Establishing a Dialogue with Stakeholders to Assess Sexual Practices among Women at Higher Risk for HIV Infection in Tabora, Tanzania

Background: There is an increased need for additional HIV prevention sites where dynamic biological and behavioral interventions can be implemented. In Tabora, Tanzania a cross-sectional descriptive study is underway to determine the feasibility of conducting future HIV prevention research with women at high risk in this setting.

Methods: Community mapping data from up to 2000 individuals is used to identify the venues where people meet new sex partners. Respondent Driven Sampling (RDS) is used to recruit 742 women at higher risk for HIV infection to answer an extensive behavioral survey focusing on: sexual risk behaviors, sexual partnership, experiences and attitudes toward family planning and willingness to participate in HIV prevention trials (e.g., microbicide and PrEP trials

Results: Community mapping identified over 200 venues in 12 sub-areas of the city (e.g., hotels, bars and “pombe” shops), which are being used to select “seed” participants for RDS. Reaction to the study by local leaders and citizens has been extremely positive. Mapping activities are being used to maintain an open dialogue between the study team and stakeholder groups.

Conclusion: Community mapping is a useful tool for identifying venues where people meet new sex partners. Also, these activities enable researchers to dialogue with relevant leaders within smaller units of a particular community. In combination with RDS, this approach may offer a viable alternative to traditional recruitment methods used to access hard to reach women at risk for HIV.