Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #117168

Diana Lara, MD, MS¹, Daniel Grossman, MD, FACOG¹, Sandra G. Garcia, ScM, ScD², Jhoanne Muñoz, MD³, Luis Moreno, BA⁴, Santo Rosario, BA⁵, and Bayardo Gomez, MD⁶. (1) Reproductive Health Program, Population Council, Panzacola 62-102, Col. Villa Coyoacán, Mexico, Mexico, 52-55-59998630, dlara@popcouncil.org.mx, (2) Director of Reproductive Health for Latin America and the Caribbean, Population Council, Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean - Mexico City, c/o One Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, New York, NY 10017, (3) Centro de Orientación e Investigación Integral, Calle 5 esquina calle 6, número 158. Barrio INVI, Santiago, Dominican Republic, (4) Departmen of Research and Program Evaluation., Centro de Orientación e Investigación Integral, Anibal de Espinoza 352, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, (5) Director, Centro de Orientación e investigación integral, Anibal Espinoza 52., Col. Villas Agrícolas, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, (6) CEPROSH, Calle John F. Kennedy No. 52, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

While male condoms can significantly reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STI), women are often unable to negotiate condom use with their partners due to power inequities in their relationships. Female sex workers are clearly at particularly high risk of acquiring both bacterial and viral STIs. Researchers have investigated methods to prevent STIs that are female-controlled and perhaps could be used either without the male partner's knowledge or with passive acquiescence. Use of these methods in high STI risk groups could be a useful tool to prevent STI transmission.

We are currently performing a qualitative study to document the perceptions, attitudes and barriers to use of female condoms and diaphragms as methods to prevent bacterial STIs in a population of sex workers in the Dominican Republic (DR). We are conducting ten in-depth interviews and six focus groups with sex workers located in two cities in the DR (Santiago and Puerto Plata) to obtain this information. We will also document prior experience with these methods and male condoms. This information will then be used to design a study to introduce the female condom in this population and to measure its acceptability, as well as that of the diaphragm. The findings of this study will be particularly useful to plan further intervention studies to increase barrier method use and reduce STI transmission among vulnerable populations.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to

• Describe the perceptions of female-controlled barrier methods in a population of sex workers in Dominican Republic.
• Identify barriers that can limit the use of barrier methods to prevent bacterial STIs.

Keywords: Sex Workers, STD Prevention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation