TY - JOUR
T1 - Correlates of Lifetime History of Purchasing Sex Services by Men in Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast, Russia
AU - Girchenko, P.
AU - Ompad, D. C.
AU - Kulchynska, R.
AU - Bikmukhametov, D.
AU - Dugin, S.
AU - Gensburg, L.
N1 - Funding Information:
Data collection was implemented by the Fund for Social and Medical Programs Humanitarian Action and State Health Institution of Leningrad Oblast, the Centre for HIV and Infectious Disease Prevention and Control with support of NP E.V.A. Rapid testing for HIV program was funded by Aids Healthcare Foundation (AHF). Polina Girchenko and Roksolana Kulchynska were supported by a grant from the Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, USA (D43 TW000233). Danielle Ompad was supported by the National Institute of Drug Abuse funded Center for Drug Use and HIV Research (CDUHR - P30 DA011041).
Funding Information:
Saint Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia (population 5.1 million), and Leningrad oblast (population 1.7 million) is the region surrounding Saint Petersburg. Data for the present study were collected as part of free rapid testing for HIV program implemented by the Fund Humanitarian Action and with administrative support of the state health institution of Leningrad Oblast, the Centre for HIV and Infectious Disease Prevention and Control during January–December 2014. The behavioral survey was conducted in the frames of pre-testing counseling. Participants were recruited in the public places of Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast, such as subway stations, railroad stations, city squares, malls, and other high population density areas through dissemination of fliers, social advertisement, and word of mouth. A testing van was painted with advertisement of free safe rapid testing for HIV infection, which served as additional attraction for potential participants. Rapid testing for HIV program was implemented by a mobile testing unit of Humanitarian Action and the Centre for HIV and Infectious Diseases Prevention and Control with support of NP E.V.A., and funded by Aids Healthcare Foundation (AHF).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2015, The Author(s).
PY - 2015/12/1
Y1 - 2015/12/1
N2 - Commercial sex workers (CSWs) in the Russian Federation are at high risk of HIV infection and transmission as a result of unsafe sexual and injecting behaviors. Their clients might be at increased risk of acquiring HIV; however, little is known about the population of men purchasing sex services. This study aims to investigate factors associated with a history of purchasing sex services by men in Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast, Russian Federation. Data were collected as part of a cross-sectional study offering free anonymous rapid HIV testing in Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast in 2014; in total, 3565 men aged 18 years and older provided information about their behaviors associated with risk of acquiring HIV during face-to-face interviews. Prevalence of CSW use in our study was 23.9 %. Multivariable analyses using log-binomial regression were stratified by self-reported HIV testing during the 12 months preceding the study interview. In both strata, older age, multiple sex partners, and a history of sex with an injection drug user (IDU) were associated with an elevated prevalence ratio (PR) for history of purchasing sex services, although the strength of the association differed by strata. Among men who reported recent HIV testing, condom use (PR = 1.22, 90 % confidence interval (CI) 1.0, 1.48) was associated with a history of purchasing sex services, and among men who did not report recent HIV testing, having a consistent sex partner was associated with purchasing sex services (PR = 1.23, 90 % CI 1.1, 1.37). The high prevalence of CSW service use and associations found in this study raise serious concerns about potential for sexual HIV transmission and should be investigated more closely.
AB - Commercial sex workers (CSWs) in the Russian Federation are at high risk of HIV infection and transmission as a result of unsafe sexual and injecting behaviors. Their clients might be at increased risk of acquiring HIV; however, little is known about the population of men purchasing sex services. This study aims to investigate factors associated with a history of purchasing sex services by men in Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast, Russian Federation. Data were collected as part of a cross-sectional study offering free anonymous rapid HIV testing in Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast in 2014; in total, 3565 men aged 18 years and older provided information about their behaviors associated with risk of acquiring HIV during face-to-face interviews. Prevalence of CSW use in our study was 23.9 %. Multivariable analyses using log-binomial regression were stratified by self-reported HIV testing during the 12 months preceding the study interview. In both strata, older age, multiple sex partners, and a history of sex with an injection drug user (IDU) were associated with an elevated prevalence ratio (PR) for history of purchasing sex services, although the strength of the association differed by strata. Among men who reported recent HIV testing, condom use (PR = 1.22, 90 % confidence interval (CI) 1.0, 1.48) was associated with a history of purchasing sex services, and among men who did not report recent HIV testing, having a consistent sex partner was associated with purchasing sex services (PR = 1.23, 90 % CI 1.1, 1.37). The high prevalence of CSW service use and associations found in this study raise serious concerns about potential for sexual HIV transmission and should be investigated more closely.
KW - Men purchasing sex services
KW - Risk of HIV
KW - Sex work
KW - St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
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U2 - 10.1007/s11524-015-9990-z
DO - 10.1007/s11524-015-9990-z
M3 - Article
C2 - 26446875
AN - SCOPUS:84949533443
SN - 1099-3460
VL - 92
SP - 1105
EP - 1116
JO - Journal of Urban Health
JF - Journal of Urban Health
IS - 6
ER -