Sexual and health behaviour of female floating sex workers in Bangladesh: an emerging health issue

M. Mazharul Islam, University of Dhaka

This paper presents a socio-economic and demographic profile, knowledge about sexual health and health seeking behaviour of female floating sex workers (FSW) in Bangladesh. The data comes from a field based survey using both qualitative and quantitative method of data collection. Floating sex workers are mostly young, illiterate, homeless, guardian less, out of family environment, and marginalized. They do not have full control over their income. Poverty, different kinds of exploitation, such as trafficking, trickery, raping, and social and family level injustice are the major cause of becoming a sex worker. Less than half of them could mention about any valid way of avoiding HIV/AIDS and STDs. Only 11% use condom regularly. Targeted interventions on behaviour change for sex workers and their clients, migrant workers, youth and adolescents are needed.