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Sex Transm Infect doi:10.1136/sextrans-2011-050276
  • Epidemiology
  • Original article

High prevalence of HIV and sexually transmitted infections among male sex workers in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire: need for services tailored to their needs

Open Access
  1. Marie Laga1
  1. 1Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
  2. 2FHI, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
  3. 3National Institute of Statistics and Applied Economy, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
  4. 4Ministry of Health, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
  1. Correspondence to Dr Bea Vuylsteke, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium; bvuylsteke{at}itg.be

  1. Contributors BV: protocol development, supervision of the study procedures and writing of the manuscript; GS: protocol development and writing of the manuscript; LS: training research assistants, field supervision, local data management and analysis and writing of the manuscript; TC: supervision and quality control of the laboratory procedures in Antwerp and writing of the manuscript; VE-T: protocol development and writing of the manuscript; AB: general supervision and writing of the manuscript and ML: general supervision and writing of the manuscript.

  • Accepted 10 December 2011
  • Published Online First 11 February 2012

Abstract

Objectives To assess condom use and prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STI) and HIV among male sex workers (MSW) in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted between October 2007 and January 2008 among MSW attending a sex worker clinic in Abidjan. A short questionnaire was administered in a face-to-face interview, and the participants were asked to provide a urine sample for STI testing and to self-collect transudate of the gingival mucosa for anonymous HIV testing, using a rapid test. A rectal swab for STI testing was taken by a physician. Molecular amplification assays were performed for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Trichomonas vaginalis.

Results 96 MSW participated in the survey, their median age was 27 years and the median duration of sex work was 5 years. Consistent condom use with clients during the last working day was 86.0%, and consistent condom use with the regular partner during the last week was 81.6%. HIV infection was detected in 50.0% of the participants. The prevalence of N gonorrhoeae was 12.8%, chlamydia infection was present in 3.2% and T vaginalis in 2.1% of the study participants.

Conclusions HIV and STI rates found in this study confirm the high risk and vulnerability status of MSW in Côte d'Ivoire. There is a definite need for studies exploring risk and risk perceptions among MSW in more depth and for services tailored to their needs, including developing and validating simple algorithms for the diagnosis of STI in MSW and men who have sex with men.

Footnotes

  • Funding Belgian Directorate-General for Development Cooperation.

  • Competing interests None.

  • Ethics approval National Ethical Committee of Côte d'Ivoire; the Institutional Review Board of the Institute of Tropical Medicine and the Ethical Committee of the University Teaching Hospital of Antwerp in Belgium and the Protection of Human Subjects Committee of Family Health International.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

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