Enumeration of sex workers in the central business district of Nairobi, Kenya

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 8; no. 1; p. e54354
• Main Authors: Kimani, Joshua, McKinnon, Lyle R, Wachihi, Charles, Kusimba, Judith, Gakii, Gloria, Birir, Sarah, Muthui, Mercy, Kariri, Anthony, Muriuki, Festus K, Muraguri, Nicholas, Musyoki, Helgar, Ball, T Blake, Kaul, Rupert, Gelmon, Lawrence
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 25.01.2013; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; AIDS; Bars; Business districts; Capture-recapture studies; Central business districts; Clustering; Condoms; Confidence intervals; Dangerous Behavior; Disease transmission; Enumeration; Estimates; Female; Global positioning systems; GPS; Health education; Health Education - organization & administration; Health risks; HIV; HIV Infections - prevention & control; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Kenya; Male; Mapping; Metropolitan areas; Population; Populations; Prostitution; Public health; Roads & highways; Sex; Sex industry; Sex oriented businesses; Sex Workers - education; Sex Workers - statistics & numerical data; Sexually transmitted diseases; STD; Workers; Kenya; Nairobi Kenya
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054354

Accurate program planning for populations most at risk for HIV/STI acquisition requires knowledge of the size and location where these populations can best be reached. To obtain this information for sex workers operating at 137 hotspots in the central business district (CBD) in Nairobi, Kenya, we utilized a combined mapping and capture-recapture enumeration exercise. The majority of identified hotspots in this study were bars. Based on this exercise, we estimate that 6,904 male and female sex workers (95% confidence intervals, 6690 and 7118) were working nightly in the Nairobi CBD in April 2009. Wide ranges of captures per spot were obtained, suggesting that relatively few hot spots (18%) contain a relatively high proportion of the area's sex workers (65%). We provide geographic data including relatively short distances from hotspots to our dedicated sex worker outreach program in the CBD (mean<1 km), and clustering of hotspots within a relatively small area. Given the size covered and areas where sex work is likely taking place in Nairobi, the estimate is several times lower than what would be obtained if the entire metropolitan area was enumerated. These results have important practical and policy implications for enhancing HIV/STI prevention efforts.