Brief One-on-One Counseling Helps Reduce High Risk Behavior Among Sex Workers

By Kenny Goldberg / Health Reporter, KPBS Public Broadcasting

Published September 17, 2008 at 11:59 AM PDT

This story was published more than 15 years ago.

Researchers at U-C-S-D say brief one-on-one counseling sessions can reduce the rate of risky behavior among female sex workers in Mexico. Researchers say the method was successful in lowering the rate

Researchers at UCSD say brief one-on-one counseling sessions can reduce the rate of risky behavior among female sex workers in Mexico. Researchers say the method was successful in lowering the rate of sexually transmitted diseases by 40 percent. KPBS Reporter Kenny Goldberg has more.

The study involved 924 female sex workers in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez. Half of the women got information on HIV prevention and testing. The others got a counseling session with a specially trained healthcare worker.

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UCSD's Dr. Tom Patterson led the research team. He says the session takes just 30 minutes.

Dr. Tom Patterson : We are asking the sex worker about her unique problems, and having her problem solve right there on the spot, as opposed to just lecturing to them.

Patterson says counselors help women identify behaviors that put them at risk. He says it's an inexpensive way to reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

Kenny Goldberg, KPBS News.