Addressing Vulnerable Population Needs in the Last Mile to the elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV: (Re)Claiming the HIV Response for Female Sex Workers and Their Children

Avi J Hakim; Tegan Callahan; Irene Benech; Monita Patel; Michelle Adler; Surbhi Modi; Moses Bateganya; Kae Anne Parris; Trista Bingham

doi:10.1186/s12889-020-09114-5

Addressing Vulnerable Population Needs in the Last Mile to the elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV: (Re)Claiming the HIV Response for Female Sex Workers and Their Children

BMC Public Health. 2020 Jun 26;20(1):1015. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-09114-5.

Authors

Avi J Hakim¹, Tegan Callahan², Irene Benech², Monita Patel², Michelle Adler², Surbhi Modi², Moses Bateganya², Kae Anne Parris², Trista Bingham²

Affiliations

¹ US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Global HIV and TB, 1600 Clifton Rd, NE, US2-1, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA. hxv8@cdc.gov.
² US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Global HIV and TB, 1600 Clifton Rd, NE, US2-1, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.

Abstract

As countries strive to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV, female sex workers (FSW) and their children still face barriers to accessing these essential services. Data on FSW uptake of HIV and reproductive health services before, during, and after pregnancy reveal inadequate service utilization. Stigma encountered by FSW in healthcare settings may contribute to low uptake of HIV testing, antiretroviral therapy (ART), and other prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) services. Coordination between community-based FSW and facility-based PMTCT programs can facilitate successful linkage of pregnant FSW to antenatal services to support PMTCT efforts. We offer a way forward to reach 90-90-90 targets for FSW and their families and eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

Keywords: HIV; HIV-exposed infants; female sex workers; orphans and vulnerable children; prevention of mother-to-child transmission.

MeSH terms

Adult
Female
HIV Infections / epidemiology
HIV Infections / prevention & control*
HIV Infections / transmission*
Humans
Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / prevention & control*
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / epidemiology
Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / prevention & control*
Risk Factors
Sex Workers / statistics & numerical data*
Social Stigma
Vulnerable Populations / statistics & numerical data*