Knowledge of sex workers about HIV/AIDS and its influence on sexual practices

Ninety women participated in the study. The Scientific Knowledge Test about HIV/AIDS and sexual practices was used. The Wald test was applied to verify the relationship between knowledge and sexual practices with statistical significance of p<0.05.

Results:

the score of 61.7% of correct answers in all three dimensions stands out; 72.2% have sexual intercourse without a condom in exchange for a large amount of money; 53.3% have sex during the menstrual period; 62.2% have sexual intercourse with drug users; 75.6% have sex with clients showing lesions on the penis or anus. The B coefficient (-0.19) showed that the higher the knowledge about HIV/AIDS, the lower the practice of risky sexual behaviors.

Conclusion:

the influence of knowledge about HIV/AIDS on sexual practices was not statistically significant, but the sexual practices and insufficient knowledge about prevention, physiological and behavioral attributes were observed.

Descriptors:
HIV; Sex Workers; Knowledge; Sexual Behavior; Community Health Nursing

Dimensions/Knowledge	Average score, standard deviation, maximum and minimum score	Score	% points
- D3: modes of transmission and prevention, physiological and behavioral attributes of AIDS.	A= 17,2 SD= 2,6 Max.= 30 Min.= 12	17.2	53.8
- D4: symptoms that HIV causes in humans.	A= 17,9 SD= 1,9 Max.= 22 Min.= 14	17.9	69.1
- D5: AIDS Treatment.	A= 5,6 SD= 1,0 Max.= 8 Min.= 3	5.6	70.8
- D3, D4 and D5	A= 40,7 SD= 3,1 Max.= 49 Mín.= 33	40.7	61.7

ITEMS	YES		NO		NA		TOTAL
ITEMS	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%
1. I use condoms during sexual intercourse because I am more susceptible to catching diseases than the client.	68	75.6	22	24.4	-	-	90	100.0
2. I have vaginal sex without a condom for a satisfactory amount of money paid by the client.	65	72.2	25	27.8	-	-	90	100.0
3. I have vaginal sex without a condom for a satisfactory amount of money paid by the client as long as he agrees to withdraw his penis before ejaculation.	64	71.1	26	28.9	-	-	90	100.0
4. I have oral sex without a condom.	67	74.4	23	25.6	-	-	90	100.0
5. I have oral sex without a condom as long as the client agrees not to ejaculate inside my mouth.	65	72.2	25	27.8	-	-	90	100.0
6. I allow the client to perform oral sex on me.	40	44.4	50	55.6	-	-	90	100.0
7. I have anal sex without a condom.	38	42.2	52	57.8	-	-	90	100.0
8. I have anal sex without a condom as long as the client agrees to withdraw his penis before ejaculation.	13	14.4	77	85.6	-	-	90	100.0
9. I use a condom with the client who is initiating sexual activity.	41	45.6	49	54.4	-	-	90	100.0
10. I have sexual intercourse knowing that the client has HIV.	59	65.6	30	33.3	1	1.1	90	100.0
11. I have sex during the menstrual period.	48	53.3	42	46.7	-	-	90	100.0
12. I have sex with clients who do injectable drugs.	56	62.2	34	37.8	-	-	90	100.0
13. I have sex with a female condom.	24	26.7	66	73.3	-	-	90	100.0
14. I have condoms available to use with the client.	64	71.1	26	28.9	-	-	90	100.0
15. I have sex with a condom when the client has lesions on his penis or anus.	68	75.6	22	24.4	-	-	90	100.0
16. There should be no fear of contracting AIDS in the profession.	9	10	81	90.0	-	-	90	100.0

Independent variables (dimensions)	B	SE	^* * Significant Wald Test > 1.96. Significant odds ratio > 3.84 and p <0.05. SE = Standard error. CI = confidence interval. Wald	DF	Sig	^* * Significant Wald Test > 1.96. Significant odds ratio > 3.84 and p <0.05. SE = Standard error. CI = confidence interval. Odds	CI Odds (95%)
- D3: modes of transmission and prevention, physiological and behavioral attributes of AIDS.	0.89	0.33	7.28	1	0.007**	2.43	1.27	4.65
- D4: symptoms that HIV causes in humans.	1.83	0.55	10.92	1	0.001**	6.27	2.11	18.65
- D5: AIDS Treatment.	3.10	1.14	7.29	1	0.007**	22.23	2.34	211.06
- D7: sexual practices of female sex workers	-0.19	0.20	0.88	1	0.346	0.82	0.54	1.23
- Constant	-72.39	22.07	10.75	1	0.001**	0.000

Associação Brasileira de Enfermagem SGA Norte Quadra 603 Conj. "B" - Av. L2 Norte 70830-102 Brasília, DF, Brasil, Tel.: (55 61) 3226-0653, Fax: (55 61) 3225-4473 - Brasília - DF - Brazil
E-mail: reben@abennacional.org.br

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[1] Corresponding Author: Anna Cláudia Freire de Araújo Patrício E-mail: claudia.freirearaujo@gmail.com