Integrated biological and behavioral surveillance survey (IBBS) among female sex workers in 22 Terai Highway districts of Nepal

A total of 600 female sex workers (FSW) were recruited for the study. 400 were recruited from six study sites representing 16 districts between Jhapa in the eastern region and Rupandehi in the western region along the highway in the Terai. Another 200 were recruited from three sites representing six districts between Kapilvastu in the western region and Kanchanpur in the far western region. Data for the study were collected from February 28, 2009 to April 25, 2009. The survey measured the prevalence of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI) among the FSWs as well as variables which are associated with the risk of HIV infection, such as condom use, sexual behaviors, knowledge of HIV/AIDS, reported cases of sexually transmitted infections, STI treatment behaviors, exposure to HIV/AIDS messages, and alcohol and drug habits. A section on family planning and the female condom, which was not part of the earlier rounds of the IBBS, was one of the vital components of the 2009 round. One of the major purposes of the study was also to compare differences in behavior between 2003, 2006 and 2009. The primary objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of HIV and sexually transmitted infections among female sex workers in the 22 Terai highway districts and to assess their HIV/STI-related knowledge and risk behaviors. (Author abstract, modified)