Progress toward the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets among female sex workers and sexually exploited female adolescents in Juba and Nimule, South Sudan

Abstract

Background: Little is known about HIV in South Sudan and even less about HIV among female sex workers (FSW). We characterized progress towards UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets among female sex workers (FSW) and sexually exploited female adolescents in Juba and Nimule, South Sudan.

Methods: We conducted a biobehavioral survey of FSW and sexually exploited female adolescents using respondent-driven sampling (RDS) in Juba (November 2015-March 2016) and in Nimule (January-March 2017) to estimate achievements toward the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets (90% of HIV-positive individuals know their status; of these, 90% are receiving antiretroviral therapy [ART]; and of these, 90% are virally suppressed). Eligibility criteria were girls and women who were aged ≥15 years; spoke English, Juba Arabic, or Kiswahili; received money, goods, or services in exchange for sex in the past 6 months; and resided, worked, or socialized in the survey city for ≥1 month. Data were weighted for RDS methods.

Results: We sampled 838 FSW and sexually exploited female adolescents in Juba (HIV-positive, 333) and 409 in Nimule (HIV-positive, 108). Among HIV-positive FSW and sexually exploited female adolescents living in Juba, 74.8% self-reported being aware of their HIV status; of these, 73.3% self-reported being on ART; and of these, 62.2% were virally suppressed. In Nimule, 79.5% of FSW and sexually exploited female adolescents living with HIV self-reported being aware of their HIV status; of these, 62.9% self-reported being on ART; and of these, 75.7% were virally suppressed.

Conclusions: Although awareness of HIV status is the lowest of the 90-90-90 indicators in many countries, treatment uptake and viral suppression were lowest among FSW and sexually exploited female adolescents in South Sudan. Differentiated service delivery facilitate linkage to and retention on treatment in support of attainment of viral suppression.

Keywords: 90–90-90 targets; Female sex workers; HIV; Respondent-driven sampling; Sexually exploited minors; South Sudan.