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

Abstract : 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.