| dc.description.abstract | The great majority of HIV infections globally are due to sexual transmission. The links between
sex work and HIV/AIDS have been a central concern in prevention and care efforts in many
countries. In the wake of HIV, there has been a renewed engagement with sex workers as
subjects of research. In Kenya, a majority of women exchange sex for money, gifts or favors and
this makes them vulnerable to HIV/STI infection. Like in most developing countries, sex work is
stigmatized and with the legislative restriction, sex workers fear seeking treatment from
recognized health facilities. The study sought to establish the factors that have contributed to
minimal utilization of these services by sex workers in Nairobi. The research was designed as a
cross sectional descriptive study. The target population was sex workers operating in Nairobi’s
CBD, Ngara, Eastleigh and Industrial Area. The study focused more on Nairobi sex workers who
are mostly brothel based, street and bar based within the catchment area of non-state owned
facilities. From the target population of thirty thousand possible respondents, the researcher
purposively interviewed specific respondents located in Nairobi’s CBD, Ngara, Eastleigh and
Industrial Area. A sample size of 382 respondents was appropriate to adequately represent a
cross-section of the population at 95% confidence level. The study collected both primary and
secondary data. Data collected was mainly quantitative and it was analyzed by descriptive
analysis techniques. Variables for quantitative data were created using statistical tools such as
Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS),which helped to reduce data to manageable
summaries. On the other hand, qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis. The study
concludes that sex workers are aware of the risks involved in this profession as concerns HIV
and STIs and thus they take the step of using condom as one of the ways of preventing HIV and
STIs. The situation of being a sex worker affects the ability to access assistance on HIV/AIDS
Prevention. Awareness of comprehensive HIV/STI services affects their utilization of service.
Type of sex work affects utilization of HIV/STI comprehensive health services among sex
workers. Distance of comprehensive health centers influences the utilization of health services.
Possible and appropriate sustained activities to bring behavior change regarding stigma and
discrimination related with HIV/AIDS and VCT is necessary using Discs alongside other
available health facilities. Interventions designed to prevent HIV infection among sex workers
must take into account the context in which sex workers are working, and the specific practices
of individual sex workers. There is need for awareness creation among sex workers through
emphasis on the power of sex workers to help stop the spread of HIV. Possible and appropriate
activities should be focused on lower educational status and unmarried individuals | en_US |
