HIV/AIDS: Research and Palliative Care (May 2019)
Investigation of HIV/AIDS prevalence and associated risk factors among female sex workers from 2010 to 2017: a meta-analysis study
Abstract
Owrang Eilami,1 Ali Nazari,2 Majid Dousti,3 Fatemeh Sayehmiri,4 Maryam Ghasemi51Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran; 2Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran; 3Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Fars, Iran; 4Student Research Committee, Proteomics Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 5Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranObjectives: Female sex workers (FSW) are highly at risk of HIV, and can potentially transmit the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in different societies.Study design: The aims of the present study were to investigate the prevalence of HIV/AIDS and associated risk factors among FSW between 2010 and 2017 using a systematic literature review and meta-analysis approach.Methods: International databases were searched, including ISI Web of Science, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus. Using the appropriate keywords, relevant studies published on the HIV/AIDS prevalence among FSW between 2010 and 2017 were identified. Afterwards, the information was extracted and analyzed by STATA version 14.Results: Thirty-seven studies were found eligible for inclusion in this research, encompassing a total of 46,657 subjects. The results revealed that the global prevalence of HIV/AIDS among FSW was 2.17 (95% CI=1.37–3.14).Conclusion: These findings demonstrated the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS among FSWs worldwide. Accordingly, strict educational and interventional programs should be implemented globally to reduce HIV/AIDS prevalence among this group, as well as to prevent probable HIV transmission.Keywords: prevalence, HIV/AIDS, risk factors, immunodeficiency, female sex workers
