. Design: Before and after harm reduction program study. Methods: Two cross-sectional surveys were conducted among FSWs before and after harm reduction programs were launched in Xichang city, Sichuan province. The first and second cross-sectional surveys were conducted in 2004 and 2010, respectively. Temporal changes in odds of HIV, syphilis, and behavioral risk factors were assessed by multivariable logistic regression while controlling for socio-demographics. Results: The 2004 and 2010 cross-sectional surveys recruited 343 and 404 FSWs, respectively. From 2004 to 2010, the odds of syphilis infection decreased by 35% and was of borderline statistical significance (AOR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.41–1.03), while odds of HIV infection rose, but not significantly (AOR: 4.12, 95% CI: 0.76–22.45). Although odds of unprotected sex with primary sex partners did not significantly change over time (AOR: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.61–1.50), odds of unprotected sex with clients declined significantly and remarkably (AOR: 0.14, 95% CI: 0.09–0.21). Notably, the odds of reporting ≥10 new sex partners in the previous month increased by 37% (AOR: 1.37; 95% CI: 0.98–1.90). Conclusions: Harm reduction strategies may be an effective means of reducing unprotected sex with clients among FSWs. Future research is needed to better target both FSWs and IDUs and interrupt bridging networks for HIV transmission in high drug-using areas of China.

Suggested Citation

  • Li Zhang & Shu Liang & Weixia Lu & Stephen W Pan & Benli Song & Qianping Liu & Yunan Xu & Hui Dong & Hui Xing & Yiming Shao & Yuhua Ruan, 2014. "HIV, Syphilis, and Behavioral Risk Factors among Female Sex Workers before and after Implementation of Harm Reduction Programs in a High Drug-Using Area of China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(1), pages 1-6, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0084950
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084950
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0084950
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0084950&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0084950?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gil, Vincent E. & Wang, Marco S. & Anderson, Allen F. & Lin, Guo Matthew & Wu, Zongjian Oliver, 1996. "Prostitutes, prostitution and STD/HIV transmission in Mainland China," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 141-152, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Wong, William C.W. & Gray, Sister Ann & Ling, Davina C. & Holroyd, Eleanor A., 2006. "Patterns of health care utilization and health behaviors among street sex workers in Hong Kong," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(2), pages 140-148, July.
    2. Cao, Liqun & Stack, Steven, 2010. "Exploring terra incognita: Family values and prostitution acceptance in China," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 38(4), pages 531-537, July.
    3. Zhongdan, Chen & Schilling, Robert F. & Shanbo, Wei & Caiyan, Cai & Wang, Zhou & Jianguo, Shan, 2008. "The 100% Condom Use Program: A demonstration in Wuhan, China," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 10-21, February.
    4. Tucker, Joseph & Ren, Xin & Sapio, Flora, 2010. "Incarcerated sex workers and HIV prevention in China: Social suffering and social justice countermeasures," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(1), pages 121-129, January.
    5. William L. Parish & Edward O. Laumann & Sanyu A. Mojola, 2007. "Sexual Behavior in China: Trends and Comparisons," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 33(4), pages 729-756, December.
    6. Shepherd, Dean A. & Osofero, Moses & Wincent, Joakim, 2022. "A personal adversity model of justifying the costs of entrepreneurial action: The case of oil thieves in the Niger DELTA," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 37(1).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0084950. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.