Condom Utilization and Associated Factors Among Female Sex Workers in Bahir Dar City Administration, Northwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

Condoms have dual method for Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) and pregnancy prevention, but the usage is affected by several reasons. As we know, approximately 36.7 million people worldwide were living with HIV/AIDS at the end of 2016. Of these, 2.1 million were children (<15 years old). An estimated 1.8 million newly infected with HIV in 2016-about 5,000 new infections per day 160,000 children (<15 years). Most of these children live in sub-Saharan Africa. In Ethiopia, it is illegal to operate a brothel or procure sex workers as a commercial activity, but the sale of sex by women is not prohibited by law. The objective of this study was to assess condom utilization and associated factors among female sex workers in Bahir Dar city administration Northwestern Ethiopia. Community based cross sectional study triangulated with qualitative in-depth interview was conducted to determine condom utilization among 307 female sex workers in Bahir Dar city in February 2019 by using Face-to-face interview for quantitative and In-depth interview for qualitative part. Data was entered in to Epi-Info version 7 then, exported to SPSS version 23 for cleaning and analysis. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between condom utilization and its associated factors. Then multivariable logistic regression model was employed to identify statistically significant variables for condom utilization (with 95% confidence interval and p<0.05) for qualitative part till all questions answered and discussed with quantitative study. Condom utilization of Bahir Dar city commercial sex workers for the last one week was 170 (56.3%) with a (95% CI: 50.3-62.3%). Those Respondents having negative Human Immune Virus result (AOR: 4.77, 95% CI: 1.14, 20.102), having perceived social support (AOR: 3.84 95%CI 1.326, 11.155). Literate (AOR: 12.95, 95% CI: 5.22, 32.09) and those does not use drug (AOR: 5.94% CI: 2.6, 13.55) were significantly associated with condom utilization. The qualitative study shows that sex worker perform sex without condom due to money. The current condom utilization among Bahir Dar city administration commercial sex workers is lower by considering their exposure to sexually transmitted infections so working by creating awareness about the severity of HIV infection and side effects of drug use and creating other job opportunity is more helpful.