Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
https://www.arca.fiocruz.br/handle/icict/58346
Type
ArticleCopyright
Open access
Collections
- ENSP - Artigos de Periódicos [2412]
- ICICT - Artigos de Periódicos [1419]
- PE - IAM - Artigos de Periódicos [1174]
Metadata
Show full item record
HEALTH VULNERABILITIES IN FEMALE SEX WORKERS IN BRAZIL, 2016
Brazil
Female sex workers
Health vulnerabilities
HIV infection
Stigma
The Brazilian FSW Group
Author
Affilliation
Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. Sergio Arouca National School of Public Health. Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology in Public Health. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. Institute of Scientific and Technological Communication and Information in Health. Health Information Laboratory. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. Institute of Scientific and Technological Communication and Information in Health. Health Information Laboratory. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. Institute of Scientific and Technological Communication and Information in Health. Health Information Laboratory. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Federal University of Bahia. Collective Health Institute. Salvador, BA, Brazil.
Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. Aggeu Magalhães Institute. Recife, PE, Brazil.
University of São Paulo. School of Medicine. São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Federal University of Minas Gerais. School of Medicine. Department of Preventive and Social Medicine. Belo Horizonte, BH, Brazil.
Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. Institute of Scientific and Technological Communication and Information in Health. Health Information Laboratory. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. Institute of Scientific and Technological Communication and Information in Health. Health Information Laboratory. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. Institute of Scientific and Technological Communication and Information in Health. Health Information Laboratory. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Federal University of Bahia. Collective Health Institute. Salvador, BA, Brazil.
Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. Aggeu Magalhães Institute. Recife, PE, Brazil.
University of São Paulo. School of Medicine. São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Federal University of Minas Gerais. School of Medicine. Department of Preventive and Social Medicine. Belo Horizonte, BH, Brazil.
Abstract
Female sex workers (FSW) suffer stigma and discrimination that negatively impact their physical and mental health and affect access to health care services. This paper aims to describe selected health indicators among FSW in 12 Brazilian cities in 2016. Brazilian cross-sectional Biological Behavioral Surveillance Survey was conducted in 2016 among 4328 FSW recruited by respondent-driven sampling. The sample weighing was inversely proportional to participant's network sizes and the seeds were excluded from the analysis. Health indicators were estimated with 95% confidence interval and included indicators of health status, symptoms of depression, antenatal care, pap smear coverage, signs and symptoms of sexually transmitted infection, contraception and regular condom use, number of births and children alive per women, human immunodeficiency virus and syphilis testing, usual source of care, and perception of discrimination. Most participants self-rated their health as very good/good (65.8%) and 27.7% were positively screened for major depressive disorder episode on Patient Health Questionnaire-2. Antenatal coverage was 85.8% and 62.3% of FSW had access to pap smear exam in the past 3 years. A total of 67.0% of FSW were using some contraceptive method at the time of the study. Male condom was the most common method (37.1%), followed by oral pill (28.9%). A total of 22.5% FSW had never been tested for HIV and the main reasons were "not feeling at risk" (40.4%) and "being afraid or ashamed" (34.0%). The vast majority of FSW used Brazilian National Health System as their usual source of health care (90.2%). Approximately one-fifth of the participants felt discriminated against or were treated worse for being FSW (21.4%) and only 24.3% disclose their sex work status in health services. The vulnerability of FSW is expressed in all health indicators. Indicators of health status, antenatal care, pap smear coverage, and contraception were worse than in the Brazilian population, and point out to the importance of increase FSW's access to health care services. Also, stigma and discrimination emerged as an important barrier to FSW's health care in all dimensions and need to be struggled. Abbreviations: AIDS = acquired immune deficiency syndrome, BBSS = biological and behavioral surveillance survey, CI = confidence interval, FSW = female sex worker, HIV = human immunodeficiency virus, HPV = human papillomavirus infection, IUD = intrauterine device, MSM = men who have sex with men, PHQ-2 = Patient Health Questionnaire-2, PNS = National Health Survey, RDS = respondent-driven sampling, SINASC = National Information System on Live Births in Brazil, STI = sexually transmitted infection, SUS = Brazilian National Health System.
Keywords
Behavior surveillanceBrazil
Female sex workers
Health vulnerabilities
HIV infection
Stigma
Publisher
Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins
Citation
BRAGA, Letícia Penna et al. Health vulnerabilities in female sex workers in Brazil, 2016. Medicine, v. 101, n. 35, p. 1-7, 2022.DOI
10.1097/MD.0000000000030185ISSN
0025-7974Notes
The Brazilian FSW GroupThe Brazilian FSW Group
Share