Publications on Female Sex Workers (FSW)

The objective of the USAID/FHI behavioral surveillance survey (BSS) was to collect and analyze information about most-at-risk populations (MARPs) in Port Moresby (POM), Papua New Guinea (PNG) in order to better understand how HIV is transmitted in the country

This study aimed to assess the HIV/AIDS-related knowledge, attitude and risk behaviors among FSWs operating in Shanghai China.

This study examined if violence against FSWs is associated with reduced condom use and increased STI/HIV risk, and if addressing violence against FSWs within a large-scale HIV prevention program can reduce levels of violence against them.

In 2010, the eight round of Behavioral Sentinel Surveillance (BSS) has been conducted. The study was conducted in 5 main cities/provinces among female entertainment workers, moto-taxi driver and AIDS patients receiving care in the AIDS treatment centers.

This report documents the findings of a qualitative investigation into the context of HIV vulnerability and risk for women who engage in sex work on board foreign boats.

Clients of FSWs serve as potential bridges for HIV transmission from the high-risk FSWs to the low-risk general population, making them a key target for intervention.

Behavioral sentinel surveillance (BSS) has been conducted by NCHADS to document behavior changes among sentinel groups since 1997. The objectives of the BSS 2010 are:

• To document HIV related risk behaviors among selected sentinel groups
• To track trends in risk behaviors among most at risk groups
• To explore common practices toward the use of VCT, STI clinics and other health services

This study demonstrates how multiple risk factors are situated and vary by types of sex work environments in a sample of 348 migrant FSWs in Beijing. Participants reported high rates of clients' refusal to use condoms (76%), unsafe sex with both clients (32%), non-paid regular partners (e.g., boyfriend or husband) (76%), and a STI symptom (79%) last year.

The goals of this study were to document ART efforts in a resource-limited setting with high prevalence of IDUs, to identify high-risk groups for failure who may benefit from more frequent monitoring or other interventions and to assess the potential for delayed diagnosis of treatment failure when using targeted testing based on clinical and immunologic criteria.

In China, HIV prevalence among the general population is 0.06%, with the number of infections continuing to increase. At the end of 2009, an estimated 740,000 adults and children were living with HIV (range 560,000‐920,000) and another 105,000 had AIDS.