STI Prevention Program for Entertainment Establishments in Singapore

The investigators aim to assess the efficacy of a multi-component intervention on condom use and sexually transmitted infection (STIs) in female entertainment workers and men frequenting entertainment establishments (EEs), using a quasi-experimental design. Joo Chiat and Golden Mile Complex will be selected purposively as control cluster sites (n=220) with follow-up of entertainment workers at 6 weeks. The same sites will be used as intervention sites after a 3-months 'wash out' period. Self-reported condom use, vaginal swab samples for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for cervical gonorrhoea and chlamydia infections, and throat swabs for culture for pharyngeal gonorrhoea will be assessed. Clark Quay will be the intervention venue for the heterosexual men while Tanjong Pagar will be the equivalent control site. Using time location sampling, cross-sectional samples of men patronising these establishments will be assessed on self-reported condom use at baseline (n=600) and 6 months after the intervention (n=400) in both intervention and control groups.

BACKGROUND:

Globalisation has led to an influx of women from surrounding Asian countries with high prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) to work in entertainment establishments (EEs) in Singapore. Men frequenting EEs reported high levels of unprotected sex with commercial and casual partners.

OBJECTIVES:

The aim is to assess the efficacy of a multi-component intervention on STI prevention and condom use in female entertainment workers and men frequenting EEs in Singapore, using a quasi-experimental design. The hypothesis is that a comprehensive sexual health promotion program which incorporates behavioural (STI/HIV education, condom use and condom negotiation skills), biomedical (STI screening and treatment services) and structural components (free access to condoms) to female entertainment workers as well as behavioural (sexual well-being and safe sex edutainment) and structural (free access to condoms) interventions to men patronising EEs in Singapore will achieve an increase in condom use (for both target groups) and a reduction in incident STIs (only for female EE workers).

METHODS:

Female EE workers:

Joo Chiat and Golden Mile Complex will be selected purposively as control cluster sites with 220 entertainment workers being recruited and followed up at 6 weeks. The same sites will be used as intervention sites with recruitment of a separate sample of 220 participants after a 3-months' 'wash out' period to ensure comparability. Self-reported condom use, vaginal swab samples for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for cervical gonorrhoea and chlamydia infections, and throat swabs for culture for pharyngeal gonorrhoea will be assessed. The short follow-up period is because almost all of these women come to Singapore to work illegally on 1 to 2 months social visit passes.

Heterosexual men:

The investigators are unable to recruit heterosexual men from the same study sites of the female EE workers due to feasibility and safety considerations. Instead, Clark Quay will be selected purposively as the intervention site for the heterosexual men. Tanjong Pagar will be the equivalent control site. Using time location sampling, cross-sectional samples of men patronising these establishments will be assessed on self-reported condom use at baseline (n=600) and 6 months after the intervention (n=400) in both intervention and control groups.

MAIN OUTCOMES:

The primary outcomes for female EE workers are consistent condom use for vaginal sex with paid and casual partner respectively in the past 1 month and the secondary outcome is STI incidence. The primary outcomes for heterosexual men are condom use at last vaginal and oral sex respectively with casual partner in the past 6 months.

POSSIBLE APPLICATIONS:

The study will provide pertinent data for planning STI/HIV prevention programs for female entertainment workers and men patronising EEs in Singapore and the region.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

For female EE workers:

Female entertainment worker who is either a Vietnamese or Thai between the ages of 18 to 69 years old satisfying the 2 criteria:

(i) Planning to work for at least 6 weeks after the baseline survey in Singapore (ii) Have engaged in vagina, oral or anal sex with either a casual or paid male partner in the past month

The casual or paid male partner need not come from the EE that the female EE worker works in.

For heterosexual men:

Male resident who is either a Singapore Citizen or a Permanent Resident between the ages of 21 to 69 years satisfying the 2 criteria:

(i) Patronise the EEs in the site at least once in the past 6 months (ii) Have engaged in vagina, oral or anal sex with either a casual or paid female partner in the past 6 months

The casual or paid female partner need not come from the EEs in the site that the heterosexual man has patronised.

Exclusion Criteria:

For female EE workers in the intervention group only:

Female EE workers who have participated in the control group would be excluded from participating in the intervention group

For heterosexual men during the post-intervention survey of the control group only:

Heterosexual men from the control site who have patronised EEs in the intervention site or who have been exposed to the interventions in the past 6 months would be excluded from the post-intervention survey for the control group.

For heterosexual men during the post-intervention survey of the intervention group only:

Heterosexual men from the intervention site who have not been exposed to at least 1 of the 3 main activities of the intervention in the past 6 months would be excluded from the post-intervention survey for the intervention group.