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"Alcohol use has been suggested to interfere with condom use and to increase sexual risk behaviors," explained the study authors, noting limited data on the prevalence of this practice among female sex workers and its association with condom use and STD infection.In 2004 in Guangxi, China, 454 establishment-based female sex workers completed a baseline survey for data inclusion in an HIV prevention project. Investigators performed both global association and situational analysis using two measures of alcohol use (alcohol intoxication and consuming alcohol prior to sex with a client). Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to study the association of alcohol use with women's condom use and STDs.
During the previous six months, one-third of the women reported being intoxicated with alcohol at least once a month, and about 30 percent reported alcohol use prior to having sex with clients. Compared with women who did not use alcohol before engaging in client sex, women who did so reported significantly less condom use and higher rates of both current STD infection and a history of STDs. However, alcohol intoxication was not associated with condom use and STDs. The findings indicate event-specific rather than global associations of alcohol use with STDs and inconsistent condom use, the investigators noted.
"Alcohol use before commercial sex is associated with unprotected sex and increased risk for [STDs]. Interventions that address both alcohol use and HIV risk behaviors in the context of commercial sex may have a great impact on preventing the spread of HIV in China," concluded the authors.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
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