title: Estimation of the size of the female sex worker population in Rwanda using three different methods.
abstract: HIV prevalence is disproportionately high among female sex workers compared to the general population. Many African countries lack useful data on the size of female sex worker populations to inform national HIV programmes. A female sex worker size estimation exercise using three different venue-based methodologies was conducted among female sex workers in all provinces of Rwanda in August 2010. The female sex worker national population size was estimated using capture-recapture and enumeration methods, and the multiplier method was used to estimate the size of the female sex worker population in Kigali. A structured questionnaire was also used to supplement the data. The estimated number of female sex workers by the capture-recapture method was 3205 (95% confidence interval: 2998-3412). The female sex worker size was estimated at 3348 using the enumeration method. In Kigali, the female sex worker size was estimated at 2253 (95% confidence interval: 1916-2524) using the multiplier method. Nearly 80% of all female sex workers in Rwanda were found to be based in the capital, Kigali. This study provided a first-time estimate of the female sex worker population size in Rwanda using capture-recapture, enumeration, and multiplier methods. The capture-recapture and enumeration methods provided similar estimates of female sex worker in Rwanda. Combination of such size estimation methods is feasible and productive in low-resource settings and should be considered vital to inform national HIV programmes.
authors.affiliation: Rwanda Biomedical Center, Ministry of Health, Kigali, Rwanda mutagoma@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mwumvaneza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mutagoma
authors.affiliation: Rwanda Biomedical Center, Ministry of Health, Kigali, Rwanda.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kayitesi
authors.affiliation: Rwanda Biomedical Center, Ministry of Health, Kigali, Rwanda.
authors.forename: Aimé
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gwiza
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health, Kigali, Rwanda.
authors.forename: Hinda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ruton
authors.affiliation: Futures Group International, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koleros
authors.affiliation: Division of Global Health Equity, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, USA; Partners In Health/Inshuti Mu Buzima, Rwanda.
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Rwanda Biomedical Center, Ministry of Health, Kigali, Rwanda.
authors.forename: Helene
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Balisanga
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Virology and Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Riedel
authors.affiliation: Rwanda Biomedical Center, Ministry of Health, Kigali, Rwanda.
authors.forename: Sabin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nsanzimana
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D011156:Population Density; D012432:Rwanda; D011477:Sex Work / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D060386:Sex Workers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: AIDS; Africa; HIV; capture–recapture; enumeration; female sex workers; multiplier; population size estimation; sexually transmitted infection; women