2022 Articles

PrEP acceptability and initiation among women engaged in sex work in Uganda: Implications for HIV prevention

Witte, Susan S.; Filippone, Prema; Ssewamala, Fred M.; Nabunya, Proscovia; Bahar, Ozge Sensoy; Mayo-Wilson, Larissa Jennings; Namuwonge, Flavia; Damulira, Christopher; Tozan, Yesim; Kiyingi, Joshua; Nabayinda, Josephine; Mwebembezi, Abel; Kagaayi, Joseph; McKay, Mary

Background Women engaged in sex work (WESW) are disproportionately affected by HIV. In Uganda, HIV prevalence among WESW is estimated at 37%, accounting for 18% of all new infections in the country. WESW experience poverty, gender-based violence, and other issues that reduce their power and limit their ability to negotiate condom use. Female-controlled strategies, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), may afford women more transmission protection, but barriers to access and use persist. This cross-sectional study examined baseline PrEP acceptability and initiation among WESW recently enrolled in a randomized clinical trial in Uganda to test the impact of a combination HIV risk reduction and economic empowerment intervention on sexual risk outcomes (clinicaltrials.gov, NCT03583541).