Knowledge and attitudes regarding AIDS among female commercial sex workers at Hyderabad City, Pakistan.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the level of knowledge and attitudes regarding AIDS among female commercial sex workers (FCSWs) in Hyderabad City, Sindh, Pakistan.


METHODS
A cross-sectional survey.


METHODS
Red light area of Hyderabad City, Sindh, Pakistan, from March to July 2004.


METHODS
A pre-designed questionnaire was administered to see the level of knowledge and attitudes regarding AIDs among FCSWs. In this regard, a total of 61 FCSWs were interviewed after getting informed consent.


RESULTS
Mean age of the FCSWs was 27 years. Majority was uneducated and unmarried. All respondents had heard the word AIDS but no one knew about the word HIV as well as its meaning. All respondents believed that AIDS is a preventable disease and they knew some method of prevention. Television was most common source of knowledge. FCSWs had inadequate knowledge in terms of signs and symptoms and the treatment of disease.


CONCLUSIONS
FCSWs of the Hyderabad city had insufficient knowledge and various misconceptions regarding AIDS. Therefore, there is a need for their education and improvement in socioeconomic status. There is also the need of further studies with substantial statistical work to generate more accurate data in this regard.
Jamal
Nasir
N
Public Health Specialist, Sindh Anti TB Association/Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, Malaria and TB, Hyderabad, Sindh.
Khushk
Imdad A
IA
Naeem
Zahid
Z
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012309:Risk-Taking; D011477:Sex Work; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population