Awareness Of Female Sex Workers Of Lucknow City Regarding Sexually Transmitted Infections

INTRODUCTION: Sex is a means of livelihood either by choice or by force for Female Sex Workers (FSW). The factors like poverty, family pressures are factors, in addition to their lives on streets which expose sex workers to a number of health problems especially HIV / AIDS and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

METHODS:  It was a cross-sectional descriptive study on 288 FSWs registered with Targeted Intervention-Non Government Organisation, selected by Simple Random Sampling, done over a period of 8 months, using a pre-designed and pre-tested interview schedule.

RESULTS:  The average age of FSWs was 31 years. Most of the FSWs were illiterate, married, Hindus and of general category. Street based FSWs were more than home based, living alone, with friends or partners. The prevalence of STI among street based and home based FSWs were 50.6 % and 29.8 % respectively. The knowledge of role of condom in prevention of STI was lacking in 30.7 % home based and 10.8 % of street based FSWs. Symptoms of STI in females enumerated by the FSWs were discharge per vaginum, genital itching, abnormal bleeding, dyspareunia, lower abdominal pain, blisters/ulcers on genitalia, burning micturition, fever and bodyache. Symptoms of STI in males enumerated by the FSWs were urethral discharge, blisters or ulcers on genitalia, burning micturition, genital itching, swollen or painful testicles, fever and bodyache. Discharge per vaginum (48.9 %) was quoted most commonly as a symptom of STI in females while urethral discharge (23.3 %) & genital ulcers (20.8 %) were quoted most commonly as symptoms of STI in males. There was a significant difference (p-value = 0.012) between both street based and home based groups with respect to their knowledge regarding STI-HIV link.

CONCLUSIONS:  There is a great lack in the awareness of FSWs regarding STI and their prevention. Special IEC activities focussing on this group of population should be planned.