Abstract
BackgroundDespite great achievements in reducing the prevalence of HIV, eliminating new HIV infections remains a challenge in Cambodia. Entertainment venues such as restaurants, karaoke bars, beer gardens, cafes, pubs, and massage parlors are now considered important venues for HIV prevention efforts and other health outreach interventions.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to explore phone use and texting practices of female entertainment workers (FEWs) in order to determine if text messaging is a feasible and acceptable way to link FEWs to health services.MethodsThis cross-sectional phone survey was conducted in May 2015 with 97 FEWs aged 18–35 years and currently working at an entertainment venue in Phnom Penh.ResultsOf the 96 respondents, 51% reported sending text messages daily; of them, 47% used Khmer script and 45% used Romanized Khmer. Younger FEWs were more likely to report daily texting (P<.001). Most FEWs (98%) in this study reported feeling comfortable receiving private health messages despite the fact that 39% were sharing their phone with others. Younger FEWs were less likely to share their phone with others (P=.02). Of all of the FEWs, 47% reported owning a smartphone, and younger women were more likely to own a smartphone than were older women (P=.08).ConclusionsThe findings from this study support the development of mHealth interventions targeting high-risk groups in urban areas of Cambodia. Our data suggest that mHealth interventions using texting may be a feasible way of reaching FEWs in Phnom Penh.
Highlights
When countries gathered in New York at the beginning of this century to articulate a new development agenda, one of the most momentous steps they took was to elevate health on the global development agenda
The pledges made by countries in the 2011 UN Political Declaration include specific improvements in health outcomes (e.g. 50% reductions in both sexual and drug-related HIV and the transmission, elimination of new HIV infections among children); coverage and resource targets; elimination targets; and steps to ensure the sustainability of the response
As a result of sustained progress in meeting the needs of tuberculosis patients living with HIV, the world is within reach of achieving the 2015 target of reducing by 50% tuberculosis-related deaths among people living with HIV
Summary
When countries gathered in New York at the beginning of this century to articulate a new development agenda, one of the most momentous steps they took was to elevate health on the global development agenda. Determined to build on prior gains in reducing new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths, and looking forwards to the eventual end of the AIDS epidemic, they endorsed the 2011 UN Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS, which set forth a series of ambitious targets and elimination commitments for 2015. FIGURE A Numbers of people living with HIV, new HIV infections, and AIDS deaths, 2001-2012, globally. Momentum accelerated in 2012 towards the scale-up of one such biomedical intervention – voluntary medical male circumcision
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