CORE
🇺🇦
make metadata, not war
Services
Services overview
Explore all CORE services
Access to raw data
API
Dataset
FastSync
Content discovery
Recommender
Discovery
OAI identifiers
OAI Resolver
Managing content
Dashboard
Bespoke contracts
Consultancy services
Support us
Support us
Membership
Sponsorship
Community governance
Advisory Board
Board of supporters
Research network
About
About us
Our mission
Team
Blog
FAQs
Contact us
Barriers to health service utilization among iranian female sex workers: A qualitative study
Authors
J. Abolghasemi
M. Asadi-AliAbadi
+4 more
R. Majdzadeh
E. Merghati-Khoei
S. Rimaz
F. Rostami-Maskopaee
Publication date
1 January 2018
Publisher
Abstract
Objectives: In most countries around the world, sex work is an illegal activity. Female sex workers (FSWs) in Iran hide their identities, and they are known to be a hard-to-reach population. Despite free access to HIV testing, fewer than half of FSWs receive HIV testing. The purpose of this study was to characterize the reasons for which FSWs do not seek testing at drop-in centers (DICs) and voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) centers in Iran. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted in 2016. The participants were 24 FSWs who received services at VCT centers and DICs for vulnerable females in the north of Iran and 9 males who were the clients of FSWs. In this study, we made use of purposive sampling and carried out a thematic analysis. Results: We found 4 major and 6 minor themes. The major themes were: fear of being infected (with HIV), stigma, indifference, and knowledge. Conclusions: Despite the significant efforts made by the government of Iran to establish and expand DICs for vulnerable females, the number of FSWs receiving services at these centers has not been very considerable. Consequently, by introducing and implementing training programs for peer groups, it may be possible to take steps toward establishing strategic programs for the control and prevention of HIV/AIDS. Copyright © 2018 The Korean Society for Preventive Medicine
Similar works
Full text
Open in the Core reader
Download PDF
Available Versions
eprints Iran University of Medical Sciences
See this paper in CORE
Go to the repository landing page
Download from data provider
oai:eprints.iums.ac.ir:6866
Last time updated on 10/10/2019