REDUCING SEXUAL RISK AMONG FILIPINA FEMALE BAR WORKERS: EFFECTS OF A CBPR-DEVELOPED STRUCTURAL AND NETWORK INTERVENTION

• Published in: AIDS education and prevention 2010-08, Vol.22 (4), p.371-385
• Main Authors: MORISKY, Donald E, MALOW, Robert M, TIGLAO, Teodora V, LYU, Shu-Yu, VISSMAN, Aaron T, RHODES, Scott D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome; Adolescent; Adult; AIDS; AIDS/HIV; Attitude change; Bars; Behavior Standards; Behavioral Sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Community involvement; Community Relations; Community-Based Participatory Research; Condoms; Departments; Disease prevention; Drinking; Effects; Employees; Female; Females; General aspects; Grants; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Promotion; HIV; HIV Infections - prevention & control; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; International Cooperation; Interpersonal Competence; Intervention; Interviews as Topic; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Networks; NGOs; Nongovernmental organizations; Participatory Research; Peer Group; Peer Teaching; Philippines; Planification. Prevention (methods). Intervention. Evaluation; Public Health; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Quasiexperimental Design; Research Design; Risk; Risk factors; Risk Reduction Behavior; Self Management; Sex Work; Sexual Behavior; Sexually transmitted diseases; STD; Training; United States; Venereal Diseases; Women; Workers; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0899-9546; 1943-2755
• DOI: 10.1521/aeap.2010.22.4.371

The effects of three interventions designed to reduce sexual risk among Filipina female bar workers (FBWs) were compared with each other and with usual care (nonintervention). The interventions were developed iteratively by a community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnership comprising lay community members, organizational representatives (including nongovernmental organizations), and academic researchers from the United States and the Philippines. Peer educators and bar managers from 110 different establishments in three southern regions were recruited and trained to increase knowledge of HIV and of condom use rules and regulations within establishments, as well as to change attitudes about risk reduction, provide HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing referrals, and build condom use skills among FBWs. Compared with the control community, all three interventions increased HIV and STI testing; however, only FBWs in the combination peer-educator and manager-training intervention significantly increased condom use from baseline to 2-year follow-up. Condom use was significantly associated with higher HIV knowledge, attendance of a prevention class, and being taught how to use condoms properly. Given these findings, research is warranted to further explore and understand various forms of commercial sex work and to test adapted peer-educator and manger-training interventions within HIV epicenters.