Correlates of HIV self-testing among female sex workers in China: implications for expanding HIV screening

Infectious Diseases of Poverty

He-Ping Zheng¹  Ming-Zhou Xiong¹  Cheng Wang¹  Ya-Jie Wang¹  Bin Yang¹  Wei-Ming Tang²  Hong-Yun Fu³  M. Kumi Smith⁴  Jason J. Ong⁵  Joseph D. Tucker⁶ 

[1] Dermatology Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China;Southern Medical University Institute for Global Health and Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China;Dermatology Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China;Southern Medical University Institute for Global Health and Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China;University of North Carolina Project-China, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China;Division of Community Health and Research, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, USA;Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, USA;Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK;Central Clinical School, Monash University, Victoria, Melbourne, Australia;University of North Carolina Project-China, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China;Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK;Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA;

关键词: HIV;    Self-testing;    Female sex workers;    China;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s40249-020-00765-5

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) self-testing may help improve test uptake among female sex workers. China has implemented many HIV self-testing programs among men who have sex with men, creating an opportunity for promotion among female sex workers. However, there is a limited literature on examining HIV self-testing among female sex workers. This study aimed to examine HIV self-testing experiences and its determinants among female sex workers in China.MethodsA venue-based, cross-sectional study was conducted among Chinese female sex workers in 2019. Participants completed a survey including social-demographic characteristics, sexual behaviors, and HIV self-testing history, the distribution of which were analyzed using descriptive analysis. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to identify associations with HIV self-testing.ResultsAmong 1287 Chinese female sex workers, 1072 (83.3%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 81.2–85.3%) had ever tested for HIV, and 103 (8.0%, 95% CI 6.6–9.6%) had ever used HIV self-testing. More than half reported that the self-test was their first HIV test (59.2%, 61/103), around one-fifth reported HIV self-testing results influenced the price of sex (21.4%, 22/103). A minority of individuals reported ever experiencing pressure to undertake HIV self-testing (6.8%, 7/103). After adjusting for covariates, HIV self-testing was positively associated with receiving anal sex in the past month (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.2, 95% CI 1.4–3.5), using drugs before or during sex (aOR = 2.8, 95% CI 1.8–4.5), injecting drugs in the past 6 months (aOR = 2.6, 95% CI 1.2–6.0), being diagnosed with other sexually transmitted infections (aOR = 1.6, 95% CI 1.0–2.5), tested for other sexually transmitted infections in the past six months (aOR = 3.4, 95% CI 2.1–5.5), ever tested in the hospital (aOR = 3.4, 95% CI 2.0–5.6), and ever tested in the community (aOR = 1.5, 95% CI 1.2–1.9).ConclusionsOur findings suggest that HIV self-testing could expand overall HIV testing uptake, increase HIV testing frequency, reach sub-groups of high-risk female sex workers and has limited potential harms among female sex workers. HIV self-testing should be incorporated among Chinese female sex workers as a complement to facility-based HIV testing services.

【 授权许可】

CC BY