2012/2013 Fellowship Program fellows

Investigating HIV-protective Behaviors among Armenian Female Sex Workers: Consistent Refusal of Unprotected Sex

Karine Markosyan’s research will focus on female sex workers in Armenia in order to understand the potential risks of a future HIV epidemic in the country. Although Armenia has a relatively low rate of HIV (0.1%), sex workers are a high-risk population for this virus. In particular, she will evaluate how frequently and consistently Armenian female sex workers refuse to provide unprotected sex to their male clients and the demographic, psychological, and behavioral predictors behind their refusal to engage in unprotected sex. She will use data from a study done in 2010 that interviewed 120 sex workers over the age of 18. Karine plans to publish her finalized report in a peer-reviewed journal and also disseminate it to relevant parties in Armenia.