A human rights-focused HIV intervention for sex workers in Metro Manila, Philippines: evaluation of effects in a quantitative pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
This study evaluated a brief human rights-focused HIV community mobilization intervention for sex workers in the Philippines, a country with one of the fastest rising number of HIV cases worldwide.


METHODS
Five single-session group interventions to reduce sexual risk and increase HIV testing among 86 sex workers in Manila were evaluated with pre-post-test data via Wilcoxon's signed-ranks and Mann-Whitney tests. The 4-h intervention, Kapihan (August-November, 2013), integrated human rights with HIV skill-building. Demographic data, violence/trafficking victimization, human rights knowledge, and intentions to HIV test and treat were collected.


RESULTS
Participants were median aged 23; female (69 %); had children (55; 22 % had 3+ children); used drugs (past 3 months: 16 %); sexually/physically abused by clients (66 %); 20 % street sex workers ever took an HIV test. Pre-post-test scores significantly improved in knowledge of HIV (z = -8.895, p < 0.001), reproductive health (z = -3.850, p < 0.001), human rights (z = -4.391, p < 0.001), ethical rights of research participants (z = -5.081, p < 0.001), and intentions to HIV test (z = -4.868, p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Integrating human rights into HIV interventions may empower sex workers to address their health and human rights and test for HIV.
Department of Medicine/Division of Global Public Health, Center on Gender Equity and Health, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0507, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0507, USA. lurada@sdsu.edu.|College of Health and Human Services, School of Social Work, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA. lurada@sdsu.edu.
Lianne A
LA
Urada
National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., 71 W 23rd St, New York, NY, 10010, USA.
Janie
J
Simmons
Department of Medicine/Division of Global Public Health, Center on Gender Equity and Health, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0507, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0507, USA.
Betty
B
Wong
Department of Medicine/Division of Global Public Health, Center on Gender Equity and Health, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0507, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0507, USA.
Kiyomi
K
Tsuyuki
Woodwater Center for Healing, 8 Nicanor Reyes St, Loyola Heights, Quezon City, Philippines.
Gerlita
G
Condino-Enrera
Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of the Philippines, Manila, Rizal Hall, Padre Faura Street, Ermita, Manila, Philippines.
Laufred I
LI
Hernandez
College of Arts and Science and College of Public Health, University of the Philippines, Manila, Rizal Hall, Padre Faura Street, Ermita, Manila, Philippines.
Nymia Pimentel
NP
Simbulan
Department of Medicine/Division of Global Public Health, Center on Gender Equity and Health, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0507, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0507, USA.
Anita
A
Raj
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006806:Human Rights; D006801:Humans; D010679:Philippines; D010865:Pilot Projects; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D060386:Sex Workers; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult
Community mobilization; Empowerment; HIV/AIDS; Human rights; Men who have sex with men (MSM), female sex workers; Sex work; Trafficking; Transactional sex; Violence