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Shah P, Beattie TS, Kabuti R, Liku J, Kung'u M, Babu H, Jama Z, Kaul R, Weiss HA, Kyegombe N, Medley GF, Devries K, Gafos M, Nyariki E, Kimani J, Seeley J. Syndemic of factors that shape the early lives of women who enter into sex work: a qualitative methods study from Nairobi, Kenya. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e068886. [PMID: 37045579 PMCID: PMC10106030 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-068886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore the structural and social co-factors that shape the early lives of women who enter sex work in Nairobi, Kenya. DESIGN Thematic analysis of qualitative data collected as part of the Maisha Fiti study among female sex workers (FSWs) in Nairobi. PARTICIPANTS AND MEASURES FSWs aged 18-45 years were randomly selected from seven Sex Workers Outreach Programme clinics in Nairobi and participated in baseline behavioural-biological surveys. Participants in this qualitative study were randomly selected from the Maisha Fiti study cohort and were interviewed between October 2019 and July 2020. Women described their lives from childhood, covering topics including sex work, violence and financial management. RESULTS 48 out of 1003 Maisha Fiti participants participated in the in-depth qualitative interviews. FSWs described how physical and sexual violence, poverty and incomplete education in their childhood and adolescence intertwined with early pregnancy, marriage, intimate partner violence and relationship breakdown in their adolescence and early adulthood. The data analysis found clear syndemic relationships between these risk factors, particularly childhood violence, poverty and incomplete education and highlighted pathways leading to financial desperation and caring for dependents, and subsequent entry into sex work. Women perceived sex work as risky and most would prefer alternative work if possible, but it provided them with some financial independence and agency. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study in Kenya to qualitatively explore the early lives of sex workers from a syndemic perspective. This method identified the pivotal points of (1) leaving school early due to poverty or pregnancy, (2) breakdown of early intimate relationships and (3) women caring for dependents on their own. Complex, multi-component structural interventions before these points could help increase school retention, reduce teenage pregnancy, tackle violence, support young mothers and reduce entry into sex work and the risk that it entails by expanding livelihood options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Shah
- Department of Global Health and Development, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Tara S Beattie
- Department of Global Health and Development, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Rhoda Kabuti
- Partners for Health and Development in Africa (PHDA), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Jennifer Liku
- Partners for Health and Development in Africa (PHDA), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Mary Kung'u
- Partners for Health and Development in Africa (PHDA), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Hellen Babu
- Partners for Health and Development in Africa (PHDA), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Zaina Jama
- Partners for Health and Development in Africa (PHDA), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Rupert Kaul
- Departments of Immunology and Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Helen Anne Weiss
- MRC International and Statistics Epidemiology Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Nambusi Kyegombe
- Department of Global Health and Development, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Graham F Medley
- Department of Global Health and Development, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Karen Devries
- Department of Global Health and Development, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Mitzy Gafos
- Department of Global Health and Development, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Emily Nyariki
- Partners for Health and Development in Africa (PHDA), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Joshua Kimani
- Partners for Health and Development in Africa (PHDA), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Janet Seeley
- Department of Global Health and Development, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
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Cross-sectional study of female sex workers in Soweto, South Africa: Factors associated with HIV infection. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184775. [PMID: 28981511 PMCID: PMC5628807 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In South Africa, the rate of HIV in the sex worker (SW) population is exceedingly high, but critical gaps exist in our understanding of SWs and the factors that make them vulnerable to HIV. This study aimed to estimate HIV prevalence among female sex workers (FSWs) in Soweto, South Africa, and to describe their sexual behavior and other factors associated with HIV infection. METHODS A cross-sectional, respondent-driven sampling (RDS) recruitment methodology was used to enroll 508 FSWs based in Soweto. Data were collected using a survey instrument, followed by two HIV rapid tests. Raw and RDS adjusted data were analyzed using a chi-squared test of association and multivariate logistic regression to show factors associated with HIV infection. FINDINGS HIV prevalence among FSWs was 53.6% (95% CI 47.5-59.9). FSWs were almost exclusively based in taverns (85.6%) and hostels (52.0%). Less than a quarter (24.4%) were under 25 years of age. Non-partner violence was reported by 55.5%, 59.6% of whom were HIV-infected. Advancing age, incomplete secondary schooling, migrancy and multiple clients increased the likelihood of HIV acquisition: >30 years of age was associated with a 4.9 times (95% CI 2.6-9.3) increased likelihood of HIV; incomplete secondary schooling almost tripled the likelihood (AOR 2.8, 95% CI 1.6-5.0); being born outside of the Gauteng province increased the likelihood of HIV 2.3 times (95% CI 1.3-4.0); and having more than five clients per day almost doubled the likelihood (AOR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1-3.2). CONCLUSION Our findings highlight the extreme vulnerability of FSWs to HIV. Advancing age, limited education and multiple clients were risk factors associated with HIV, strongly driven by a combination of structural, biological and behavioral determinants. Evidence suggests that interventions need to be carefully tailored to the varying profiles of SW populations across South Africa. Soweto could be considered a microcosm of South Africa in terms of the epidemic of violence and HIV experienced by the SW population, which is influenced by factors often beyond an individual level of control. While describing a hitherto largely undocumented population of FSWs, our findings confirm the urgent need to scale up innovative HIV prevention and treatment programs for this population.
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Benoit C, Belle-Isle L, Smith M, Phillips R, Shumka L, Atchison C, Jansson M, Loppie C, Flagg J. Sex workers as peer health advocates: community empowerment and transformative learning through a Canadian pilot program. Int J Equity Health 2017; 16:160. [PMID: 28854930 PMCID: PMC5577770 DOI: 10.1186/s12939-017-0655-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Social marginalization and criminalization create health and safety risks for sex workers and reduce their access to health promotion and prevention services compared to the general population. Community empowerment-based interventions that prioritize the engagement of sex workers show promising results. Peer-to-peer interventions, wherein sex workers act as educators of their colleagues, managers, clients and romantic partners, foster community mobilization and critical consciousness among sex workers and equip them to exercise agency in their work and personal lives. Methods A pilot peer health education program was developed and implemented, with and for sex workers in one urban centre in Canada. To explore how the training program contributed to community empowerment and transformative learning among participants, the authors conducted qualitative interviews, asked participants to keep personal journals and to fill out feedback forms after each session. Thematic analysis was conducted on these three data sources, with emerging themes identified, organized and presented in the findings. Results Five themes emerged from the analysis. Our findings show that the pilot program led to reduced internalized stigma and increased self-esteem in participants. Participants’ critical consciousness increased concerning issues of diversity in cultural background, sexual orientation, work experiences and gender identity. Participants gained knowledge about how sex work stigma is enacted and perpetuated. They also became increasingly comfortable challenging negative judgments from others, including frontline service providers. Participants were encouraged to actively shape the training program, which fostered positive relationships and solidarity among them, as well as with colleagues in their social network and with the local sex worker organization housing the program. Resources were also mobilized within the sex worker community through skills building and knowledge acquisition. Conclusion The peer education program proved successful in enhancing sex workers’ community empowerment in one urban setting by increasing their knowledge about health issues, sharing information about and building confidence in accessing services, and expanding capacity to disseminate this knowledge to others. This ‘proof of concept’ built the foundation for a long-term initiative in this setting and has promise for other jurisdictions wishing to adapt similar programs. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12939-017-0655-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Benoit
- Centre for Addictions Research of BC, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada. .,Department of Sociology, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada.
| | - Lynne Belle-Isle
- Centre for Addictions Research of BC, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada.,Canadian AIDS Society, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Michaela Smith
- Centre for Addictions Research of BC, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Rachel Phillips
- Centre for Addictions Research of BC, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada.,Peers Victoria Resource Society, Victoria, Canada
| | - Leah Shumka
- Centre for Addictions Research of BC, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada.,Peers Victoria Resource Society, Victoria, Canada
| | - Chris Atchison
- Department of Sociology, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
| | - Mikael Jansson
- Centre for Addictions Research of BC, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada.,Department of Sociology, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
| | - Charlotte Loppie
- Centre for Indigenous Research and Community-Led Engagement, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
| | - Jackson Flagg
- Centre for Addictions Research of BC, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada
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Roth EA, Benoit C, Jansson M, Hallsgrimdottir H. PUBLIC DRINKING VENUES AS RISK ENVIRONMENTS: COMMERCIAL SEX, ALCOHOL AND VIOLENCE IN A LARGE INFORMAL SETTLEMENT IN NAIROBI, KENYA. HUMAN ECOLOGY 2017; 45:277-283. [PMID: 28983133 PMCID: PMC5624530 DOI: 10.1007/s10745-017-9897-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Eric Abella Roth
- Department of Anthropology, Centre for Addictions Research of British Columbia, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Cecilia Benoit
- Department of Sociology, Centre for Addictions Research of British Columbia, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Mikael Jansson
- Department of Sociology, Centre for Addictions Research of British Columbia, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Helga Hallsgrimdottir
- Department of Sociology, Centre for Global Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Muldoon KA. A systematic review of the clinical and social epidemiological research among sex workers in Uganda. BMC Public Health 2015; 15:1226. [PMID: 26652160 PMCID: PMC4674940 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-015-2553-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In response to the high burden of disease among sex workers and their position as a population heavily affected by the HIV epidemic, there has been a growing body of literature investigating the prevalence and risk factors associated with HIV risk among sex workers. To contextualize and summarize the existing research evidence base, a systematic review was conducted to synthesize the epidemiological literature on sex workers in Uganda. METHODS Database selection and search strategy development followed the Cochrane Collaboration's standards for conducting systematic review searches. All studies that included sex workers as the primary research participants were included in the review. The search was then geographically restricted to the country of Uganda. Items were identified from 18 databases (grey and peer-review) on March 10-11, 2015. RESULTS A total of 484 articles were retrieved from the database search. After removal of duplicates, a total of 353 articles were screened for eligibility and 64 full-text articles were assessed. The final review included 24 studies with quantitative methodology conducted among sex workers in Uganda. The HIV prevalence among female sex workers ranged from 32.4-52.0 % and between 8.2-9.0 % had multiple HIV infections. Both multi-drug resistance to antiretroviral therapy (2.6 %) and antibiotics (83.1 %) were observed. Between 33.3-55.1 % reported inconsistent condom use in the past month. In the previous 6 months, over 80 % of sex workers experienced client-perpetrated violence and 18 % experienced intimate partner violence. Over 30 % had a history of extreme war-related trauma. CONCLUSIONS There was limited information on socio-structural factors that affect sex workers' commercial working environments in Uganda, including the role of policing and criminalization, as well as the prevalence and factors associated with violence. The majority of the existing evidence is based in Kampala, highlighting a need for information on sex work in other regions of Uganda. Additionally, there is limited information on features of the non-commercial components of sex workers' lives as well as the services needed to reduce risks outside of the sex industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine A Muldoon
- School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 2206 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z9, Canada.
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L6, Canada.
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Roth EA, Ngugi E, Benoit C, Jansson M, Hallgrimsdottir H. A Reasoned Action Model of Male Client Involvement in Commercial Sex Work in Kibera, A Large Informal Settlement in Nairobi, Kenya. HUMAN ORGANIZATION 2014; 73:174-182. [PMID: 26778847 PMCID: PMC4711375 DOI: 10.17730/humo.73.2.t576885723n2r033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Male clients of female sex workers (FSWs) are epidemiologically important because they can form bridge groups linking high- and low-risk subpopulations. However, because male clients are hard to locate, they are not frequently studied. Recent research emphasizes searching for high-risk behavior groups in locales where new sexual partnerships form and the threat of HIV transmission is high. Sub-Saharan Africa public drinking venues satisfy these criteria. Accordingly, this study developed and implemented a rapid assessment methodology to survey men in bars throughout the large informal settlement of Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya, with the goal of delineating cultural and economic rationales associated with male participation in commercial sex. The study sample consisted of 220 male patrons of 110 bars located throughout Kibera's 11 communities. Logistic regression analysis incorporating a modified Reasoned Action Model indicated that a social norm condoning commercial sex among male peers and the cultural belief that men should practice sex before marriage support commercial sex involvement. Conversely, lacking money to drink and/or pay for sexual services were barriers to male commercial sex involvement. Results are interpreted in light of possible harm reduction programs focusing on FSWs' male clients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Abella Roth
- Centre for Addictions Research of British Columbia; Department of Anthropology, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Ngugi
- Centre for HIV Prevention and Research, University of Nairobi; HerStory Centre, Nairobi,Kenya
| | - Cecilia Benoit
- Centre for Addictions Research of British Columbia; Department of Sociology, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Mikael Jansson
- Centre for Addictions Research of British Columbia; Department of Sociology, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Benoit C, Roth E, Hallgrimsdottir H, Jansson M, Ngugi E, Sharpe K. Benefits and constraints of intimate partnerships for HIV positive sex workers in Kibera, Kenya. Int J Equity Health 2013; 12:76. [PMID: 24006868 PMCID: PMC3766681 DOI: 10.1186/1475-9276-12-76] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2013] [Accepted: 08/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Research on the intimate partnerships of female sex workers (FSWs) tends to focus on the risks associated with these relationships. This paper takes as its starting point that the situation of FSWs is better understood by including knowledge of the benefits of their intimate partnerships. Specifically, we employ the conceptual framework provided by emergent research examining intimacy as a complex fusion of affective and instrumental dimensions among sex workers. This perspective allows us to frame information about FSWs' intimate partnerships within a behaviour-structural approach that is helpful for identifying how intimate partnerships can be a source of both benefit as well as increased risk to FSWs. METHODS Our results are based on a mixed-methods study carried out in the summer of 2011 in Kibera, Kenya. We conducted face-to-face interviews (n=30) with a non-probability sample of FSWs stratified by age who self-identified as Human Immune Virus positive (HIV+). We asked about participants' involvement in current and past intimate partnerships, and whether these relationships had a positive or negative impact on their health and well‒being. RESULTS Participants currently in intimate partnerships had fewer clients and thus lower incomes than those without intimate partnerships. Participants presently with partners were also more likely to receive some financial support from partners, to report lower intimate partner violence, and to narrate higher partner emotional support and greater assistance with medications. These participants were also more likely to have disclosed their sex work and HIV+ statuses to their partners. Intimate partnerships, on the other hand, showed increased risk of economic vulnerability and emotional dependence for FSWs. This became especially problematic for those participants in fragile relationships. Despite these variations, none of the differences between the two groups were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS Intimacy and transactional relations are bound up with one another and intersect with the structural realities and vulnerabilities; this is the case for sex workers in well-resourced and resourced-constrained countries alike. Rather than treating intimate partnerships as distinct from transactional relationships, FSWs' relationships should be viewed on a continuum of risk and support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Benoit
- Centre for Addictions Research of BC and Department of Sociology, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
- Department of Sociology, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
| | - Eric Roth
- Centre for Addictions Research of BC and Department of Sociology, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
- Depart of Anthropology, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
| | | | - Mikael Jansson
- Centre for Addictions Research of BC and Department of Sociology, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
- Department of Sociology, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Ngugi
- Centre for HIV Prevention and Research, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Kimberly Sharpe
- Centre for Addictions Research of BC and Department of Sociology, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
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Ngugi EN, Roth E, Mastin T, Nderitu MG, Yasmin S. Female sex workers in Africa: epidemiology overview, data gaps, ways forward. SAHARA J 2013; 9:148-53. [PMID: 23237069 DOI: 10.1080/17290376.2012.743825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
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