Drug use among female sex workers in Hanoi, Vietnam.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the drug use practices among female sex workers (FSWs) in Hanoi and to identify factors associated with their drug injecting.


METHODS
A two-stage cluster survey of 400 FSWs was conducted from June to September, 2002. Participating FSWs were both establishment- (160) and street-based (240), who were practising in seven urban and one suburban districts of Hanoi.


METHODS
Subjects were interviewed face to face using a structured questionnaire.


RESULTS
Among the middle-class FSWs, 27% used drugs, of whom 79% injected. Among low-class FSWs, 46% used drugs and 85% injected. Among drug-using FSWs, 86% had started using drugs within the past 6 years. Among drug-injecting FSWs, 81% had started injecting within the past 4 years. Cleaning of injecting equipment was not common among those who shared. Having drug-injecting 'love mates', drug-using clients, longer residence in Hanoi, more clients and not currently cohabiting were found to be independently associated with drug injecting among FSWs.


CONCLUSIONS
The high prevalence of injecting drug use among FSWs makes them susceptible to HIV infection, and is a threat to their clients. There is a strong relationship between drug-using FSWs and male drug-using clients and non-client partners. Intervention to prevent drug use initiation among non-drug-using FSWs and harm reduction among drug-using FSWs are urgently needed.
Tran
Trung Nam
TN
Department of Epidemiology, University of California, Los Angeles School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772, USA.
Detels
Roger
R
Long
Hoang Thuy
HT
Lan
Hoang Phuong
HP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016485:Needle Sharing / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D011477:Sex Work / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012923:Social Class; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014744:Vietnam / Q000453:epidemiology