The prevalence of HIV and syphilis among middle and high-fee female sex workers (FSWs) has been widely reported but little is known among low-fee FSWs. This study aims to determine the prevalence and associated factors of HIV and syphilis among low-fee FSWs in China.

In China, clients of female sex workers (CFSWs) have a low rate of condom use and a high prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, little is known about the high-risk sexual behaviors of HIV-positive CFSWs. In 2014, 327 CFSWs diagnosed with HIV for 6 months or longer completed a face-to-face questionnaire for a quantitative survey. In addition, 32 HIV-positive CFSWs were recruited to participate in in-depth interviews (18 participated in both, 14 participated in-depth interviews only) to explore reasons for extramarital sexual behaviors and inconsistent condom use. The quantitative data on sexual risk behaviors were analyzed using chi-square tests. Interviews were coded inductively for emerging themes. Among the participants of the quantitative survey, 41.6% (136/327) had sex with regular sexual partners only in the past 6 months, of whom 64.0% (87/136) had consistent condom use; 27.5% (90/327) of the participants had sex with irregular sexual partners in the past 6 months, of which, 46.7% (42/90) had consistent condom use. The qualitative study suggested that HIV positive sero-status, willingness to protect their spouses or regular sexual partners, and lacking a sense of responsibility to protect their commercial and casual sexual partners, influence CFSWs’ sexual behaviors. HIV-positive CFSWs continue to practice unsafe sexual behaviors with regular and irregular partners after HIV diagnosis, but were more willing to protect their regular partners. Future interventions targeting HIV-positive CFSWs should not only be confined to sero-discordant couples, but also need to instill a sense of responsibility to protect the commercial and casual partners and reduce the number of concurrent partners.