title: Outcomes of a behavioral intervention to reduce HIV risk among drug-involved female sex workers.
abstract: Although street-based female sex workers (FSWs) are highly vulnerable to HIV, they often lack access to needed health services and medical care. This paper reports the results of a recently completed randomized intervention trial for FSWs in Miami, Florida, which tested the relative efficacy of two case management interventions that aimed to link underserved FSWs with health services and to reduce risk behaviors for HIV. Participants were recruited using targeted sampling strategies and were randomly assigned to: a Strengths-Based/Professional Only (PO) or a Strengths-Based/Professional-Peer condition (PP). Follow-up data were collected 3 and 6 months post-baseline. Outcome analyses indicated that both intervention groups displayed significant reductions in HIV risk behaviors and significant increases in services utilization; the Professional-Peer condition provided no added benefit. HIV seropositive FSWs responded particularly well to the interventions, suggesting the utility of brief strengths-based case management interventions for this population in future initiatives.
authors.affiliation: Center for Applied Research on Substance Use and Health Disparities, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, 2 NE 40th Street, Suite 404, Miami, FL, 33137, USA, surratt@nova.edu.
authors.forename: Hilary L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Surratt
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: O'Grady
authors.forename: Steven P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Kurtz
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Levi-Minzi
authors.forename: Minxing
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055030:Drug Users / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010379:Peer Group; D011203:Poverty; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012309:Risk-Taking; D060386:Sex Workers / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012934:Social Isolation; D057545:Social Stigma; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*