Assessment of Status of Commercial Sex in Females Selling Local Beverage, their Risk Perception towards HIV Infection and Condom Use in Towns of Gojjam
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Date
2007-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Background (problem statement): - Selling local beverages like Araki, Teji and Tella by
females is of back long and widely practiced activity in Ethiopia in general and in most towns
of Gojjam in particular. And some of these females are practicing commercial sex with their
beverage customers most of whom are farmers presumably with low awareness level towards
HIV/AIDS compared to urban people. It is assumed that commercial sexual transaction
between these females and farmers play significant role for the steadily growing rate of HIV
transmission to the rural area.
Objective: To assess the status of commercial sex among local beverage selling females and
to identify their risk perception towards HIV/AIDS and condom use in selected Gojjam
towns.
Methods: a cross sectional survey assisted by focus group discussion (FGD) was conducted
on 354 randomly selected local beverage sellers in Debre Markos, Dembecha and Finote
Selam towns from March 3 – March 10, 2007. A pre-coded, pre-tested and structured
questionnaire was used for the quantitative method and FGD was conducted in the three
towns for the qualitative method.
Results: Fifty nine percent of the studied local beverage selling females (LBSFs) were older
than 35 years and all of them were above 15 yeas old at the time of interview. About 46 % of
the respondents were illiterates. More than one-forth of the females studied were married
before 10 years old, 76 % of them before 18 years old and most (72.3 %) females had no
knowledge and consent of their first marriage.
Out of the studied 354 LBSFs, 38.7 % (n=137) have ever practiced commercial sex work
(CSW) of which 28.5 % (n=39 of the 137 ever practicing CSWs) have interrupted it at the
time of interview and 27.7 % (n=98) are still practicing.
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Educational status before local beverage selling, duration of engagement in local beverage
selling, age and lack of additional means of income other than local beverage selling have
positive significant associations with engagement to commercial sex work.
Family, marriage and other socio-economic factors before being engaged in local beverage
selling are found to be statistically significant factors for commercial sexual engagement.
Ninety nine percent of the study participants and especially 100 % of the FSW participants
have knowledge of HIV/AIDS. Sixty five percent of the respondents have described all the
three basic programmatically important prevention methods (Abstinence, Be faithful and use
Condoms consistently).
Thirty eight percent of the participants have comprehensive knowledge about HIV/AIDS. But
39.6 % of them had at least one misconception (incorrect belief) about HIV transmission.
Twenty nine percent of the interviewed females have ever been tested for HIV of which 88 %
have taken their results.
About 43 % of the studied females have moderate/high and 55.8 % have nil/low risk
perception towards HIV infection based on their past risk behaviors.
Eighty eight percent of the studied LBSFs (100 % of FSWs) and 63 % of them have
knowledge of male condoms and have ever used it respectively. And 65.8 % of the FSWs
who have ever used male condoms have used it during their recent sexual contact with their
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paying clients. With in 30 days prior to the day of interview, about half of the commercial sex
practicing LBSFs studied have used condoms persistently.
Conclusion and recommendation: several family, marriage and other socio-economic
related factors before being engaged in local beverage selling are observed playing significant
roles for LBSFs to start commercial sex work. And there is high level of unprotected
commercial sexual transaction between these CSWs and farmers and other rural community
members aggravating the speed of dissemination of HIV infection to the rural Ethiopia. These
situations need due attention and rapid remedial intervention by joint efforts of the local
government, civil societies and the community itself
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Keywords
HIV Infection, Condom Use