Janak Kumar Thapa

Utilization of Sexual Health Services Among Female Sex Workers: Factors Affecting Service Utilization Janak Kumar Thapa

Sexual health services are relatively rare in Nepal. Female sex workers(FSW) do not use health services as often as would be desirable. Study showed that about half percentage of the FSWs utilized the available sexual health services. The knowledge about HIV/AIDS transmission and the knowledge about prevention of HIV/AIDS was significantly associated with utilization of sexual health services among FSWs. Regarding barrier in utilization of sexual health services, about forty percent of the FSWs were not utilizing the available sexual health services. The main reasons for barrier to utilization were due to shyness, fear of diagnosis of HIV/AIDS and inaccessibility along with ignorance about facility and restriction by owner. Of the FSWs whose clients were using condom consistently, about twenty percent did not get condom at the time of need, out of which fifty percent reasoned not getting condom at the time of need due to insufficiency and thirty percent lack of knowledge about the place of availability. The educational status, marital status, drugs use, number of sex partners per month showed significant relationship with the consistent condom use.