PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Siddiqui, Anees ur Rehman
AU  - Qian, Han-Zhu
AU  - Altaf, Arshad
AU  - Cassell, Holly
AU  - Shah, Sharaf Ali
AU  - Vermund, Sten H
TI  - Condom use during commercial sex among clients of Hijra sex workers in Karachi, Pakistan (cross-sectional study)
AID  - 10.1136/bmjopen-2011-000154
DP  - 2011 Jan 01
TA  - BMJ Open
PG  - e000154
VI  - 1
IP  - 2
4099  - http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/1/2/e000154.short
4100  - http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/1/2/e000154.full
SO  - BMJ Open2011 Jan 01; 1
AB  - Objective To describe the prevalence and predictors of condom use and sexual risk in the male clients of Hijra sex workers (HSWs) in Karachi, Pakistan.Design Cross-sectional study.Setting Karachi, Pakistan.Participants Clients of HSWs were recruited with assistance from HSWs and a non-governmental organisation (NGO) focused on men who have sex with men (MSM) during October–November 2010.Measurements The interviewer administered the questionnaire to each participant to solicit information on demographics, HIV/AIDS knowledge/attitudes and sexual risk behaviours/practices, including condom use in the last sexual act with the HSW.Results Of the 203 participants, 42.4% reported that they used condoms during their last sexual act with HSW, 40% were married, 18% had ever used drugs or alcohol, and 52% reported also engaging with female sex workers in the last month. Casual HSW clients were more likely to use condoms than regular clients (adjusted OR (AOR), 2.50; 95% CI 1.34 to 4.65), as were persons with a higher education level (AOR 5.8; 95% CI 1.6 to 20.3). Drug/alcohol users and non-users were equally likely to use condoms (AOR 1.11; 95% CI 0.51 to 2.24).Conclusion Clients of HSWs in Pakistan are at risk of acquiring HIV/STI infections. Concerted efforts are needed to increase condom use in this key bridge population to curtail the spread of HIV in the general population.