STI/HIV test result disclosure between female sex workers and their primary, non-commercial male partners in two Mexico-US border cities: a prospective study.
Pines, Heather A;
Patterson, Thomas L;
Rangel, Gudelia;
Martinez, Gustavo;
Bazzi, Angela R;
Ulibarri, Monica D;
Syvertsen, Jennifer L;
Martin, Natasha K;
Strathdee, Steffanie A;
(2014)
STI/HIV test result disclosure between female sex workers and their primary, non-commercial male partners in two Mexico-US border cities: a prospective study.
Sexually transmitted infections, 91 (3).
pp. 207-213.
ISSN 1368-4973
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/sextrans-2014-051663
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OBJECTIVES: Disclosure of sexually transmitted infections (STI)/HIV diagnoses to sexual partners is not mandated by public health guidelines in Mexico. To assess the feasibility of couples-based STI/HIV testing with facilitated disclosure as a risk-reduction strategy within female sex workers' (FSW) primary partnerships, we examined STI/HIV test result disclosure patterns between FSWs and their primary, non-commercial male partners in two Mexico-US border cities. METHODS: From 2010 to 2013, 335 participants (181 FSWs and 154 primary male partners) were followed for 24 months. At semiannual visits, participants were tested for STIs/HIV and reported on their disclosure of test results from the previous visit. Multilevel logistic regression was used to identify individual-level and partnership-level predictors of cumulative (1) non-disclosure of ≥1 STI test result and (2) non-disclosure of ≥1 HIV test result within couples during follow-up. RESULTS: Eighty-seven percent of participants reported disclosing all STI/HIV test results to their primary partners. Non-disclosure of ≥1 STI test result was more common among participants who reported an STI diagnosis as part of the study (adjusted OR=3.05, 95% CI 1.13 to 8.25), while non-disclosure of ≥1 HIV test result was more common among participants in longer-duration partnerships (AOR=1.15 per year, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.28). Drug use before/during sex within partnerships was associated with non-disclosure of both STI (AOR=5.06, 95% CI 1.64 to 15.62) and HIV (AOR=4.51, 95% CI: 1.32 to 15.39) test results. CONCLUSIONS: STI/HIV test result disclosure was highly prevalent within FSWs' primary partnerships, suggesting couples-based STI/HIV testing with facilitated disclosure may be feasible for these and potentially other high-risk, socially marginalised couples.