To gain insights into bridging behaviors and their correlates among male clients of female sex workers FSWs. Participants underwent interviews and testing for HIV, chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea.
Compared to other clients, bridgers were more likely to use drugs during sex with FSWs Sensation-seeking clients who use drugs during sex and coerce FSWs into unprotected sex may be less responsive to standard risk reduction interventions. Interventions are needed that target clients rather than rely on FSWs to change behaviors that may not be under their control.
A series of linked bridges may begin with a male client or steady partner who infects an FSW, who then infects another male client, who in turn infects his wife or girlfriend.
A few studies provide evidence for such sequences. In Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar, the generalization of HIV was driven primarily by clients of FSWs, whose social networks were the source of increased prevalence in the general community. In light of the potential importance of bridging behavior, this study aimed to estimate the frequency of bridging behavior among male clients and to gain insights into the correlates of that behavior.
Outreach workers contacted clients in bars, brothels, or on the street. Pre- and post-test counseling were provided, as were referrals for medical care for those testing positive. Participants were asked about socio-demographic factors and about the frequency of unprotected vaginal, oral, and anal sex over the past four months with FSWs and with their spouses or steady partners.
