Sexual and addictive risk behaviors and sexually transmitted infections in illegal gold miners in French Guiana: A multicenter observational study

Objectives: Common representations of the world of gold mining-especially illegal-are usually negative: the activity conjures up images of drug trafficking, human exploitation, the sex trade, environmental destruction, and infectious diseases, in particular sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The aim of the present article is to describe the levels of risk behaviors such as transactional sex, multiple sexual partners, and the frequency of condom use, addictive substance consumption, and the prevalence of STIs among the population of illegal gold miners in French Guiana (FG), a French overseas entity in Amazonia, in order to guide potential interventions.Methods: An observational multicenter cross-sectional study was carried out from October to December 2019 along the two borders of FG with Suriname and Brazil at rest sites used by the miners.Results: Among the 499 participants, transactional sex was very prevalent, declared by 33.5% of men and 8.4% of women. Condoms were more frequently used for transactional sex than with a non-commercial partner (93.4% versus 42.1%). More women were tested for HIV than men (91.1% versus 55.2%). Excessive alcohol consumption (57.3%%) and tobacco use (41.2%) were very frequent, but cocaine or crack consumption was low (1.2%), which refuted our initial assumption. Consumers of alcohol had more sexual partners and reported condom use more frequently. Prevalence of HIV, HCV, HBV, and syphilis was respectively 0.5% (95% CI: 0.1-2.1), 2.1% (95% CI: 0.7-3.6), 1.6% (95% CI: 0.3-2.8), and 12.4% (95% CI: 9.0-15.7), which was higher than in the local population, especially for syphilis.Conclusion: This study documents for the first time the risk behaviors of gold miners in FG. Although the level of condom use was high, the prevalence of STIs combined with the high rate of transactional sex should encourage an increase in prevention and screening, in particular through rapid tests, given the mobility of the population concerned

Sexual and addictive behavior according to gender (N = 499).

Sexual and addictive behavior according to gender (N = 499).</p

Questionnaire used in the 2019 study in English and Portuguese (language used with the participants), origin of the questions, data collected, definitions, and modalities of the variables used in the analyses.

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Factors associated with transactional sex (univariate and multivariate analysis) (N = 453).

Factors associated with transactional sex (univariate and multivariate analysis) (N = 453).</p

Prevalence of HBC, HCV, HIV, and syphilis among illegal gold miners working in French Guiana in 2015 and 2019.

Prevalence of HBC, HCV, HIV, and syphilis among illegal gold miners working in French Guiana in 2015 and 2019.</p

Description of the cross-sectional study population, October-December 2019.

Description of the cross-sectional study population, October-December 2019.</p

Previous HIV test among the study population and the French Guianese population by sex and age.

Previous HIV test among the study population and the French Guianese population by sex and age.</p

Factors associated with condom use during the last sexual intercourse (N = 485).

Factors associated with condom use during the last sexual intercourse (N = 485).</p

High-risk exposure without personal protective equipment and infection with SARS-CoV-2 in-hospital workers - The CoV-CONTACT cohort.

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