Mostafa Shokoohi1, Mohammad Karamouzian2, Hamid Sharifi3, Afarin Rahimi-Movaghar4, Adam W Carrico5, Samira Hosseini Hooshyar6, Ali Mirzazadeh7. 1. HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON, Canada. Electronic address: shokoohi.mostafa2@gmail.com. 2. HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 2206 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Electronic address: karamouzian.m@gmail.com. 3. HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. Electronic address: sharifihami@gmail.com. 4. Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies (INCAS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: rahimia@tums.ac.ir. 5. Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami, 1120 NW 14th St., Miami, FL, USA. Electronic address: a.carrico@miami.edu. 6. HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. Electronic address: s_hosseini2207@outlook.com. 7. HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California San Francisco, 550 16th St., San Francisco, CA, USA. Electronic address: ali.mirzazadeh@ucsf.edu.
Abstract
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.
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.
Authors: Courtney J Pedersen; Jeffrey A Wickersham; Frederick L Altice; Adeeba Kamarulzaman; Kaveh Khoshnood; Britton A Gibson; Antoine Khati; Francesca Maviglia; Roman Shrestha Journal: Front Psychiatry Date: 2022-06-14 Impact factor: 5.435
Authors: Johannes Petzold; Laura Rehmet; Benjamin Weber; Maik Spreer; Maria Krüger; Ulrich S Zimmermann; Maximilian Pilhatsch Journal: Front Psychiatry Date: 2022-05-27 Impact factor: 5.435