Integrated Biological and Behavioral Surveillance (IBBS) Survey among Female Sex Workers in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal Round IV- 2011

Abstract

This is the fourth round of the IBBS survey conducted among 593 Female Sex Workers (FSWs) - of whom 355 were establishment-based and 238 street-based. The survey covered the entire Kathmandu Valley, including the Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Lalitpur districts. The fieldwork for the survey was carried out from January 16 to March 6, 2011. The survey was undertaken primarily to track the trend of HIV infection and syphilis in FSWs and to understand sexual behaviors among FSWs in the Kathmandu Valley. Information on the socio-demographic, sexual behavior, pregnancy history and use of family planning devices, drug use and exposure to STI/HIV/AIDS awareness programs was collected through a structured questionnaire, while the prevalence of HIV and syphilis was tested via blood samples. Syphilis was tested using the Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) test card. HIV was detected by using the Determine HIV 1/2 test as a first test to detect antibodies against HIV, the Uni-Gold test as a second test, and the SD Bioline HIV 1/2 test as a tie breaker test as per the VCT guideline of National Centre for AIDS and STD Control (NCASC).