Usual source of healthcare and use of sexual and reproductive health services by female sex workers in Brazil

• Autor(a) principal: Talita Castro Garcia Matteoni
• Data de Publicação: 2021
• Outros Autores: Laio Magno, Carla Gianna Luppi, Alexandre Grangeiro, Celia Landmann Szwarcwald, Inês Dourado
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng; por
• Título da fonte: Cadernos de Saúde Pública
• Texto Completo: https://cadernos.ensp.fiocruz.br/ojs/index.php/csp/article/view/7843
• topic: Sex Workers; Women’s Health; Primary Health Care; Health Services Accessibility; Sexual and Reproductive Health; Profissionais do Sexo; Saúde da Mulher; Atenção Primária à Saúde; Acesso aos Serviços de Saúde; Saúde Sexual e Reprodutiva

The fact of having a usual source of care can improve access to health services and preventive activities. The article aimed to estimate the proportion of factors associated with usual source of care among female sex workers. This was a socio-behavioral survey with 4,328 female sex workers, ≥ 18 years, in 12 Brazilian cities. Female sex workers were recruited by the respondent-driven sampling method (RDS). A descriptive profile was performed of the female sex workers who had usual source of care and the association was analyzed between usual source of care and indicators of access to HIV prevention and reproductive health. As effect measure, the study used adjusted odds ratio (OR) in a logistic regression model. The data were weighted by the RDS-II estimator. 71.5% of the female sex workers reported having a usual source of care, and of these, 54.3% cited primary healthcare (PHC) as their main usual source of care. Among female sex workers 18-24 years of age, there was an association between usual source of care and having a Pap smear test (OR = 2.27; 95%CI: 1.66-3.12), seven or more prenatal visits (OR = 2.56; 95%CI: 1.30-5.03), and the use of a contraceptive method (OR = 1.64; 95%CI: 1.09-2.46). Among female sex workers ≥ 25 years, there was an association between usual source of care and attending talks on sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (OR = 1.45; 95%CI: 1.12-1.89), prior knowledge of post-exposure prophylaxis (OR = 1.32; 95%CI: 1.02-1.71), and history of Pap smear test (OR = 1.92; 95%CI: 1.54-2.40). The study’s results showed that female sex workers have PHC as their main usual source of care. usual source of care can also positively impact care and activities in reproductive health and prevention of HIV and STIs in this population group.