Magnitude of Pregnancy and Associated Factors among Female Sex Workers in Dire Dawa City, Eastern Ethiopia

Abstract

Pregnancy and its related complications are an important public health issue in both developed and developing countries with more pronounced risks in particular populations like female sex workers. Research and programs for female sex workers tend to focus exclusively on human immune deficiency virus prevention, with little attention paid on how pregnancy affects their lives. Despite the need for information, no study is available on the level of pregnancy among female sex workers in the study area. Objective: To assess the magnitude of pregnancy and associated factors among female sex workers in Diredawa city, Eastern Ethiopia, from June 15-August 10, 2019. Methods: - A community based cross-sectional study design was used. Snowball sampling technique was used to recruit 409 female sex workers. Data were collected through face to face interview by using semi-structured questionnaire. Data were entered and stored in Epi data version 3.1 and analaysed using statistical package for social sciences version 21 software. Descriptive statistics were used to estimate the magnitude of pregnancy. Bivairiate and multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the factors associated with pregnancy. In multivariate analyses p-value less than 0.05 considered as statistically significant. Results: - A total of 182 (47.5%) [95 % CI=42.6 %, 52.5%] of the respondents had experienced at least one pregnancy after they start sex work. Pregnancy experience was positively associated with having emotional partner [AOR = 2.4, 95 % CI; 1.48, 3.95]; longer duration of sex work (5-8 years) [AOR=2.8, 95% CI; 1.2, 6.51] and (>=8years) [AOR= 7.1, 95% CI; 2.32, 21.9]; Substance use [AOR = 2.0; 95 % CI=1.12, 3.56] and sexual violence [AOR=2.23; 95% 1.4, 3.37]. Conclusion: -Pregnancy is found to be a common experience of female sex workers and most pregnancies are unintended. Factors like having emotional partner, substance use, and sexual violence were positively associated with pregnancy. Continuous counseling on negative consequences of substance use, safe sex practice including correct/consistent use of condoms with both paying and non paying partners is important to reduce the burden of pregnancy including the unintended ones.