OBJECTIVES:
Although antiretroviral therapy (ART) prolongs life and reduces infectiousness, in some contexts, it has been associated with increased sexual risk taking.
DESIGN:
Retrospective case-control study.
SETTING:
Nairobi-based dedicated female sex worker (FSW) clinic.
PARTICIPANTS:
HIV-infected FSWs before and after ART initiation (n=62); HIV-infected and -uninfected control FSWs not starting ART during the same follow-up period (n=40).
INTERVENTION:
Initiation of ART.
PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES:
Self-reported condom use, client numbers and sexually transmitted infection incidence over the study period (before and after ART initiation in cases).
RESULTS:
Sexual risk-taking behaviour with casual clients did not increase after ART initiation; condom use increased and sexually transmitted infection incidence decreased in both cases and controls, likely due to successful cohort-wide HIV prevention efforts.
CONCLUSIONS:
ART provision was not associated with increases in unsafe sex in this FSW population.