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About the Authors:
Judite Langa
Affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Maputo, Mozambique
César Sousa
Affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique
Mohsin Sidat
Affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique
Karen Kroeger
Affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
Eleanor McLellan-Lemal
Affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
Hrishikesh Belani
Affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
Shama Patel
Affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
Daniel Shodell
Affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Maputo, Mozambique
Michael Shodell
* E-mail: [email protected]
Affiliation: Long Island University, New York, New York, United States of America
Irene Benech
Affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
Richard Needle
Affiliation: Office of the Global Aids Coordinator, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
Introduction
With a national Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevalence of 11.5% among individuals aged 15–49 years, Mozambique is one of the countries most affected by HIV/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) [1]. HIV prevalence in Mozambique is higher among women than men (13.1% vs. 9.2% respectively) and higher in urban than rural areas (15.9% vs. 9.2% respectively) [1]. The sheer magnitude of implementing prevention interventions and treatment among the general Mozambican population has made it difficult to focus on marginalized populations that may be at significantly higher risk of HIV infection, such as female commercial sex workers (CSW).
Mozambique lacks comprehensive data on the extent of commercial sex work and its importance in the HIV epidemic. The mean age of female sexual debut in Mozambique is 16.5, however 23.1% of females in the 15–19 age group and 26.7% of those in the 20–24 age group had sexual debut before the age of 15 years [1]. Early sexual debut is an established determinant for acquiring of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI) [2], [3]. The mean age for women first entering sex work in Mozambique is 17.8, with a range of 9–28 years [4]. In Mozambique there are no laws, legislation, or regulations that pertain to sex work, and CSW is not prohibited. However, female CSW still face stigma and discrimination,...