Skip to content
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
Social cohesion, social participation, and HIV related risk among female sex workers in Swaziland
PLoS ONE, Volume 9, No. 1, Article e87527, Year 2014
Notification
URL copied to clipboard!
Description
Social capital is important to disadvantaged groups, such as sex workers, as a means of facilitating internal group-related mutual aid and support as well as access to broader social and material resources. Studies among sex workers have linked higher social capital with protective HIV-related behaviors; however, few studies have examined social capital among sex workers in sub-Saharan Africa. This cross-sectional study examined relationships between two key social capital constructs, social cohesion among sex workers and social participation of sex workers in the larger community, and HIV-related risk in Swaziland using respondent-driven sampling. Relationships between social cohesion, social participation, and HIV-related risk factors were assessed using logistic regression. HIV prevalence among the sample was 70.4% (223/317). Social cohesion was associated with consistent condom use in the past week (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.25, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.30-3.90) and was associated with fewer reports of social discrimination, including denial of police protection. Social participation was associated with HIV testing (AOR = 2.39, 95% CI: 1.36-4.03) and using condoms with non-paying partners (AOR = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.13-3.51), and was inversely associated with reported verbal or physical harassment as a result of selling sex (AOR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.33-0.91). Both social capital constructs were significantly associated with collective action, which involved participating in meetings to promote sex worker rights or attending HIV-related meetings/ talks with other sex workers. Social- and structural-level interventions focused on building social cohesion and social participation among sex workers could provide significant protection from HIV infection for female sex workers in Swaziland. © 2014 Fonner et al.
Authors & Co-Authors
Fonner, Virginia A.
United States, Baltimore
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Kerrigan, Deanna L.
United States, Baltimore
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Mnisi, Zandile
Swaziland, Mbabane
Eswatini National Aids Programme
Ketende, Sosthenes Charles
United States, Baltimore
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Kennedy, Caitlin E.
United States, Baltimore
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Baral, Stefan David
United States, Baltimore
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Statistics
Citations: 104
Authors: 6
Affiliations: 2
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1371/journal.pone.0087527
e-ISSN:
19326203
Research Areas
Health System And Policy
Infectious Diseases
Violence And Injury
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Case-Control Study
Study Approach
Quantitative
Study Locations
Eswatini
Participants Gender
Female