Sentinel surveillance of HIV/AIDS in female sex workers in Kecheng district of Quzhou city, Zhejiang province, 2011

Objective To understand the awareness of AIDS related knowledge, prevalence of AIDS-related risk behavior and HIV infection status in female sex workers (FSWs) in Kecheng district and provide evidence for AIDS prevention and control. Methods The sentinel surveillance data of HIV/AIDS in FSWs in Kecheng in 2011 were analyzed. Results The awareness rate of AIDS transmission routes in FSWs was 95.0%, the awareness rate of non-transmission routes of AIDS was 60.0%. The condom use rate in the latest commercial sex was 81.0%, and the condom use rate was 79.3% in each commercial sex in that month. The influential factors to AIDS knowledge awareness included residence length and education level; The influential factors to condom use included the grade of their working place, residence length, education level and age. The correlation coefficient of condom use rate in the latest commercial sex and the condom use rate in that month with AIDS related knowledge awareness were 0.350 and 0.344 respectively. No HIV infection was detected in the FSWs. Conclusion The awareness of non-transmission routes of AIDS in FSWs was low. More FSWs were willing to use condoms in commercial sex, but the condom use rate in each commercial sex was still low. Although the HIV infection level in FSWs is still low, but the risk factors which would facilitate HIV transmission do exist, It is necessary to strengthen the AIDS intervention in FSWs.