Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Correspondence to Dr Anees Siddiqui; asiddiqui09 hotmail. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial License, which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non commercial and is otherwise in compliance with the license.
To describe the prevalence and predictors of condom use and sexual risk in the male clients of Hijra sex workers HSWs in Karachi, Pakistan. Of the participants, Concerted efforts are needed to increase condom use in this key bridge population to curtail the spread of HIV in the general population.
Transmission of HIV from mother to infant is described but is not as common because men dominate the current Pakistani epidemic male:female ratio in reported cases. While IDU transmission has dominated Pakistani incidence since , 4 unprotected commercial sexual contacts, particularly commercial homosexual contacts, have become an increasing concern.
This drove commercial sex activities underground. The historic brothel-based pattern of commercial sex activities has been replaced by a diverse and dispersed pattern where sex workers women, men and transgenders sell sex in public spaces such as parks or streets, and even at their homes. Despite the context of a socially conservative Pakistani society, risky sexual behaviours are still prevalent.
Unprotected anal sex is estimated to pose a higher risk per coital act of transmitting HIV than vaginal sex. Although there are a few studies of HIV prevalence and risk behaviours among FSW and male sex workers in Pakistan, 3 5 13β15 there is no published research among clients of sex workers; and in South Asia as a whole, we have been unable to find a single peer-reviewed publication of research among HSW clients.
