1. High HIV prevalence among drug injecting female sex workers in Viet Nam: The need to reduce both sexual and injection risks in this vulnerable population
Duong Cong Thanh1, Nguyen Tran Hien1, Le Anh Tuan1, Tran Dai Quang1, Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha1, Hoang Thi Thanh Ha1, Pham Hong Thang1, Hoang Dinh Canh2 , Vo Hai Son2, Bui Hoang Duc2, Phan Thu Huong2, and Nguyen Anh Tuan1.
1 National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Viet Nam.
2 Viet Nam Authority of HIV/AIDS Control.
Viet Nam Authority of HIV/AIDS Control
National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology
Risk behavior
The last sex condom use with client was 88.0%, 90.0%, 88.9% in 2010, 2011, and 2012.
Among those injecting FSW, clean syringe needles use in the last injection was %, 92.3%, and 94.7% in 2010, 2011, and 2012.
Conclusions
HIV prevalence among injecting FSWs was much higher than among overall FSWs.
FSWs continue to practice multiple risk behavior including drug injection.
HIV prevalence was found to be closely related to drug injection through sharing of needle and syringe behavior.
Harm reduction programs was in place but the coverage was at low level especially among injecting drug FSWs.
Recommendations
HIV prevention efforts should increase and focus on injecting FSWs.
The application of integrating a short behavioral questionnaire into HSS provides essential information for planning and evaluation.
Improvement of the sampling of sentinel surveillance is a key next step to achieve more representative samples.
Introduction
HIV sentinel surveillance (HSS) is conducted annually among 6 key populations in 40 provinces in Vietnam to monitor HIV prevalence.
To obtain national and global indicators on risk behavior and coverage of prevention services, short behavioral questionnaire was added to HSS since 2010 among female sex workers (FSWs), injecting drug users (IDUs), and men who have sex with men (MSM) known as HSS+. The HSS+ was implemented in 7 provinces in 2010, expanding to 12 provinces in 2011 and to 29 provinces in 2012.
HSS+ data provide a better understanding of the HIV epidemic among these key population.
This reports data among FSWs on HIV prevalence, risk behavior, and coverage of essential services.
Copyright Colin Purrington (
Materials and methods
Two-stage cluster sampling was applied to recruit participants based on geographic mapping where they gathering and through peer educators and local health staff.
Samples ranging from , depending on estimat size of target population.
There were 5466, 7983, and 8140 FSWs sampled in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
Following informed consent, respondents were interviewed with a short questionnaire about 30 questions and agreed to take a blood draw for HIV test.
HIV intervention services
Receiving free condom in the last month was 81%, 78%, and 58.7% in 2010, , and 2012.
Receiving free needles among drug injecting in the last month FSWs were 46%, 58%, and 54% in 2010, 2011, and 2012.
Receiving STI screening in the last 3 months was 47.3%, 32.0%, and 50.0% in , 2011, and 2012.
Knowing HIV test result in the last test was 52.1%, 54.3%, and 40% in 2010, , and 2012.
Results
HIV prevalence
Overall, 7%, 3%, and 2.3% of FSWs used drugs, of whom 82%, 81%, and 70% had injected drug in the past month in 2010, 2011, and 2012 respectively.
HIV prevalence among drug injecting FSWs was 29%, 22%, and 15.5% vesus HIV prevalence among overall FSWs was 4%, 2.9%, 2.7% in 2010, 2011, and respectively.
Poster number: THPE131
Presented at AIDS 2014 – Melbourne, Australia