Journal of AIDS & Clinical Research

Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs and Practices on HIV/AIDS among Boatmen on the Maroni River: A Neglected Bridging Group?

Abstract

Emilie Gaubert-Marechal, Anne Jolivet, Astrid Van-Melle, Marie-Claire Parriault, Marie-Claire Parriault, Celia Basurko, Antoine Adenis, Mathieu Hanf, Vincent Vantilcke, Sandrine Halfen, Pierre Couppie and Mathieu Nacher

In French Guiana, the prevalence of HIV among pregnant women along the Maroni river, has risen from 0 to over 1% in the 1990’s. Despite this sharp increase, no behavioural surveillance study has ever taken place in this border region. The present study showed that an important proportion of boatmen have risky sexual behaviour. These results underline the importance of targeting prevention interventions on this population that is not currently receiving specific HIV prevention messages.