Understanding Risk for HIV/STI Transmission and Acquisition within Non-Paying Partnerships of Female Sex Workers in Southern India

Known informally as the Lovers Study, this pilot investigates HIV risk within the complex relationships between female sex workers (FSW) and their non-paying partners (NPP). Interventions have been found to increase condom use between FSW and their paying clients, but much less is known about the risk of HIV acquisition or transmission in sex workers' intimate partnerships. Karnataka Health Promotion Trust (KHPT) was well placed to address this research gap, building on several years of multifaceted programming with sex workers.