Drivers of HIV self-testing among female sex workers: Findings from a multi-state study in Malaysia

Frontiers in Medicine

Medicine

Kamal Gautam¹  Jonathan M. Galka²  Iskandar Azwa³  Rayne S. Kim⁴  Francesca Maviglia⁴  Jeffrey A. Wickersham⁴  Roman Shrestha⁵ 

[1] Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States;Department of the History of Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States;Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia;Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States;Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States;Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States;

关键词: HIV;    self-testing;    HIV prevention;    female sex workers;    key populations;    Malaysia;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fmed.2023.1022746

 received in 2022-08-18, accepted in 2023-03-21,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundAlthough research on HIV self-testing (HIVST) has rapidly increased, few studies have explored HIVST uptake in female sex workers (FSW), and none in Malaysia. Therefore, we endeavored to assess the willingness to use HIVST in this at-risk, vulnerable population.MethodsA cross-sectional survey study was conducted among 113 HIV-negative Malaysian FSW in 2017. Participants were recruited using advertisements on social media, flyers, and direct referrals from community-based organizations. Data were collected using self-administered surveys. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify correlates of willingness to use HIVST.ResultsNearly a third of participants (30.1%) reported they would be willing to use HIVST. Multivariable analyses adjusting for Malay ethnicity, stable housing, living in Kuala Lumpur (KL), years in sex work, age of first sex work, childhood sexual assault, history of HIV testing, and previously in prison indicated that living in KL [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 5.214, p = 0.0137] was associated with a greater willingness to use HIVST. In contrast, having stable housing (aOR = 0.100, p = 0.0064) was negatively associated with willingness to use HIVST.ConclusionsOur results indicate that HIVST may potentially enhance the uptake of HIV testing among FSWs living in an urban environment and experiencing unstable housing, but an overall willingness to use HIVST is low. These findings highlight the need for efforts to increase awareness of HIVST among FSWs and additional research on the effective implementation of HIVST for FSW.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Kim, Wickersham, Maviglia, Galka, Azwa, Gautam and Shrestha.