Fiscalina Amadora-Nolasco, René E. Alburo, Elmira Judy T. Aguilar, Wenda R. Trevathan
The HIV infection rate is lower in the Philippines than would be expected based on the numbers of people believed to engage in high-risk behaviors. A national behavioral surveillance system has been implemented to monitor selected behaviors among vulnerable populations. This paper reports on an interview survey of 360 registered and 360 freelance sex workers in Cebu City, the Philippines, from 1997 to 1999. All of the women had engaged in sexual activity in exchange for money during the week preceding the interview. The freelance workers reported more sexual partners than the registered sex workers (p < .00001), assessed themselves as more at risk for HIV (p < .00001), and were less likely to always use condoms during sex (p < .00001). The groups were comparable on a measure of knowledge about HIV transmission. As these women continue to engage in risky behaviors, some form of intervention will be necessary to prevent the escalating HIV/AIDS rates seen in other Southeast Asian countries.
Social Science Research Center, University of San Carlos, Cebu, Philippines; Department of Sociology and Anthropology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, United States
