Abstract
The Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) AIDS Committee is concerned about providing prevention and sexually transmitted disease (STD) services to increasing numbers of female sex workers (FSWs). We interviewed 250 non-brothel-based FSWs in HCMC in 1997, including 100 detained women at a rehabilitation center, and 150 women soliciting on the street (low income) and in bars (middle income). The majority of women came from provinces bordering Cambodia. The self-reported HIV prevalence was 2.9%. One third of women (37.5%) were greater than 30 years old, 47.7% were divorced/widowed, 19.3% were married, and 41.2% were in persistent financial debt. Most women did not undergo regular gynecological exams and were reluctant to go to public clinics because of lack of money or not being treated with respect. Attitudes toward community-based “cafés” providing peer education and STD services were better. The results of this survey have been used to improve a peer education program for FSWs that includes free STD care in a supportive environment.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Benjarattanaporn, P., Lindan, C., Mills, S., Barclay, J., Bennett, A., Mugrditchian, D., Mandel, J., Pongswatanakulsiri, P., and Arnnissorn, T. (1997). Men with sexually transmitted diseases in Bangkok-Where do they go for treatment and why? AIDS, 11, S87-S95.
HCMC AIDS Committee. (1998). Summary report of AIDS prevention activities. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Author.
HCMC AIDS Committee. (1999). Report of sentinel serosurveillance through 6/1999. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Author.
HCMC Prevention Against ''Social Evils'' Unit (1998). Assessment and solution of the FSW situation in HCMC. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Ministry of Health.
Hien, N. T., and Wolffers, I. (1994). HIV infection in Vietnam [letter]. Lancet, 343, 410.
Hoang, T. L., and Hien, N. T. (1997). Report on the estimation and prediction of HIV/AIDS infection in Vietnam in 1996. Hanoi, Vietnam: National Epidemiology Institute.
Lindan, C., Lieu, T. X., Giang, L. T., Lap, V. K., Thuc, N. V., Thinh, T., Lurie, P., and Mandel, J. (1997). Rising HIV infection rates in Ho Chi Minh City herald emerging AIDS epidemic in Vietnam. AIDS, 11, S5-S13.
Rehabilitation Center at Thu Duc (1998). Summary report of 5 years of education, vocational training, and re-entry program for FSWs. Thu Duc, Vietnam: Author.
Tien, P., Giang, L. T., Thuc, N. V., Huong, N. T., Ba, N. N., and Lindan, C. (1999). Prevalence of non-ulcerative sexually transmitted diseases among high-risk women in HCMC, Vietnam using simultaneous culture and non-culture testing. Presented at ICAAC, September 26–30, 1999, San Francisco [Abstract 1740].
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Giang, L.T., Son, N.T., Thao, L.T.L. et al. Evaluation of STD/HIV Prevention Needs of Low- and Middle-Income Female Sex Workers in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. AIDS Behav 4, 83–91 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009592925529
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009592925529