ASSESMENT OF CONDOM CONSISTENT USE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG COMERCIAL SEX WORKERS IN HARAR TOWN,HARARI REGION, EASTERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Consistent condom use means using a condom 100% of the time during every sex act (WHO, 2006). Condom use is an important measure of protection against HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, especially among People with multiple sexual partners. Commercial sex workers have been identified as risk groups for the transmission of STIs and HIV, the strategies currently targeting commercial sex workers is promote safer sex through 100% condom use. Objective: To assess condom consistent use and associated factors among commercial sex workers in licensed non–brothel establishments ofHarar town, from April3 to April 10,2015. Methods: A cross–sectional, quantitative studywas conducted on 256 establisment-based female sex workers recruited from32 licensed non-brothel of harar town. Datawas collected using structured questionnaire;Data were collected by face-to-face inteview by trained exprienced female data collectors. Epi-Data Version 3.1 statistical software packages were used for dataenter and analysis was done using SPSS version 17.0.Descriptive statistics were computed to ascertain the proportion of comercial sex worker condom consistently use and other independent variables.Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to detrmain factors associated with condom consistent use. Accordingly odds ratio withits 95% confidence interval was computed. Results:A total of 254 commercial sex workers were interviwed. Of these; 204 (80.3%) CSW reportedcondom consistent use in the last six months. Those commercial sex workers who grew upin urban were more likely to consistently use condom (AOR: 2.48, 95% CI [1.20-5.10]) than their counterparts,those who did not have previous history of abortion (AOR: 0.34, 95% CI [0.15-0.75]) were less likely consistentlty to use condom. Commercial sex workers those who were not financialy support their family were more likely to use condom consistently (AOR: 3.59, 95% CI [1.32-9.71]) than their counterparts. Conclusions:The overall prevalence condom consistent use was significantly high but, there were considerable number of non users.Condom consistent use promotion programs should beincluding FSWs, their partners and non-brothel owners/managers