Job Motivation and Relationship between Sexual attitude with Practice with Practice Regarding Sexually Transmitted Infections among Iranian Female Workers of Kermanshah 2015

Abstract

Abstract: Background: The prevalence of high-risk behaviors among different parts of society has attracted attentions to prostitution as one of the most important current problems. There are limited numbers of studies on sexual attitude and practice regarding sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Iranian female sex workers. This study was carried out to determine Job motivation and relationship between sexual attitude with practice regarding sexually transmitted infections among Iranian female sex workers of Kermanshah, 2015. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 173 prostitutes. All eligible female prostitutes had a record in state welfare offices, health care centers and drug rehabilitation centers and also street prostitutes sampling was performed through snowball sampling method. Data were collected using socio-demographic, job motivation, Brief Sexual Attitudes Scale (BSAS) and practice questionnaires. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistical methods, Pearson correlation, independent t, one-way ANOVA tests and multivariate linear regression model. Results: The average age of first sexual intercourse and entry into prostitution was 19.1 and 24.3 years, respectively. Making money was stated as the main reason for sexual intercourse by the majority of cases (65.9%) while less than half of them (44.5%) pointed to poor family economic condition as the reason for choosing this job. The mean (SD) scores of sexual attitude, practice and knowledge were, respectively, 59.8 (4.3), 61.2 (6.4) and 62.1 (18.2) from the obtainable range of zero to 100. Among subdomains of attitude, the highest mean score was related to the birth control aspect with the score of 92.9 (8.0) and the lowest mean score was related to the permissiveness aspect with the score of 44.6 (9.4). Based on Pearson correlation test, there was a significant relationship between practice regarding STIs and sexual attitude (p=0.001, r=0.25) but There wasn’t a significant relationship between knowledge regarding STIs and sexual attitude (p=0.111, r=-0.12) and there was a negative significant relationship between practice and knowledge (p<0.001, r=-0.27). Based on multivariate linear regression model, non-paying client, history of sexual abuse and client type variables were significant relationship with sexual attitude score and father’s employee occupation and history of sexual abuse with practice score and father’s unemployed, husband’s high school and lower education and history of two years staying at this job variables with knowledge score (p<0.05). Conclusions: Making money due to poverty and poor economic condition was the main job motivation. It can be argued that economic factors should be assumed in resolving this issue in the society. Due to the relationship between sexual attitude and practice regarding STIs, it is necessary to improve the attitude of these women through public education particularly their attitudes towards limiting sexual relationships and maintaining the health, their practice regarding STIs could be improved.