Sexual Risk Behavior of Women in Entertainment Services, Vietnam

An increase in heterosexual HIV transmission is occurring in Vietnam, where women working in entertainment establishments as well as women in brothels may practice commercial sex. This study surveyed a cross-sectional sample of 500 women in entertainment services in the tourist city of Vung Tau in southern Vietnam in 1996. The mean age of the women was 24 years, 23% were married, and 266 (53%) reported sex during the last 12 months, of whom 70% were having multiple or casual partners (nonregular sex). Twenty-nine percent of married women were having extramarital relations; the mean number of partners during the last year was 22.5 among married women and 18.8 among unmarried women (range 2–360). The HIV prevalence among sexually active women was 0.5%. Factors associated with having more than 5 partners or nonregular sex included working in bars or coffee shops and having a high declared income (>100 USD/month), even though many received no official salary. It is likely that many of these women are practicing commercial sex. Despite the difficulty of access, these women must be targeted for condom promotion and HIV prevention services.