Data were collected using a survey instrument, followed by two HIV rapid tests. Raw and RDS adjusted data were analyzed using a chi-squared test of association and multivariate logistic regression to show factors associated with HIV infection. FSWs were almost exclusively based in taverns Less than a quarter Non-partner violence was reported by Advancing age, limited education and multiple clients were risk factors associated with HIV, strongly driven by a combination of structural, biological and behavioral determinants.
Evidence suggests that interventions need to be carefully tailored to the varying profiles of SW populations across South Africa. Soweto could be considered a microcosm of South Africa in terms of the epidemic of violence and HIV experienced by the SW population, which is influenced by factors often beyond an individual level of control. While describing a hitherto largely undocumented population of FSWs, our findings confirm the urgent need to scale up innovative HIV prevention and treatment programs for this population.
View Show abstract Research points to the existence of a diverse picture of African sexualities ranging from puritanical to more permissive systems as evidenced by the different positions adopted by Southern African states regarding policies on sexualities.
Thus, while post-apartheid South Africa has fairly liberal and progressive formal approaches to gender and sexualities including a pioneering gay rights clause Cock, , in neighbouring Zimbabwe the parliament passed a new Sexual Offences Bill in which sought to curb sex work and punish brothel-keepers harshly while also criminalising same-sex relationships Wojcicki, Furthermore, while it is often assumed that early sexual experience, as well as a general acceptance of premarital childbearing among women is a common characteristic of Southern Africa, there are no uniform patterns.
For these reasons, transactional sex is socially sanctioned Wojcicki,
