Condom use, symptoms of suggestive sexually transmitted infections, and health care seeking among female sex workers in Bangladesh
International Journal of STD & AIDS Jun 17, 2021
Alam N, et al. - A mixed-method cross-sectional study was conducted with the aim to report on condom use, sexually transmitted infection (STI) symptoms, and care seeking of female sex workers (FSWs) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Data collection was performed through a survey of 1,228 FSWs, in-depth interviews (n = 24), and key informants’ interviews (n = 26). Among the 1,228 included FSWs, 50% were illiterate and 39.3% were married; 75.6% reported the consistent use of condoms, 88.7% reported having STI symptoms in the last 6 months, while 91.8% visited one of the drop-in centers for services. Odds of using condoms were consistently lower among FSWs without formal education, and odds of using condoms were noted to be higher among those working elsewhere than in the streets. In the survey as well as in qualitative in-depth interviews, mentioned causes of having STI symptoms were stigma to access health care services, poor knowledge about STI/HIV, and low perceived risk. Findings suggest high levels of STI symptoms, which are possibly because of inconsistent condom use and a high number of sex partners.
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