Engagement in HIV services over time among young women who sell sex in Zimbabwe.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Young female sex workers (FSW) are disproportionately vulnerable to HIV. Zimbabwe data show higher HIV incidence and lower engagement in services compared to older FSW. Utilizing data from a combination HIV prevention and treatment intervention, we describe engagement in the HIV services over time among FSW 18-24 years, compared to those ≥25 years of age.

Materials and methods

Data were collected via respondent-driven sampling (RDS) surveys in 14 communities in 2013 and 2016, with >2500 FSW per survey. They included blood samples for HIV and viral load testing. As the intervention had no significant impact on HIV care cascade outcomes, data were aggregated across study arms. Analyses used RDS-II estimation.

Results

Mean age in 2013 and 2016 was 31 and 33

SUBMITTER: Napierala S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9239457 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature