A medico-social appraisal of commercial sex workers in a metropolitan city from eastern India.

This cross-sectional study of 146 commercial sex workers (CSWs) selected by stratified sampling, in a red light area of Kolkata, showed that 25.3% were teenagers and 37.0% were forced into the profession due to poverty. White discharge was present in 42.5% of the CSWs. Only 65.1% had the proper knowledge of the causes of disease, but 49.3% preferred to go to "quacks" for treatment, while 42.5% preferred traditional medicine. Knowledge of the prevention of sexually transmitted infections by condom use was correct in 44.2% of the CSWs, but 17.8% used condoms regularly. One fourth of the CSWs having 5 or more clients per day used condoms regularly.