HIV-Testing among Female Sex Workers on the Border Between Brazil & French Guiana: The Need for Targeted Interventions

The border between Brazil and French Guiana is a place of economic, cultural, social and sexual exchange. Female sex workers represent a high risk population for HIV in this area where sexual tourism is particularly developed. HIV testing seems to be an important element in the fight against the epidemic. Indeed, early HIV testing gives access to treatments and prevention. 

An HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and practices survey was conducted in 2011 among sex workers along the border between Brazil and French Guiana. A total of 213 female sex workers were interviewed. 

One third (31.5%) of the interviewed had never tested for HIV. 

• Factors associated with non HIV-testing were the lack of knowledge of places where to do an HIV test, 
• to be 30 or older, 
• feeling at risk of HIV, 
• not evaluating one's own risk towards HIV, 
• and living in Oiapoque. 

These results clearly suggest that targeted interventions are needed to encourage and assist female sex workers to get tested regularly.

Table 2 Predictive factors of having performed a free voluntary HIV test on the border between French Guiana and Brazilian (n = 194): bivariate and multivariate analyses. 

	Has already been tested for HIV n/total (%)	Crude OR (95%CI)	Adjusted OR (95%CI)	Adjusted p-value
Knowledge of where to test
Yes	111/143 (77.6)	1.00	1.00
No	20/51 (39.2)	0.12 (0.07-0.20)	0.23 (0.10-0.52)	0.000
Perceived risk of HIV
Feels at risk	28/43 (65.1)	0.93 (0.46-1.90)	0.26 (0.07-0.93)	0.039
Does not feel at risk	29/35 (82.8)	1.00	1.00
Does not know	35/77 (45.4)	0.21 (0.11-0.40)	0.33 (0.11-0.99)	0.049
No response	40/44 (90.9)	6.85 (2.33-20.10)	3.46 (0.79-15.08)	0.099
Median age
Less than 30	94/129 (72.9)	1.00	1.00
30 or more	38/70 (54.3)	1.40 (0.91-2.15)	0.28 (0.12-0.63)	0.002
Lives in Oiapoque
Yes	104/169 (61.5)	0.11 (0.03-0.49)	0.05 (0.01-0.28)	0.001
No	28/30 (93.3)	1.00	1.00

95%CI: 95% confidence interval; OR: odds ratio.

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By:  Parriault MC1, van Melle A1, Basurko C1, Gaubert-Marechal E2, Macena RH3, Rogier S1, Kerr LR3, Nacher M1.

• 1Centre d'Investigation Clinique Antilles Guyane, Cayenne General Hospital, Cayenne, GF.
• 2COREVIH Guyane, Cayenne General Hospital, Cayenne, GF.
• 3Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, BR.
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