Journal Article

Associations with HIV preexposure prophylaxis use by cisgender female sex workers in two Ugandan cities

Irie, Whitney, Tumwesigye, Nazarius Mbona, King, Rachel, Muhindo, Richard, Muwanguzi, Patience, Nakku-Joloba, Edith, Castelnuovo, Barbara, Odongpiny, Eva Laker, Mujugira, Andrew, Okoboi, Stephen

2025

Overview

Sex workers of all genders have a high risk of HIV acquisition and are a priority population for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). We aimed to assess current oral PrEP use and associated factors among cisgender female sex workers (FSW) in two Ugandan cities. We administered a survey questionnaire to 236 HIV-negative FSW in the cities of Mbale and Mbarara from January to March 2020. The survey was nested in a quasi-experimental study to assess the effect of peer education and text message reminders on the uptake of regular sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV testing. Using interviewer-administered questionnaires, we obtained data on current self-reported tenofovir-based oral PrEP use. We used modified Poisson regression with robust standard errors to evaluate the factors associated with current oral PrEP usage. Nearly 70% of FSWs reported taking an HIV test during the past three months. Among the respondents, 33% (33/100) in Mbale and 67% (91/136) in Mbarara reported having ever heard of PrEP. However, only 9.7% (23/236) self-reported currently taking oral-PrEP. In Mbarara, FSWs were twice as likely to be aware of or use oral PrEP than those in Mbale (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] 2.33; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.19-3.97; p = 0.01). Additionally, current use was positively associated with attainment of secondary (aPR 2.50; 95% CI: 1.14-5.45; p = 0.02) or tertiary education (aPR 3.12; 95% CI: 1.09-8.96; p = 0.03). PrEP use in this cohort of FSWs was low and was associated with location and level of education. To increase PrEP uptake among FSWs, targeted educational campaigns and implementation studies are needed, particularly for those with lower levels of education.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Adolescent / Adult / Anti-HIV Agents - therapeutic use / Antiretroviral drugs / Biology and Life Sciences / Cities / Condoms / Confidence intervals / Disease prevention / Earth Sciences / Education / Emtricitabine / Female / Females / Health aspects / Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice / HIV / HIV (Viruses) / HIV infection / HIV Infections - epidemiology / HIV Infections - prevention & control / HIV testing / Human immunodeficiency virus / Humans / Infections / Marital status / Medical research / Medical tests / Medicine and Health Sciences / Medicine, Experimental / People and Places / Physiological aspects / Population / Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis - statistics & numerical data / Prevention / Prostitutes / Quasi-experimental methods / Questionnaires / Self report / Sex industry / Sex oriented businesses / Sex Workers - statistics & numerical data / Sexually transmitted diseases / Social Sciences / Statistical analysis / STD / Surveys / Surveys and Questionnaires / Syphilis / Tenofovir / Tenofovir - therapeutic use / Text messaging / Uganda - epidemiology / Women / Workers / Working women / Young Adult