Knowledge of HIV and Condom Use Practices among Female Sex Workers in West Bengal: Revisiting 2020 Behavioral Surveillance Surveys.

Background: Female sex workers (FSWs) constitute a significant portion of high-risk groups (HRGs) in the districts of West Bengal, as indicated by HRG size mapping exercises.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge of HIV/AIDS and condom usage practices among FSWs in clusters selected from districts in West Bengal for behavioural surveillance surveys (BSS)-lite.

Materials and methods: BSS-lite was implemented in designated districts of West Bengal and interviews with 399 brothel and street-based FSWs from January to March 2020 were conducted utilizing computer-assisted personal interview or audio-computer assisted self-interview. Data analysis was performed using SPSS, version 17. Chi-square testing was employed to examine the association between HIV/AIDS knowledge and sociodemographic factors, service utilization, and condom usage behaviors.

Results: The mean age of FSW respondents was 31 years (standard deviation 7.9) with a majority being illiterate (48.4%). Approximately 50.5% of FSWs were separated or divorced, and for 87.2% of respondents, sex work constituted their primary occupation. The percentage of comprehensive knowledge was 12.8%. There was a significant association ( P < 0.01) between condom use in the last sex act with frequency of condom use with commercial partner and condom use with regular partner.

Conclusion: Enhanced interventions are warranted to address the knowledge gap concerning HIV transmission and condom use practices among FSWs, particularly with respect to regular partners.