Love Making and Possible Risk of HIV among Sex Workers in Bangladesh: A Sociological Study

The study was carried out to understand the clients’ attitude and behaviour towards sex workers and the possible risk of HIV/AIDS/STIs. The study was conducted among the sex workers. The sex workers were interviewed in this study ranged age was between 23 and 27 years and between 18-22 years mostly. When the sex workers were grouped together, 34.17% were unmarried, whereas 33.33% married. Among the street and hotel sex workers, it was mainly the clients who played active role in sexual performance, but in brothel the clients had less control over sexual performance due to brothel sex workers’ organizational existence and unity. About 37% respondents had experience of forced sex by clients, such as threaten to physical torture (61.36%), beating (29.54%), and snatched valuables (27.27%). And 29.17% of the total respondents had experience of unusual sex practice, such as group sex (85.71%), anal sex (8.57%) and oral sex (5.71%). The Study found that all the respondents were suffering from various symptoms of STIs, such as pain at intercourse (40%), itchy/rash on genital (25.83%), discharge of fluids from genital (23.33%), and pain in lower abdomen (22.5%).

Quazi Moshrur-Ul-Alam has completed his Masters inSocial Science in Sociology from Khulna University ofBangladesh. He is now serving in ADAMS (Associationfor Development Activity of Manifold Social Work) asa Monitoring officer. He is interested in Research, Reproductive Health and Development Projects.