HIV Testing and Counseling Among Female Sex Workers: A Systematic Literature Review

Anna Tokar, Jacqueline E W Broerse, James Blanchard, Maria Roura, Anna Tokar, Jacqueline E W Broerse, James Blanchard, Maria Roura

Abstract

HIV testing uptake continues to be low among Female Sex Workers (FSWs). We synthesizes evidence on barriers and facilitators to HIV testing among FSW as well as frequencies of testing, willingness to test, and return rates to collect results. We systematically searched the MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, SCOPUS databases for articles published in English between January 2000 and November 2017. Out of 5036 references screened, we retained 36 papers. The two barriers to HIV testing most commonly reported were financial and time costs-including low income, transportation costs, time constraints, and formal/informal payments-as well as the stigma and discrimination ascribed to HIV positive people and sex workers. Social support facilitated testing with consistently higher uptake amongst married FSWs and women who were encouraged to test by peers and managers. The consistent finding that social support facilitated HIV testing calls for its inclusion into current HIV testing strategies addressed at FSW.

Keywords: Female sex workers (FSWs); HIV diagnosis; HIV testing; Systematic review.

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest

Author AT declares that she has no conflict of interest. Author JEWB declares that she has no conflict of interest. Author JB declares that he has no conflict of interest Author MR declares that she has no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
PRISMA flow chart of citations
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Conceptual framework: barriers and facilitators of HIV testing amongst FSWs. Reproduced with Permission from Blanchard et al. [22]

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