Some Common Physical Pains of Street Sex Workers in Rajshahi City of Bangladesh

摘要

Our aim in this study is to explore the socio-economic and health status of urban street sex workers (SSWs). Physical growth and health status of SSWs are depicted through the body mass index, body fat level, blood pressure, hypertension and many other health related covariates. Thus, socioeconomic, demographic, and health related data were collected from 352 SSWs from Rajshahi city of Bangladesh. Our study explores that more than half of the SSWs are suffering from back pain, joint pain, vaginal pain, and waist pain. By using both the logistic and linear probability models we have found some common factors which are hypothesized to be significantly affect these pains. Moreover, over body fat level is supposed to be more prominent in the severity of physical pains. Some curses like illiteracy, financial hardship, unsafe and unprotected over-sex with many physical complications are depriving them from minimum standard of urban life. Introduction Street sex workers (SSWs) are the most vulnerable groups for STDs. Unsafe sex and careless lifestyle become a part of their life. Commercial sex plays a critical role in the heterosexual transmission of HIV. Hong and Li (2008) conducted behavioral studies on commercial sex workers in China. According to Hong and Li (2008), sex workers in China are young, mobile, most of them have both commercial and non-commercial sex partners with low rates of consistent condom use and high rates of STD infection. Risks associated with the brothel-based sex and knowledge in sexual health of sex workers were also emphasized in many literatures. In most cases, sex workers were found with a very little knowledge about safe sex (Huang et al, 2004). A study on Chinese entertainment workers conducted by Yang and Xia, (2006) explored the risky sexual behavior and lack of knowledge on healthy sexual partnership. In fact, most of the research was carried on brothel or hotel based sex workers. Apart from this, Wong et al (2006) studied the health complications and unhealthy sex trade of street sex workers in Hong Kong. Inspired by the work of Wong et al (2006) we would like to focus on the study on some pain related health problems of street sex workers in Rajshahi city of Bangladesh.Street sex workers suffer from various health complications. Moreover, they are highly vulnerable to STDs and HIV (Wong and Wang, 2003). Usually sex trade is not legal in Bangladesh except in 15 brothels. A study on commercial sex workers postulated the scenario of socio-economic consequences that bounds the sex worker to involve into it (Nessa et al, 2005). They are not conscious about their health problems. Moreover, they do not get proper health care and nutrition facilities. As a result, they suffer from a number of sexual health complications like chest pain, joint pain, back pain, waist pain, vaginal pain, high and low blood pressure, hypertension etc. Eventually, all these complications may be resulted from careless over sex and imbalanced physical growth with nonstandard blood and pulse pressure. Our aim in this study is to explain the stark reality behind the plight of some pain related problems of sex workers. Data and Methods Data CollectionThe number of street sex workers (SSWs) in Rajshahi city of Bangladesh is not exactly known. According to the drop-in-centers (rehabilitation centers where SSWs get primary health care) PROVA and SURAKSHA MADHUMITA some 900 street sex workers are visible in Rajshahi city. Complete information was gathered from 352 SSWs by direct interview method. We also used the blood pressure meter and fat scale (or machine) to measure the blood pressure, pulse pressure, and body fat levels.MethodologyFor investigating the effect of some factors on pain related problems we have fitted logistic regression and linear probability models. The biological factors were extracted from the fitted model (logistic and linear probability model) along with demographic and health related indicators. Using the forw