Cochrane Summariesbeta

Independent high-quality evidence for health care decision making

Workplace interventions can reduce risky sexual behaviours among workers.

Ojo O, Verbeek JH, Rasanen K, Heikkinen J, Isotalo LK, Mngoma N, Ruotsalainen E
Published Online: 
December 7, 2011

We included eight studies with 11,164 participants but one study did not provide enough data to be useful. One study from Africa found a strong increase in uptake of Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) to 51% when delivered on-site which was 14 times more compared to a voucher for off-site testing. However, VCT did not change HIV incidence in one study among African factory workers. In another study among HongKong truck drivers, VCTdecreased self-reported sexually transmitted diseases (STD) but VCT did not decrease unprotected sex significantly. Education was studied among soldiers in Nigeria, Angola and the US, truck drivers in India and factory workers in Thailand.. Education that was modelled after a motivational theory reduced STDs with 32%, decreased unprotected sex with a small amount, reduced sex with a commercial sex worker with 12% but did not decrease the number of partners or the habit of using alcohol before sex.

We concluded that workplace interventions for preventing HIV are feasible and that it is possible to study them in a randomised controlled trial. Peer influence has a positive effect on VCT uptake and workplace interventions can change risky sexual behaviour to a moderate degree. More randomised trials are needed in high risk groups or in areas with high HIV prevalence to find more effective interventions.

Find the research