Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Risk and vulnerability of key populations to HIV infection in Iran; knowledge, attitude and practises of female sex workers, prison inmates and people who inject drugs

Khajehkazemi, Razieh ; Haghdoost, AliAkbar ; Navadeh, Soodabeh ; Setayesh, Hamidreza ; Sajadi, Leily ; Osooli, Mehdi LU orcid and Mostafavi, Ehsan (2014) In Sexual Health 11(6). p.568-574
Abstract
Background: In this study data of three national surveys conducted among female sex workers (FSW), prison inmates and people who inject drugs (PWID) were presented and compared in relation to knowledge, attitude, and practises. Methods: The surveys were conducted in 2009 and 2010 and included 2546 PWID, 872 FSW and 5530 prison inmates. Knowledge, attitude and practises towards HIV were measured through similar questions for each category. Results: Over 90% of all participants had ever heard of HIV/AIDS, although only approximately half of them perceived themselves at risk of contracting HIV. More than 80% were able to correctly identify the ways of preventing the sexual transmission of HIV; while more than two-thirds did not use condom in... (More)
Background: In this study data of three national surveys conducted among female sex workers (FSW), prison inmates and people who inject drugs (PWID) were presented and compared in relation to knowledge, attitude, and practises. Methods: The surveys were conducted in 2009 and 2010 and included 2546 PWID, 872 FSW and 5530 prison inmates. Knowledge, attitude and practises towards HIV were measured through similar questions for each category. Results: Over 90% of all participants had ever heard of HIV/AIDS, although only approximately half of them perceived themselves at risk of contracting HIV. More than 80% were able to correctly identify the ways of preventing the sexual transmission of HIV; while more than two-thirds did not use condom in their last sexual contact. Approximately 20% of prisoners and FSW had a history of injecting drugs. Among all participants who have injected drugs, prisoners had the highest unsafe injecting behaviour at the last injection (61%), followed by FSW (11%) and PWID (3%). Conclusions: Despite major efforts to control the HIV epidemic in Iran, the level of risk and vulnerability among prisoners, FSW and PWID is still high. The level of comprehensive knowledge about HIV/AIDS is relatively good; however, their risk perception of contracting HIV is low and high-risk behaviours are prevalent. Therefore, HIV prevention programs should be redesigned in a more comprehensive way to identify the best venues to reach the largest number of people at a higher risk of contracting HIV and decrease their risk overlaps and vulnerability factors. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
behavioural surveillance survey, FSW, most at risk population, KAP study
in
Sexual Health
volume
11
issue
6
pages
568 - 574
publisher
CSIRO Publishing
external identifiers
  • wos:000345858900008
  • scopus:84914099737
ISSN
1449-8987
DOI
10.1071/SH14165
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
968e2f7f-18b7-4952-a115-e2ce9fccdc20 (old id 4965798)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:36:37
date last changed
2022-04-27 23:43:13
@article{968e2f7f-18b7-4952-a115-e2ce9fccdc20,
  abstract     = {{Background: In this study data of three national surveys conducted among female sex workers (FSW), prison inmates and people who inject drugs (PWID) were presented and compared in relation to knowledge, attitude, and practises. Methods: The surveys were conducted in 2009 and 2010 and included 2546 PWID, 872 FSW and 5530 prison inmates. Knowledge, attitude and practises towards HIV were measured through similar questions for each category. Results: Over 90% of all participants had ever heard of HIV/AIDS, although only approximately half of them perceived themselves at risk of contracting HIV. More than 80% were able to correctly identify the ways of preventing the sexual transmission of HIV; while more than two-thirds did not use condom in their last sexual contact. Approximately 20% of prisoners and FSW had a history of injecting drugs. Among all participants who have injected drugs, prisoners had the highest unsafe injecting behaviour at the last injection (61%), followed by FSW (11%) and PWID (3%). Conclusions: Despite major efforts to control the HIV epidemic in Iran, the level of risk and vulnerability among prisoners, FSW and PWID is still high. The level of comprehensive knowledge about HIV/AIDS is relatively good; however, their risk perception of contracting HIV is low and high-risk behaviours are prevalent. Therefore, HIV prevention programs should be redesigned in a more comprehensive way to identify the best venues to reach the largest number of people at a higher risk of contracting HIV and decrease their risk overlaps and vulnerability factors.}},
  author       = {{Khajehkazemi, Razieh and Haghdoost, AliAkbar and Navadeh, Soodabeh and Setayesh, Hamidreza and Sajadi, Leily and Osooli, Mehdi and Mostafavi, Ehsan}},
  issn         = {{1449-8987}},
  keywords     = {{behavioural surveillance survey; FSW; most at risk population; KAP study}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{568--574}},
  publisher    = {{CSIRO Publishing}},
  series       = {{Sexual Health}},
  title        = {{Risk and vulnerability of key populations to HIV infection in Iran; knowledge, attitude and practises of female sex workers, prison inmates and people who inject drugs}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/SH14165}},
  doi          = {{10.1071/SH14165}},
  volume       = {{11}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}