Factors influencing HIV risk-taking behaviours amongst textile factory workers living with HIV in Lesotho

Abstract

With its number of employees ranging from 45,310 to 46,000, the textile and apparel industry is the main private sector employer of labour in Lesotho. It has been reported that a third (an estimated 34%) of these workers are living with HIV. There is perception that textile factory workers living with HIV (TFWLWH) in Lesotho indulge in HIV risk-taking behaviours. However, no study has yet investigated or documented factors that influence risk-taking behaviours amongst these workers. Transmitting the disease to others, treatment complications and death consequent to HIV reinfection are complications associated with HIV risk-taking behaviours by seropositive individuals. Using an in-depth, face-to-face, semi-structured interview, this study obtained the perspectives of ten factory workers from three randomly selected textile factories in Maseru, Lesotho on factors that influence HIV-risk taking behaviour amongst TFWLWH in Lesotho. Analysis of the comments given by workers revealed four core themes, namely, peer pressure, communication, cultural norms and societal norms. Determining the predictors of HIV risk-taking behaviours amongst these workers will inform both present and future interventions aimed at supporting textile factory workers living with HIV in Lesotho. This supports the need for continued research to identify HIV risk-taking behaviours by people living with HIV countrywide, to decrease the incidence of new infections and complications arising from reinfection.

Efficacy of HIV interventions among factory workers in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review

“…According to the United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in 2016, about 36.7 million people in the world were living with HIV/AIDS, 95% of whom were from LMICs [2]. Existing studies have shown that demographic characteristics which were associated with increased risk of HIV infection included low level of education [3], unprotected sex [4], and labor-intensive enterprise workers including factory workers [5,6].…”

Efficacy of HIV interventions among factory workers in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review

“…A cohort study in Ethiopia had shown that 8.5% of workers in factories were infected with HIV, with an incidence of 0.4 per 100 person-years [7]. According to a recent study in 2019, Lesotho national textile factory workers had a higher HIV infection rate than all adults in the country (42.7% vs 25%, P < 0.05) [6]. A cross-sectional study in 2016 in China had also showed that factory workers were found to be more HIV positive than students in blood donation activities (0.1% vs 0.03%, P < 0.01) [8].…”

“…According to the United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in 2016, about 36.7 million people in the world were living with HIV/AIDS, 95% of whom were from LMICs [2]. Existing studies have shown that demographic characteristics which were associated with increased risk of HIV infection included low level of education [3], sexual orientation, such as men who have sex with men (MSM) [4], and labor-intensive enterprise workers including factory workers [5,6].…”

Efficacy of HIV interventions among factory workers in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review

“…According to the United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in 2016, about 36.7 million people in the world were living with HIV/AIDS, 95% of whom were from LMICs [2]. Existing studies have shown that demographic characteristics which were associated with increased risk of HIV infection included low level of education [3], labor-intensive including factory workers [4,5], and sexual orientation, such as men who have sex with men (MSM) [6]. Available data indicated that more than 44% of factory workers had less than junior high school education and more than 40% of them had two or more sex partners in one year [7][8][9][10], which meant that factory workers were at high risk of HIV infection.…”

“…According to a recent study in 2019, a third of textile factory workers in Lesotho were living with HIV [5]. Various factors influence the susceptibility of factory workers to HIV.…”