Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Oct;31(5):421-432.
doi: 10.1521/aeap.2019.31.5.421.

"The Drug Will Help Protect My Tomorrow": Perceptions of Integrating PrEP into HIV Prevention Behaviors Among Female Sex Workers in Lilongwe, Malawi

Jaclyn Shea  1 , Agatha Bula  2 , Wezzie Dunda  2 , Mina C Hosseinipour  2   3 , Carol E Golin  1   4 , Irving F Hoffman  3 , William C Miller  5 , Vivian F Go  1 , Thandie Lungu  2 , Kathryn E Lancaster  5
Affiliations

"The Drug Will Help Protect My Tomorrow": Perceptions of Integrating PrEP into HIV Prevention Behaviors Among Female Sex Workers in Lilongwe, Malawi

Jaclyn Shea et al. AIDS Educ Prev. 2019 Oct.

Abstract

Female sex workers (FSW) are disproportionately at risk for HIV. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective HIV prevention method, yet approaches for incorporating PrEP within prevention strategies used by FSW are lacking. Semistructured focus group discussions were conducted with 44 HIV-negative FSW in Lilongwe, Malawi to explore perceptions of PrEP: acceptability, integration within HIV prevention behaviors, and barriers to use. Acceptability of PrEP was high. Motivation to use PrEP was rooted in love for one's life, anticipated negative economic effects associated with HIV acquisition. PrEP was viewed as complementary to existing norms for engaging in healthy sexual behaviors. Many felt PrEP may provide extra protection from HIV, along with condoms and frequent STI testing. Unpredictable daily lives, stigma, and side effects were barriers that could affect PrEP use. Leveraging existing HIV prevention strategies and social norms surrounding HIV prevention behaviors may positively impact PrEP uptake among FSW in Malawi and sub-Saharan Africa.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS; female sex workers; pre-exposure prophylaxis; prevention; sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Baeten JM, Donnell D, Ndasc P, Mugo NR, Campbell JD, Wangisi J,… Partners PrEP Study Team. (2012). Antiretroviral prophylaxis for HIV prevention in heterosexual men and women. New England Journal of Medicine, 367, 399–410. 10.1056/NF.JMoa1108524 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Baral S, Beyrer C, Muessig K, Poteat T, Wirtz AL, Decker MR,…Kerrigan D (2012). Burden of HIV among female sex workers in low-income and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Infectious Diseases, 12, 538–549. 10.1016/S1473-3099(12)70066-X - DOI - PubMed
    1. Beattie TS, Mohan HL, Bhattacharjee P, Chandrashekar S, Isae S, Wheeler T,… Watts C (2014). Community mobilization and empowerment of female sex workers in Karnataka State, South India: Associations with HIV and sexually transmitted infection risk. American Journal of Public Health, 104, 1516–1525. 10.2105/ajph.2014.301911 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bekker LG, Johnson L, Cowan F, Overs C, Besada D, Hillier S, & Cates W Jr. (2015). Combination HIV prevention for female sex workers: What is the evidence? Lancet, 385, 72–87. 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60974-0 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Beyrer C, Crago AL, Bekker LG, Butler J, Shannon K, Kerrigan D,… Strathdee SA (2015). An action agenda for HIV and sex workers. Lancet, 385, 287–301. 10.1016/s0140-6736(14)60933-8 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

Substances