Objectives: To assess HIV knowledge, attitudes, sexual practices and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) service delivery in border areas of Tanzania, with a view to support the prioritisation of SRH interventions in border areas. Methods: The target sample comprised randomly selected people living near the border, aged 15 to 49 years. To gather information, we utilised: (i) a standardised questionnaire (n = 86; 42 men and 44 women) previously used in national household surveys conducted by the Tanzanian government; (ii) focus group discussions (ten male groups, n = 47; ten female groups, n = 51); and (iii) semi-structured interviews with service providers (n = 37). Results: The mean number of sexual partners, frequency of multiple concurrent partnerships and engagement in transactional sex were significantly higher in the border community than in the national population. Knowledge about HIV was comparable with that in the general population. Access to SRH services was limited in the border areas. Conclusion: Efforts to reduce HIV transmission and to improve SRH in the border areas should focus on gaps in service delivery rather than education and information activities alone. In addition, multi-sectorial efforts spanning the health, social, legal and private sectors addressing gender imbalances and poverty alleviation are imperative for reducing poverty-driven unsafe transactional sex. © 2014 The European Society of Contraception and Reproductive Health.

Tanzania Migration HIV reproductive health

information processing concurrent sexual partnership Reproduction household HIV Infections Medically Underserved Area health care planning sexual behavior Human immunodeficiency virus infection HIV education poverty human sexuality middle aged Sexual Partners health service sexual practice Cross-Sectional Studies attitude to illness Young Adult Reproductive Health Services cross-sectional study Humans psychology Adolescent male semi structured interview female questionnaire sexual health Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Article Questionnaires intervention study transactional sex migration adult health care access Tanzania government Reproductive Health Emigration and Immigration attitude to health Focus Groups health care delivery health survey