Marseille 2007
| Abstract #242 - DETERMINANTS OF SAFE SEX PRACTICE AMONG BROTHEL BASED COMMERCIAL SEX WORKERS IN BANGLADESH | ||||
|
Session: 26.38: Posters B (Poster) on Tuesday in Chaired by Authors: Presenting Author: Mr Mohammed Abul Kalam - Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control & Research (IEDCR), Bangladesh |
||||
| Additional Authors: | ||||
| Aim: To scruitinize the level of sensetisztion towards practicing safe sex by the Commercial Sex Workers (CSWs) in Bangladesh. | ||||
| Method / Issue: Interviews, pre-tested questionnaires and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with brothel-based CSWs were employed to light up determinants of safe sex practice among the respondents. | ||||
| Results / Comments: Data from nine hundred and eight cases were used in the analysis. The majority of the sex workers were young (average age 24 years), poorly educated (80% never attended school) and had low income. Over one fifth of the respondents participated in the HIV prevention program and a large proportion of the sex workers did not have a good sense of self-esteem or perceived future. Just over half of the sex workers perceived that they were at risk of HIV/AIDS. About one-third of the sex workers did not have any knowledge about how HIV is transmitted and only one-fifth of the respondents used a condom with their last client. The multivariate analysis showed that the knowledge of the CSWs were dependent on self-perceived risk, participation in the HIV/AIDS program, education, duration of profession and income of the CSWs. Impact of the HIV/AIDS program had the most powerful effect on the knowledge of the sex workers, followed by their self-perceived risk.Safe sex practice is dependent on age and income of the respondents, participation in the HIV/AIDS program and knowledge of the sex worker. The result indicated that consistent condom use was two times more likely among those who participated in the HIV prevention program. | ||||
| Discussion: The HIV/AIDS prevention programs could be more effective if it takes on empowerment of the CSWs with respect to their earning and education that effectively bring about changes in their perception on HIV/AIDs and practice of safe sex. | ||||
| Go Back | ||||
