TY - JOUR
T1 - Working with economically vulnerable women engaged in sex work
T2 - Collaborating with community stakeholders in Southern Uganda
AU - Nabunya, Proscovia
AU - Kiyingi, Joshua
AU - Witte, Susan S.
AU - Sensoy Bahar, Ozge
AU - Jennings Mayo-Wilson, Larissa
AU - Tozan, Yesim
AU - Nabayinda, Josephine
AU - Mwebembezi, Abel
AU - Tumwesige, Wilberforce
AU - Mukasa, Barbara
AU - Namirembe, Rashida
AU - Kagaayi, Joseph
AU - Nakigudde, Janet
AU - McKay, Mary M.
AU - Ssewamala, Fred M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Economically vulnerable women engaged in sex work (WESW) comprise one of the key populations with higher prevalence of HIV globally. In Uganda, HIV prevalence among WESW is estimated at 37% and accounts for 18% of all new infections in the country. This paper describes the strategies by which we have engaged community stakeholders in a randomised clinical trial aimed at evaluating the efficacy of adding economic empowerment components to traditional HIV risk reduction to reduce the incidence of STIs and HIV among WESW in Uganda. We demonstrate that stakeholder engagement, including the engagement of WESW themselves, plays a critical role in the adaptation, implementation, uptake, and potential sustainability of evidence-based interventions. To our knowledge, this is the first study to utilise stakeholder engagement involving WESW in Uganda. Researchers working with hard-to-reach populations, such as WESW, are encouraged to invest time and resources to engage key stakeholders through a full range of collaborative activities; and ensure that research is culturally appropriate and meets the needs of all stakeholders involved. Clinical trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03583541.
AB - Economically vulnerable women engaged in sex work (WESW) comprise one of the key populations with higher prevalence of HIV globally. In Uganda, HIV prevalence among WESW is estimated at 37% and accounts for 18% of all new infections in the country. This paper describes the strategies by which we have engaged community stakeholders in a randomised clinical trial aimed at evaluating the efficacy of adding economic empowerment components to traditional HIV risk reduction to reduce the incidence of STIs and HIV among WESW in Uganda. We demonstrate that stakeholder engagement, including the engagement of WESW themselves, plays a critical role in the adaptation, implementation, uptake, and potential sustainability of evidence-based interventions. To our knowledge, this is the first study to utilise stakeholder engagement involving WESW in Uganda. Researchers working with hard-to-reach populations, such as WESW, are encouraged to invest time and resources to engage key stakeholders through a full range of collaborative activities; and ensure that research is culturally appropriate and meets the needs of all stakeholders involved. Clinical trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03583541.
KW - HIV risk reduction
KW - Sex work
KW - Uganda
KW - community collaboration
KW - stakeholder engagement
KW - HIV Infections
KW - Sex Work
KW - Humans
KW - Female
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85104819844&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85104819844&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/17441692.2021.1916054
DO - 10.1080/17441692.2021.1916054
M3 - Article
C2 - 33881949
AN - SCOPUS:85104819844
SN - 1744-1692
VL - 17
SP - 1215
EP - 1231
JO - Global Public Health
JF - Global Public Health
IS - 7
ER -