Community-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) delivery for female sex workers in Tanzania: intervention model and baseline findings. Issue 6 (2nd June 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Vu, Lung; Tun, Waimar; Apicella, Louis; Casalini, Caterina; Makyao, Neema; Tsang, Samantha; Michael, Denna; Koppenhaver, Todd; Mlanga, Erick
• Is Part Of: AIDS care. Volume 32:Issue 6(2020)
• Page Start: 729
• Page End: 734
• Publication Date: 2020-06-02
• Subjects: Community-based ART -- linkages -- retention -- female sex workers (FSW) -- 90-90-90 -- Tanzania; AIDS (Disease) -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; AIDS (Disease) -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; AIDS (Disease) -- Patients -- Care -- Periodicals; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; 362.1969792
• DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2019.1640846
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0954-0121

Abstract

ABSTRACT: To increase linkage to and retention in antiretroviral therapy (ART) care, we piloted a community-based, ART service delivery intervention for female sex workers (FSWs). At baseline, we recruited and collected data from 617 FSWs (intervention: 309; comparison: 308) who were HIV positive and not on ART. This paper presents (1) the description of the intervention model, and (2) key descriptive and bivariate-level findings of the baseline FSW cohort. The data showed more than half of FSWs had a non-paying sex partner, and less than one-third used a condom at last sex with paying and non-paying clients, which suggest potentially high levels of HIV transmission. In addition, there is a gap in HIV testing and treatment because one-third learned about their HIV-positive status only at study enrollment, and among FSWs who had known their status for more than a month, half had not registered in care. This substantiates the importance of timely HIV diagnosis and treatment. A community-based ART program may serve as an important strategy in closing the HIV care and treatment gap for FSWs.