Sexual behaviour, knowledge, attitude and practices regarding HIV/AIDS amongst female sex workers (FSWs) in red light area of Mumbai city

The term ‘sex workers’ refers to those involved in prostitution. This particular term is preferred as it does not have the derogatory, sexist connotation that the term ‘prostitute’ has. Belonging to a highly stigmatized profession with no financial and familial support forthcoming, the latter years of the lives of destitute female sex workers are spent in abject misery and poverty. Effort has been made to study the socio economic status and the ways adopted by these women, post active prostitution period, to support themselves and their families. This paper is based on the field study conducted in central Delhi red light area during August-September, 2016. Direct interviews with the respondents using questionnaires as well as participant observation techniques were used to collect the data. The study indicate that destitute female sex workers, once out of active prostitution, start working as domestic helpers, work with local voluntary organizations, or as helpers in brothels. The income earned is very meager with hardly any amount left to be saved. Most of the women live in one room rented accommodations. Their access to medical facilities was found to be extremely restricted.

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Prevalence of sexually transmitted infections and performance of STI syndromes against aetiological diagnosis, in female sex workers of red light area in Surat, India

Sexually Transmitted Infections ◽

10.1136/sti.79.2.111 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 79 (2) ◽

pp. 111-115 ◽

Cited By ~ 60

Author(s):

V K Desai

Keyword(s):

Sexually Transmitted Infections ◽

Sex Workers ◽

Female Sex Workers ◽

Red Light ◽

Sexually Transmitted ◽

Female Sex ◽

Light Area ◽

And Performance ◽

Aetiological Diagnosis

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Alcoholism in Female Sex Workers and Clients, Barrier in Practice of Safe Sex, a Study on FSWS of Red Light Area of Pune City

Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development ◽

10.5958/0976-5506.2015.00125.4 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 314

Author(s):

Manisha N Gore ◽

Sanjay K Juvekar

Keyword(s):

Sex Workers ◽

Female Sex Workers ◽

Red Light ◽

Safe Sex ◽

Female Sex ◽

Light Area

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Development of Boyhood in Female Sex Workers’ Family — A Representation of their Vicious Cycle

World Journal of Social Science Research ◽

10.22158/wjssr.v1n1p45 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 45 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Harasankar Adhikari

Keyword(s):

Sex Workers ◽

Qualitative Method ◽

Female Sex Workers ◽

Educational Development ◽

Life Experiences ◽

Red Light ◽

Vicious Cycle ◽

Single Parent Family ◽

Female Sex ◽

Light Area

The brothel based female sex workers (FSWs) are in obstruction in their daily life. Beyond the male politics, mothering and motherhood are a common phenomenon to testify their universal womanhood through procreation. Usually they have settled up their family in their typically constructed community- red light area. Mostly their family is matrifocal and single parent family which was failed to provide proper control and strategies for up-bringing of their offspring. The present study was conducted to explore the development of boyhood in female sex workers’ community purposively because there was a need of explanation of the masculinity their community. For that purpose, 50 boys of below 18 years of age were selected adopting simple random purposive sampling and both quantitative and qualitative method of data collection used to get information on their up-bringing process including life experiences. The result showed that their development was enough to continue their vicious cycle of FSW-Child-FSW. Only the educational development, sometimes separate shelter and if their mothers were able to hide their involvement, had brought changes in their pathways of development outside their community.

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“I Am Almost a Breadwinner for My Family”: Exploring the Manifestation of Agency in Sex Workers’ Personal and Professional Contexts

Affilia ◽

10.1177/08861099211022717 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 088610992110227

Author(s):

Sharvari Karandikar ◽

Kaitlin Casassa ◽

Logan Knight ◽

Megan España ◽

Njeri Kagotho

Keyword(s):

Sex Work ◽

Sex Workers ◽

Female Sex Workers ◽

Service Providers ◽

Red Light ◽

Structural Factors ◽

Female Sex ◽

Light Area ◽

Professional Contexts ◽

Depth Interviews

While societal and structural factors often constrain women’s agency in patriarchal settings, women nevertheless find creative ways to manifest and develop agency. Female sex workers (FSWs), in particular, are regularly assumed to have little or no agency, but an important body of literature suggests otherwise. To add to this knowledge, this study sought to answer the question: How do FSWs in Mumbai, India, exert agency in personal and professional contexts? In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 FSWs in the Kamathipura red-light area. Four themes emerged: (a) sex work as a rational and empowering choice, (b) resources and assets, (c) sex work as a means of achievement, and (d) managing violence, retribution, and fear. These themes reveal expressions of agency that illustrate how sex workers are intentional, rational, goal-oriented, and resilient. The findings of this study can contribute to the removal of stigma surrounding sex work and inform service providers working with this population in their efforts to treat sex workers with dignity and respect. Further research is needed in this area, especially which centers on the voices of the agentic sex workers themselves.

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Risk and vulnerability of key populations to HIV infection in Iran; knowledge, attitude and practises of female sex workers, prison inmates and people who inject drugs

Sexual Health ◽

10.1071/sh14165 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 568 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Razieh Khajehkazemi ◽

AliAkbar Haghdoost ◽

Soodabeh Navadeh ◽

Hamidreza Setayesh ◽

Leily Sajadi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sex Workers ◽

Female Sex Workers ◽

People Who Inject Drugs ◽

Sexual Transmission ◽

Study Data ◽

Prison Inmates ◽

Female Sex ◽

Comprehensive Knowledge ◽

Sexual Transmission Of Hiv ◽

Hiv Aids

Background In this study data of three national surveys conducted among female sex workers (FSW), prison inmates and people who inject drugs (PWID) were presented and compared in relation to knowledge, attitude, and practises. Methods: The surveys were conducted in 2009 and 2010 and included 2546 PWID, 872 FSW and 5530 prison inmates. Knowledge, attitude and practises towards HIV were measured through similar questions for each category. Results: Over 90% of all participants had ever heard of HIV/AIDS, although only approximately half of them perceived themselves at risk of contracting HIV. More than 80% were able to correctly identify the ways of preventing the sexual transmission of HIV; while more than two-thirds did not use condom in their last sexual contact. Approximately 20% of prisoners and FSW had a history of injecting drugs. Among all participants who have injected drugs, prisoners had the highest unsafe injecting behaviour at the last injection (61%), followed by FSW (11%) and PWID (3%). Conclusions: Despite major efforts to control the HIV epidemic in Iran, the level of risk and vulnerability among prisoners, FSW and PWID is still high. The level of comprehensive knowledge about HIV/AIDS is relatively good; however, their risk perception of contracting HIV is low and high-risk behaviours are prevalent. Therefore, HIV prevention programs should be redesigned in a more comprehensive way to identify the best venues to reach the largest number of people at a higher risk of contracting HIV and decrease their risk overlaps and vulnerability factors.

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HIV/AIDS risk factors and economic empowerment needs of female sex workers in Enugu Urban, Nigeria

Tanzania Journal of Health Research ◽

10.4314/thrb.v11i3.47698 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

NG Onyeneho

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Sex Workers ◽

Female Sex Workers ◽

Economic Empowerment ◽

Female Sex ◽

Aids Risk ◽

Hiv Aids

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HIV/AIDS risk among female sex workers who use crack in Southern Brazil

Revista de Saúde Pública ◽

10.1590/s0034-89102008000500007 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 42 (5) ◽

pp. 830-837 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Monica Malta ◽

Simone Monteiro ◽

Rosa Maria Jeronymo Lima ◽

Suzana Bauken ◽

Aliamar de Marco ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sex Workers ◽

Female Sex Workers ◽

Community Leaders ◽

Health Providers ◽

Southern Brazil ◽

Female Sex ◽

Access To Health ◽

Aids Risk ◽

Depth Interviews ◽

Hiv Aids

OBJECTIVE: To understand the social context of female sex workers who use crack and its impact on HIV/AIDS risk behaviors. METHODODOLOGICAL PROCEDURES: Qualitative study carried out in Foz do Iguaçu, Southern Brazil, in 2003. Twenty-six in-depth interviews and two focus groups were carried out with female commercial sex workers who frequently use crack. In-depth interviews with health providers, community leaders and public policy managers, as well as field observations were also conducted. Transcript data was entered into Atlas.ti software and grounded theory methodology was used to analyze the data and develop a conceptual model as a result of this study. ANALYSIS OF RESULTS: Female sex workers who use crack had low self-perceived HIV risk in spite of being engaged in risky behaviors (e.g. unprotected sex with multiple partners). Physical and sexual violence among clients, occasional and stable partners was widespread jeopardizing negotiation and consistent condom use. According to health providers, community leaders and public policy managers, several female sex workers who use crack are homeless or live in slums, and rarely have access to health services, voluntary counseling and testing, social support, pre-natal and reproductive care. CONCLUSIONS: Female sex workers who use crack experience a plethora of health and social problems, which apparently affect their risks for HIV infection. Low-threshold, user-friendly and gender-tailored interventions should be implemented, in order to increase the access to health and social-support services among this population. Those initiatives might also increase their access to reproductive health in general, and to preventive strategies focusing on HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections.

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