The influence of stigma and discrimination on female sex workers' access to HIV services in St. Petersburg, Russia
King, E.J.; Maman, S.; Bowling, J.M.; Moracco, K.E.; Dudina, V.
Aids and Behavior 17(8): 2597-2603
2013
ISSN/ISBN: 1573-3254 PMID: 23525789 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-013-0447-7Document Number: 582174
Stigma associated with HIV and risk behaviors is known to be a barrier to health care access for many populations. Less is known about female sex workers (FSW) in Russia, a population that is especially vulnerable to HIV-infection, and yet hard-to-reach for service providers. We administered a questionnaire to 139 FSW to better understand how stigma and discrimination influence HIV service utilization. Logistic regression analysis indicated that HIV-related stigma is negatively associated with uptake of HIV testing, while sex work-related stigma is positively associated with HIV testing. HIV-positive FSW are more likely than HIV-negative FSW to experience discrimination in health care settings. While decreasing societal stigma should be a long-term goal, programs that foster inclusion of marginalized populations in Russian health care settings are urgently needed.
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