Prevalence of sexual difficulties among female sex workers and clients attending a sexual health service.

Abstract

This study confirms what has been observed in Kenya; female sex-workers are exposed to psychological and physical torture, particularly at the level of condom-use negotiation. The article reports on the abuse of rights of women in the sex industry and the authors observe that being a female sex-worker on drugs is a double risk factor for HIV transmission. as this may lead to more condom slippage and bursting. The scenario has connotations of a gender issue. Men have beaten some of the female sex-workers with the assumption that 'if you insist on condom use, you must be HIV infected'. Furthermore, those sex workers under the influence of alcohol are unable to insert a condom properly, hence slippage and bursting. A change in the attitude of healthcare providers is needed so as to treat female sex workers in a holistic manner, rather than to dismiss them, thinking that 'they asked for it'. Healthcare providers must respond to violence against female sex-workers by empowering them to be assertive, reduce or stop drug intake and use condoms properly and consistently so as to reduce, firstly, STls and, secondly, HIV infections.