Prevalence of HIV and sexually transmitted infections among young women engaged in sex work aboard foreign fishing vessels in Kiribati

Authors

  • Tebuka Toatu Public Health Division, Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia
  • Paul White Public Health Division, Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia; Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity Program, Public Health and Hospital Emergency Preparedness Office, Commonwealth Health Care Corporation, Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
  • Damian Hoy Public Health Division, Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia
  • Dennie Iniakwala Public Health Division, Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia
  • Onofre Edwin A. Merrilles Jr. Public Health Division, Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia
  • Sameer Vali Gopalani Public Health Division, Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia; Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5365/wpsar.2017.8.4.005

Abstract

Objective: To assess the prevalence of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among women who board foreign fishing vessels for sex work in Kiribati.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was designed to collect data on behavioural risk factors for STIs and knowledge of and attitudes towards HIV and STIs during 2007. Urine and blood samples were collected to test for HIV and select STIs. Descriptive statistics were performed for sociodemographic and behavioural characteristics, and chi-squared tests were used to assess associations between potential key determinants and the presence of genital Chlamydia infection.

Results: Women who boarded foreign fishing vessels for transactional sex were younger, had less education, were less likely to live with a partner and were less likely to be otherwise employed. Although no HIV infections were detected, more than half (57.5%) of the women were diagnosed with an STI. One quarter of the women tested positive for chlamydia, and 40% tested positive for mycoplasma. The presence of chlamydia was strongly associated with age at first sexual intercourse (P = 0.02) and number of sexual partners during the prior seven days (P = 0.02).

Conclusion: The high rate of STIs in this population of sex workers is concerning given the potential of severe pregnancy-related and chronic health problems and the increased risk of transmission within the general population of Kiribati. We identified a specific sex worker population as a priority group for targeted public health efforts to prevent and control the spread of STIs in Kiribati.

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Published

23-03-2018

How to Cite

1.
Toatu T, White P, Hoy D, Iniakwala D, Merrilles Jr. OEA, Gopalani SV. Prevalence of HIV and sexually transmitted infections among young women engaged in sex work aboard foreign fishing vessels in Kiribati. Western Pac Surveill Response J [Internet]. 2018 Mar. 23 [cited 2026 Mar. 24];9(1). Available from: https://ojs.wpro.who.int/ojs/index.php/wpsar/article/view/578

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 1 (2018): January – March

Section

Original Research

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