Prevalence of HIV and sexually transmitted infections among young women engaged in sex work aboard foreign fishing vessels in Kiribati

Chlamydial and gonorrheal neglected sexually transmitted diseases among Pacific Islanders of the Western Pacific Region-A narrative review and call to action

The Pacific Island countries of the Western Pacific Region have some of the highest rates of sexually transmitted Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections in the world. Despite this, there are few research studies that include Pacific Islanders. We conducted a narrative review of original research and surveys, including World Health Organization and Pacific Community reports, to determine the prevalence, management, and treatment of C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae compared to HIV and syphilis from 1980 to 2022. Available epidemiologic data on C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae indicated an extremely high prevalence-approximately 30% and 13%, respectively-among Pacific Islanders during this timeframe. These neglected sexually transmitted infections represent a significant burden and health disparity. Robust epidemiologic research is needed to identify modifiable risk factors for designing interventions and control strategies. Appropriate policies along with regional and international advocacy and aid are required to improve reproductive health among these vulnerable, understudied populations to avert preventable infections and sequelae.

A syndemic of psychosocial and mental health problems in Liberia: Examining the link to transactional sex among young pregnant women

Transactional sex may be a driver of the rising HIV epidemic in Liberia, especially among young women. The goal of this study was to explore the independent and additive effects of psychosocial conditions on engagement in transactional sex among 191 pregnant women in Monrovia, Liberia. Between March and August 2016, women receiving prenatal services completed a cross-sectional structured questionnaire. These data were used to examine the independent and additive effects of exposure to trauma, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, and intimate partner violence on transactional sex. Overall, the results are in support of our hypothesis that these psychosocial conditions cluster together and are independently associated with transactional sex. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated an additive effect of the number of psychosocial conditions experienced on transactional sex. Women experiencing 2 psychosocial conditions had 5.96 greater odds of engaging in transactional sex compared to women reporting 0 conditions (AOR: 5.96, 95% CI: 2.22-15.99), and women experiencing 3 or 4 psychosocial conditions had 11.91 greater odds of engaging in transactional sex compared to women report 0 conditions (AOR: 11.91, 95% CI: 4.12-34.45). Our results demonstrate the need for comprehensive HIV prevention programming inclusive of mental health support and IPV prevention for Liberian women.