Tracy L McClair1, Tarik Hossain2, Nargis Sultana2, Brady Burnett-Zieman3, Eileen A Yam3, Sharif Hossain2, Reena Yasmin4, Najmus Sadiq5, Michele R Decker6, Saifuddin Ahmed6. 1. Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland. Electronic address: tmcclair@gmail.com. 2. Population Council, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 3. Population Council, Washington, D.C. 4. Marie Stopes Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 5. Link Up Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 6. Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Dhaka City is home to thousands of migrants from Bangladesh's rural areas who often live in the streets. Prior studies examine street youth's practice of selling sex as a survival mechanism. We assess their less-studied practice of paying for sex and its association with sexual risk behaviors and outcomes. METHODS: As part of the global Link Up project, trained interviewers recruited 447 young men who live on the streets, ages 15-24, from seven Dhaka City "hotspots" to participate in a survey about sexual health. Among those who ever had sex, we examined frequencies and conducted bivariate analyses of sociodemographic characteristics by paying for sex status. We then conducted bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses of paying for sex in the last 12 months and sexual health behaviors and outcomes. RESULTS: Median participant age was 18 years. Among those who ever had sex (N = 321), 80% reported paying for sex in the last 12 months and 15% reported selling sex in the last 12 months. In multivariate analyses, those who paid for sex had significantly increased odds of reporting sexually transmitted infection-related symptoms in the last six months (adjusted odds ratio = 1.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.17-2.64) and engaging in unprotected last sex with a nonprimary partner (adjusted odds ratio = 2.19, CI = 1.58-3.03). CONCLUSIONS: The adverse factors associated with paying for sex among young men who live on the streets in Dhaka City highlight the need for programs to educate on HIV/sexually transmitted infection prevention and promote condom use, STI screening/treatment, and HIV testing in this population.
PURPOSE: Dhaka City is home to thousands of migrants from Bangladesh's rural areas who often live in the streets. Prior studies examine street youth's practice of selling sex as a survival mechanism. We assess their less-studied practice of paying for sex and its association with sexual risk behaviors and outcomes. METHODS: As part of the global Link Up project, trained interviewers recruited 447 young men who live on the streets, ages 15-24, from seven Dhaka City "hotspots" to participate in a survey about sexual health. Among those who ever had sex, we examined frequencies and conducted bivariate analyses of sociodemographic characteristics by paying for sex status. We then conducted bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses of paying for sex in the last 12 months and sexual health behaviors and outcomes. RESULTS: Median participant age was 18 years. Among those who ever had sex (N = 321), 80% reported paying for sex in the last 12 months and 15% reported selling sex in the last 12 months. In multivariate analyses, those who paid for sex had significantly increased odds of reporting sexually transmitted infection-related symptoms in the last six months (adjusted odds ratio = 1.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.17-2.64) and engaging in unprotected last sex with a nonprimary partner (adjusted odds ratio = 2.19, CI = 1.58-3.03). CONCLUSIONS: The adverse factors associated with paying for sex among young men who live on the streets in Dhaka City highlight the need for programs to educate on HIV/sexually transmitted infection prevention and promote condom use, STI screening/treatment, and HIV testing in this population.
Authors: Anna Williams; Abu Sayed Hasan; Muhammad Munir Hussain; Eshani Ruwanpura; Sathya Doraiswamy; Caroline Crosbie; Sojib Bin Zaman; Dewan Md Emdadul Hoque Journal: Sex Reprod Health Matters Date: 2021
Authors: Nahela Nowshin; Lydia Kapiriri; Colleen M Davison; Sheila Harms; Betty Kwagala; Miriam G Mutabazi; Anne Niec Journal: Sex Reprod Health Matters Date: 2022-12