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Need for scaled up combination prevention for sex workers, Indian and Central American studies show
Mara Kardas-Nelson, 2014-07-30 10:30:00

Presentations given at a session considering HIV prevention strategies among female sex workers, which took place July 24, 2014 at the 20th International AIDS Conference in Melbourne, Australia, show that while consistent condom use is generally high among female sex workers (FSW), other barriers remain to effective prevention of HIV transmission and to care for those who are HIV positive.

Importantly, while condom use by FSWs with their clients is notably high in some populations, the same populations report lower rates of condom use with regular partners, pointing to a potential blind spot in HIV prevention strategies, potential for transmission, and potential behavioural, psychological, social and other barriers to partner condom use. The session, titled "Successful HIV Prevention Strategies with Female Sex Workers," included a discussion of different models which aim to help to prevent infections among FSWs and other vulnerable populations, ranging from combination prevention efforts that rely on behavior, biomedical, and structural interventions, to the use of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

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