HIV-testing among female sex workers on the border between Brazil and French Guiana: the need for targeted interventions. The border between Brazil and French Guiana is a place of economic, cultural, social and sexual exchange. Female sex workers represent a high risk population for HIV in this area where sexual tourism is particularly developed.
HIV testing seems to be an important element in the fight against the epidemic. Indeed, early HIV testing gives access to treatments and prevention. A total of female sex workers were interviewed. One third These results clearly suggest that targeted interventions are needed to encourage and assist female sex workers to get tested regularly. Os testes de HIV parecem ser um elemento importante da luta contra a epidemia.
Foram entrevistadas mulheres profissionais do sexo. La prueba del VIH parece ser un elemento en la lucha de esta epidemia. Se entrevistaron a un total de trabajadoras del sexo. French Guiana and Brazil share a km-long border. Trade and exchanges between both sides of the Oyapock river are concentrated around two river towns: Oiapoque, on the Brazilian side 21, inhabitants in , and Saint Georges de l'Oyapock 3, inhabitants in , on the French side.
Sex work is widely present in the area with numerous venues offering sexual services on the Brazilian side and customers coming from French Guiana. The area is also a supply and transit hub for illegal gold mining. Sex work is closely related to gold mining and many sex workers leave to work for a few months in isolated gold mines 1 , 2 , 3.
In , The North, one of Brazil's five regions, presents the second highest increase in HIV prevalence in the country 6. The epidemic both in Brazil and in French Guiana is described as a concentrated or mixed epidemic 7 , 8. The context of the border and the existing socioeconomic differences between the two sides of the border create a complex situation where the vulnerability of persons towards HIV can be increased 10 , Sex workers are considered as an important driver of the HIV epidemic in the region and prevalence seems higher in this population 6 , 8 , Given the individual and collective benefits of highly active antiretroviral therapy, early HIV testing is the gateway to proper HIV care and treatment, and risk reduction 15 , 16 , The objectives of the present article were to describe the HIV testing practices among female sex workers in Oiapoque and Saint Georges de l'Oyapock and to identify predictive factors of HIV testing based on KABP knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices data collected in This is a cross-sectional survey performed among female sex workers aged 18 years and above, working on the border between Brazil and French Guiana and having had at least one paid intercourse in the past six months.
