17th International AIDS Conference Mexico City, Mexico - August 13 - 18, 2008

EMPOWERING SEX WORKERS IN MUSLIM COMMUNITIES: SOME EVIDENCE FROM A COMMUNITY-LEVEL HIV PREVENTION PROGRAMME IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

Int Conf AIDS. 2008 Aug 13-18;17 Abstract No. MOAD0103

N.M. Ibrahim, H. Alhamdu, S. Da’u, M. Chindo
Society for Family Health, Abuja, Nigeria

ISSUES: Poverty, cultural impediments such as early marriage, rampant cases of divorce and low literacy levels among women in Northern Nigeria, increase their vulnerability to STIs and HIV. Young women thus find their way into sex work with its consequent risks of HIV infection and unplanned pregnancies. Women’s low self esteem and the conservative nature of the society exacerbate gender inequalities.

DESCRIPTION: The objective of the intervention was to engender an enabling environment for healthy sexual behaviour through sustained community effort. The site was Dabinai, in Northern Nigeria, and the intervention used was the Peer Education Plus (PEP) model, an evidence based and theory driven approach to HIV prevention developed by Society for Family Health and ActionAid Nigeria. The project involved working with community influencers to remove barriers to behaviour change. Female sex workers were selected and trained as peer educators who engaged their peers in sessions using the PEP manual. A unique feature of the intervention was the facilitation of emergence of community based organizations to continue activities after the exit of the main project facilitators.

LESSONS LEARNED: Participatory monitoring and evaluation showed an increase in condom use, desire for HIV testing, reduction in stigma and discrimination and enhanced self esteem. Another key finding was the fact that even in a small community; people were motivated to be involved in HIV prevention, including the establishment of community drama groups to address the cultural and societal barriers to healthy sexual behaviors. Through social marketing, safer sex products were introduced, boosting the incomes of sex workers, who were used as sales vendors.

NEXT STEPS: This intervention can be successfully scaled up using the PEP model for replication in similar sex workers communities in sub Saharan Africa.

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2008-08-13
MOAD0103

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