ArticleJournal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999)2020
Estimating the Population Size of Female Sex Workers in Zimbabwe: Comparison of Estimates Obtained Using Different Methods in Twenty Sites and Development of a National-Level Estimate.
Article in Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999), 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
21 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Aetiology of vaginal discharge, urethral discharge, and genital ulcer in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-regression.PLoS medicine · 2024Pooled it
- Estimating the Value of Novel Tests for Active Syphilis in Zimbabwe: How Much Overtreatment Can Be Avoided?Sexually transmitted diseases · 2026Article
- Appraising the HIV prevention cascade methodology to improve HIV prevention targets: Lessons learned from a general population pilot study in east Zimbabwe.PLOS global public health · 2026Article
- Decline in HIV prevalence among female sex workers in Zimbabwe between 2013 and 2023.Nature communications · 2025Article
- Cost-Effectiveness of Screening and Treating Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Zimbabwe.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- High Prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections and Poor Sensitivity and Specificity of Screening Algorithms for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Among Female Sex Workers in Zimbabwe: Analysis of Respondent-Driven Sampling Surveys in 3 Communities.Sexually transmitted diseases · 2025Article
- Provider costs of professional COVID-19 rapid antigen testing in low-income settings.PLOS global public health · 2025Article
- Cost-effectiveness of screening and treating alcohol use and depression among people living with HIV in Zimbabwe: a mathematical modeling study.BMC medicine · 2024Article
- Dynamic HIV risk differentiation among youth: Validation of a tool for prioritization of prevention in East Zimbabwe.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2024Article
- Population size, HIV prevalence, and antiretroviral therapy coverage among key populations in sub-Saharan Africa: collation and synthesis of survey data, 2010-23.The Lancet. Global health · 2024Article
- Using a Programme Science approach to substantially reduce the risk of HIV transmission and acquisition in sex transactions among female sex workers in Zimbabwe.Journal of the International AIDS Society · 2024Article
- Comparison of Empirically Derived and Model-Based Estimates of Key Population HIV Incidence and the Distribution of New Infections by Population Group in Sub-Saharan Africa.Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999) · 2024Article
- Violence Against Women Who Sell Sex in Eastern and Southern Africa: A Scoping Review.Trauma, violence & abuse · 2024Article
- Population size estimation of female sex workers using network scale-up method in Kermanshah city.BMC public health · 2023Article
- No increased HIV risk in general population near sex work sites: A nationally representative cross-sectional study in Zimbabwe.Tropical medicine & international health : TM & IH · 2022Article
- Estimation of HIV incidence from analysis of HIV prevalence patterns among female sex workers in Zimbabwe.AIDS (London, England) · 2022Article
- Article
- Comparative performance of multiple-list estimators of key population size.PLOS global public health · 2022Article
- Article
- Epidemiological profile and molecular genetic characterization of HIV-1 among female sex workers and elderly male clients in Guangxi, China.Emerging microbes & infections · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
24 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundNational-level population size estimates (PSEs) for hidden populations are required for HIV programming and modelling. Various estimation methods are available at the site-level, but it remains unclear which are optimal and how best to obtain national-level estimates.
settingZimbabwe.
methodsUsing 2015-2017 data from respondent-driven sampling (RDS) surveys among female sex workers (FSW) aged 18+ years, mappings, and program records, we calculated PSEs for each of the 20 sites across Zimbabwe, using up to 3 methods per site (service and unique object multipliers, census, and capture-recapture). We compared estimates from different methods, and calculated site medians. We estimated prevalence of sex work at each site using census data available on the number of 15-49-year-old women, generated a list of all "hotspot" sites for sex work nationally, and matched sites into strata in which the prevalence of sex work from sites with PSEs was applied to those without. Directly and indirectly estimated PSEs for all hotspot sites were summed to provide a national-level PSE, incorporating an adjustment accounting for sex work outside hotspots.
resultsMedian site PSEs ranged from 12,863 in Harare to 247 in a rural growth-point. Multiplier methods produced the highest PSEs. We identified 55 hotspots estimated to include 95% of all FSW. FSW nationally were estimated to number 40,491, 1.23% of women aged 15-49 years, (plausibility bounds 28,177-58,797, 0.86-1.79%, those under 18 considered sexually exploited minors).
conclusionThere are large numbers of FSW estimated in Zimbabwe. Uncertainty in population size estimation should be reflected in policy-making.
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