HIV Regimen Knowledge and Practice among Female Sex Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Haiwa Simeon Bijida , Hedima Erick Wesley , Kalu Beatrice Arunsi 
Published: June 2024

Female sex workers (FSWs) living with HIV are prone to other health problems that may result from the disease, sex work or antiretroviral medicines. These individuals experience other psychosocial aspects of the illness, which may negatively affect their quality of life and overall treatment outcomes. This study assessed the HIV regimen knowledge and practices among female sex workers living with HIV. This cross-sectional study included 244 Female sex workers who had been on combined antiretroviral therapy for at least a year at the Society for Family Health (SFH) clinic, Mubi, Nigeria. The study instruments employed in this study were pretested for reliability while HIV regimen knowledge was categorised in to good (80–100), fair (60–79) or poor (< 60) according to the Blooms cut-off points, finally HIV regimen practice was grouped in to; good or poor (Scores below the median were classified as good practice while those above the median were termed to have poor regimen practice. Chi square test was applied to identify factors, if any, and that may explain association of HIV regimen knowledge and practice with sociodemographic data while binary logistic regression analysis was carried out to determine predictors of HIV regimen knowledge. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant (95% Confidence Interval). In this study, majority of the patients 140 (57.4) were between the ages of 25–35 and were less than 3 years on ART 98 (40.2), and were involved in the use of other substances 103 (42.2). Nearly all of the population (96.7%) were on tenofovir/lamivudine/dolutegravir regimen. Additionally, more than two-third of the population had suppressed viral load 214 (87.7%) and had disclosed their HIV status 126 (51.6%). More than half of the FSWs 142 (58.1%) had good HIV regimen knowledge and was was influenced by patient age (p < 0.001), age at commencement of sex work (p < 0.001), educational status (p < 0.001), marital status (p = 0.002), use of substance (p = 0.018), HIV regimen (p = 0.03), history of tuberculosis (p = 0.004), virological status (p = 0.02) and HIV disclosure status (p = 0.046). This study also revealed years on ART (p = 0.04; AOR 0.29; 95% CI 0.13–0.67), age at HIV diagnosis of 21 - < 30 (p = 0.02; AOR 0.33; 95% CI; 0.12–0.86) formal education (p = 0.04; AOR 0.35; 95% CI 0.13– 0.99), married FSWs (p < 0.005; AOR 0.17; 95% CI 0.06–0.44), cigarette use (p = 0.009; AOR 0.28; 95% CI; 0.1–0.73) and FSWs without tuberculosis infection at ART initiation (p < 0.005; AOR 7.3; 95% CI 2.82–19.25) were independent predictors of good HIV regimen knowledge. Additionally, patient age (p = 0.02), years on ART (p = 0.04), age at diagnosis (p = 0.015), educational status (p = 0.01), marital status (p = 0.006), ART regimen (p = 0.009) and virologic status (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with good HIV regimen practice. Findings from this study revealed that majority of the study population were having a good knowledge of their HIV regimen which was influenced by age, years on antiretroviral medicine, age at diagnosis and commencement of sex work and educational status. While the HIV regimen practice is influenced by patient regimen, marital and virological statuses.