Challenges of Seeking HIV Testing Among Marginalized Populations in Iran: A Letter to the Editor

Despite the decreasing AIDS-related mortalities in several countries worldwide, an increasing trend of newly diagnosed HIV cases were found in many countries, including Iran over the past decade . In Iran, people living with HIV/AIDS often face stigma and discrimination across different healthcare settings . Voluntary HIV counseling and testing, as one of the most cost-effective strategies, have been widely used in HIV/AIDS prevention and control programs . In Iran, peoplewhoinject drugs (PWIDs) and female sex workers (FSWs) are the two main marginalized populations at the risk of HIV infection. These populations areknownas bridging groups in the transmission of HIV to the general population . Indeed, FSWs areknownto be a hard-to-reach population since they hide their identities in the conservative context of Iran . Although data on FSWs is relatively limited, an estimated overall HIV prevalence in Iranian FSWs was 4.5% in 2010 and FSWs do not seek testing at voluntary counseling and testing centers. Therefore, the number of FSWs receiving HIV rapid testing services at these centers has not been considerable .