TY - JOUR
T1 - Crystal methamphetamine use and its correlates in women engaged in sex work in a developing country setting
AU - Shokoohi, Mostafa
AU - Karamouzian, Mohammad
AU - Sharifi, Hamid
AU - Rahimi-Movaghar, Afarin
AU - Carrico, Adam W.
AU - Hosseini Hooshyar, Samira
AU - Mirzazadeh, Ali
N1 - Funding Information:
This bio-behavioral surveillance survey was supported by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Additional support was received from Iran’s Centre for Disease Control (CDC), University of California, San Francisco’s International Traineeships in AIDS Prevention Studies (ITAPS), U.S. NIMH , R25 MH064712 (Ali Mirzazadeh).
PY - 2018/4/1
Y1 - 2018/4/1
N2 - Background: Worldwide, crystal methamphetamine (CM) use and associated high-risk sexual behaviors are a concern, but they are less studied among female sex workers (FSW) in developing countries. This study aimed to characterize the prevalence and individual, interpersonal, and structural correlates of self-reported past-month CM use among FSW in Iran. Methods: FSW aged ≥ 18 years who reported penetrative sex with more than one client in the last year were recruited (analytic sample: 1295). Data were collected in one-on-one interviews using a standardized behavioral questionnaire. Poisson regression model was used to assess the correlated of past-month self-reported CM use by crude and adjusted prevalence ratio (APR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Non-injecting and injecting CM use was reported by 15.0% (95% CI: 8.7, 24.7) and 0.9% (95% CI: 0.4, 2.1) of participants. CM use was positively associated with concurrent use of opioids (APR from 2.08 to 3.84, P-value < 0.01), higher number of sexual partners (APR: 2.05, P-value: 0.018), housing instability (APR: 3.54, P-value: 0.001), and history of forced sex (APR: 1.47, P-value: 0.050). Conclusions: A considerable number of FSWs use CM along with opioids, have a higher number of sexual partners, forced sex, and housing instability. Both prevention strategies as well as strategies to reduce harm associated with CM need to be added to current programs that predominantly focus on opioid dependency and male drug injectors.
AB - Background: Worldwide, crystal methamphetamine (CM) use and associated high-risk sexual behaviors are a concern, but they are less studied among female sex workers (FSW) in developing countries. This study aimed to characterize the prevalence and individual, interpersonal, and structural correlates of self-reported past-month CM use among FSW in Iran. Methods: FSW aged ≥ 18 years who reported penetrative sex with more than one client in the last year were recruited (analytic sample: 1295). Data were collected in one-on-one interviews using a standardized behavioral questionnaire. Poisson regression model was used to assess the correlated of past-month self-reported CM use by crude and adjusted prevalence ratio (APR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Non-injecting and injecting CM use was reported by 15.0% (95% CI: 8.7, 24.7) and 0.9% (95% CI: 0.4, 2.1) of participants. CM use was positively associated with concurrent use of opioids (APR from 2.08 to 3.84, P-value < 0.01), higher number of sexual partners (APR: 2.05, P-value: 0.018), housing instability (APR: 3.54, P-value: 0.001), and history of forced sex (APR: 1.47, P-value: 0.050). Conclusions: A considerable number of FSWs use CM along with opioids, have a higher number of sexual partners, forced sex, and housing instability. Both prevention strategies as well as strategies to reduce harm associated with CM need to be added to current programs that predominantly focus on opioid dependency and male drug injectors.
KW - Female sex worker
KW - Harm reduction
KW - Iran
KW - Methamphetamine
KW - Stimulants
KW - Surveillance
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U2 - 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.12.025
DO - 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.12.025
M3 - Article
C2 - 29477085
AN - SCOPUS:85044636279
VL - 185
SP - 260
EP - 265
JO - Drug and Alcohol Dependence
JF - Drug and Alcohol Dependence
SN - 0376-8716
ER -