abstract: 'Introduction: Cisgender and transgender woman sex workers (CWSWs and

  TWSWs, respectively) are key populations in Malaysia with higher

  HIV-prevalence than that of the general population. Given the impact

  economic instability can have on HIV transmission in these populations,

  novel HIV prevention interventions that reduce poverty may reduce HIV

  incidence and improve linkage and retention to care for those already

  living with HIV. We examine the feasibility of a microfinance-based HIV

  prevention intervention among CWSW and TWSWs in Greater Kuala Lumpur,

  Malaysia.

  Methods: We conducted 35 in-depth interviews to examine the

  acceptability of a microfinance-based HIV prevention intervention,

  focusing on: (1) participants'' readiness to engage in other occupations

  and the types of jobs in which they were interested in; (2) their level

  of interest in the components of the potential intervention, including

  training on financial literacy and vocational education; and (3)

  possible barriers and facilitators to the successful completion of the

  intervention. Using grounded theory as a framework of analysis,

  transcripts were analysed through Nvivo 11.

  Results: Participants were on average 41 years old, slightly less than

  half (48\%) were married, and more than half (52\%) identified as

  Muslim. Participants express high motivation to seek employment in other

  professions as they perceived sex work as not a ``proper job{''''} with

  opportunities for career growth but rather as a short-term option

  offering an unstable form of income. Participants wanted to develop

  their own small enterprise. Most participants expressed a high level of

  interest in microfinance intervention and training to enable them to

  enter a new profession. Possible barriers to intervention participation

  included time, stigma, and a lack of resources.

  Conclusion: Findings indicate that a microfinance intervention is

  acceptable and desirable for CWSWs and TWSWs in urban Malaysian contexts

  as participants reported that they were ready to engage in alternative

  forms of income generation.'
affiliation: 'Wickersham, JA (Corresponding Author), Yale Univ, Sch Med, Dept Internal
  Med, Sect Infect Dis,AIDS Program, New Haven, CT 06510 USA.

  Lall, Priya; Saifi, Rumana; Azmi, Nuruljannah Nor; Pillai, Veena; Kamarulzaman,
  Adeeba; Wickersham, Jeffrey A., Univ Malaya, Dept Med, Fac Med, Ctr Excellence Res
  AIDS, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

  Shaw, Stacey A., Brigham Young Univ, Dept Social Work, Provo, UT 84602 USA.

  Sherman, Susan G., Johns Hopkins Univ, Sch Publ Hlth, Dept Hlth Behav \& Soc, Baltimore,
  MD USA.

  El-Bassel, Nabila, Columbia Univ, Sch Social Work, Social Intervent Grp, New York,
  NY USA.

  Kamarulzaman, Adeeba; Wickersham, Jeffrey A., Yale Univ, Sch Med, Dept Internal
  Med, Sect Infect Dis,AIDS Program, New Haven, CT 06510 USA.'
article-number: '21723'
author: Lall, Priya and Shaw, Stacey A. and Saifi, Rumana and Sherman, Susan G. and
  Azmi, Nuruljannah Nor and Pillai, Veena and El-Bassel, Nabila and Kamarulzaman,
  Adeeba and Wickersham, Jeffrey A.
author-email: jeffrey.wickersham@yale.edu
author_list:
- family: Lall
  given: Priya
- family: Shaw
  given: Stacey A.
- family: Saifi
  given: Rumana
- family: Sherman
  given: Susan G.
- family: Azmi
  given: Nuruljannah Nor
- family: Pillai
  given: Veena
- family: El-Bassel
  given: Nabila
- family: Kamarulzaman
  given: Adeeba
- family: Wickersham
  given: Jeffrey A.
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.7448/IAS.20.1.21723
eissn: 1758-2652
files: []
journal: JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL AIDS SOCIETY
keywords: HIV; transgender women; cisgender women; sex work; microfinance
keywords-plus: 'HIV RISK BEHAVIOR; DRUG-USE; INJECT DRUGS; MAK-NYAH; PREVENTION; HEALTH;

  PREVALENCE; CHALLENGES; VALIDITY; PEOPLE'
language: English
month: AUG 2
number-of-cited-references: '47'
orcid-numbers: 'SAIFI, RUMANA AKHTER/0000-0001-9114-4728

  Lall, Priya/0000-0002-5313-4278'
papis_id: 22e1894aa7107d2560dc32c6fba37cc5
ref: Lall2017acceptabilitymicrofi
researcherid-numbers: 'SAIFI, RUMANA AKHTER/HPD-8522-2023

  '
times-cited: '12'
title: Acceptability of a microfinance-based empowerment intervention for transgender
  and cisgender women sex workers in Greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
type: article
unique-id: WOS:000407295600001
usage-count-last-180-days: '0'
usage-count-since-2013: '28'
volume: '20'
web-of-science-categories: Immunology; Infectious Diseases
year: '2017'