POWER RCT dataset

This dataset contains the survey responses and biomarker data for 3 waves of the POWER RCT titled: "Protecting Women from Economic shocks to fight HIV in Africa (POWER)". It contains 2,909 observations from 1,147 respondents stratified almost equally between women engaged in commercial and transactional sex.The main research hypothesis is that women who engage in transactional and commercial sex in Africa use risky sex as a way to cope for economic shocks. Providing health insurance to themselves and their economic dependents is effective to reduce risky sexual behaviours, and prevent STIs and HIV infection among women and girls who engage in commercial and transactional sex. The general objective of this research is to understand explore the role of economic shocks (e.g.,illness, COVID-19) as a driver of heightened vulnerability of women to HIV in order to inform the design of novel public heath interventions to tackle STIs and HIV. The RCT aims to estimate the effectiveness of health insurance for high-risk women and their economic dependents as a strategy to prevent STI and HIV. The POWER project addresses important gaps in the current literature by answering to the following research questions:- What is the role of economic shocks on STIs and HIV?- How do economic shocks affect STIs and HIV?- What is the effect of health insurance as a risk-coping strategy to reduce risky sexual behaviours, STIs and HIV?</p

Access to HIV Services at Non-Governmental and Community-Based Organizations among Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in Cameroon: An Integrated Biological and Behavioral Surveillance Analysis

<div><p>Background</p><p>Men who have sex with men (MSM) are more likely to be living with HIV than other adult men in low- and middle-income countries. MSM experience barriers to accessing HIV services including a lack of available specialized care, and community-level stigma and discrimination. This study aims to examine the uptake of HIV services at non-governmental and community-based organizations (NGOs/CBOs) to identify ways to improve coverage of HIV prevention and treatment among MSM.</p><p>Methods</p><p>An Integrated Biological and Behavioral Surveillance (IBBS) survey was conducted in Yaoundé and Douala, Cameroon in 2011 using the respondent driven sampling (RDS) method to recruit and interview 239 MSM in Yaoundé and 272 MSM in Douala.</p><p>Results</p><p>MSM in Yaoundé were statistically significantly more likely to have accessed NGO/CBO services or been reached by an outreach worker in the past 12 months if they had any STI symptoms (aOR 2.17 CI 1.02-4.59. p=0.04), or if they had a larger MSM social network (aOR 1.02 CI 1.01-1.04. p<0.01). MSM in Douala were more likely to have accessed NGO/CBO services or been reached by an outreach worker in the past 12 months if they were living with HIV (aOR 3.60 CI 1.35-9.60. p=0.01), or if they reported higher numbers of male sexual partners (aOR 1.17 CI 1.00-1.36. p=0.046). Compared to men in Douala, MSM in Yaoundé were significantly less likely to have accessed NGO/CBO services or been reached by an outreach worker in the past 12 months (aOR 0.22 CI 0 .14-0.34. p=<0.01).</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>With appropriate funding and resources, community-based organizations that provide care specifically for MSM can improve access to HIV prevention, treatment, and care services. Additionally, using social networks to reach MSM can connect greater numbers of the population to effective HIV interventions, which will improve health outcomes and decrease onward transmission of HIV.</p></div

Characteristics of MSM recruited from Douala (N = 272) and Yaoundé (N = 239), 2011.

<p>Data on factors associated with HIV infection and prior HIV testing are available in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0122881#pone.0122881.s001" target="_blank">S1</a> and <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0122881#pone.0122881.s002" target="_blank">S2</a> Files.</p><p>Characteristics of MSM recruited from Douala (N = 272) and Yaoundé (N = 239), 2011.</p

Bivariate and multivariate models of the correlates of access to NGO/CBO services and outreach among MSM in Yaoundé (N = 239), 2011.

<p>Abbreviations: RDS, respondent driven sampling; OR, odds ratio; aOR, adjusted odds ratio; CI, confidence interval.</p><p>Adjusted odds ratio model includes all variables listed in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0122881#pone.0122881.t002" target="_blank">Table 2</a> except history of HIV testing.</p><p>*Overall Wald test p-value for categorical variables calculated using testparm.</p><p>Bivariate and multivariate models of the correlates of access to NGO/CBO services and outreach among MSM in Yaoundé (N = 239), 2011.</p

Bivariate and multivariate models of the correlates of access to NGO/CBO services and outreach among MSM in Douala (N = 272), 2011.

<p>Abbreviations: RDS, respondent driven sampling; OR, odds ratio; aOR, adjusted odds ratio; CI, confidence interval.</p><p>Adjusted odds ratio model includes all variables listed in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0122881#pone.0122881.t003" target="_blank">Table 3</a> except history of HIV testing.</p><p>*Overall Wald test p-value for categorical variables calculated using testparm.</p><p>Bivariate and multivariate models of the correlates of access to NGO/CBO services and outreach among MSM in Douala (N = 272), 2011.</p