title: Lifetime Abortion of Female Sex Workers in Iran: Findings of a National Bio-Behavioural Survey In 2010.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Unintended pregnancies and abortion may be considered as occupational hazards for female sex workers (FSWs). As our understanding of contraceptive and abortion practices of Iranian FSWs is very limited, this study tries to assess the dynamics of contraception and abortion among this sub-population.
  
  
  METHODS
  This survey was conducted in 2010, by recruiting 872 FSWs through facility-based sampling from 21 sites in 14 cities in Iran. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a pilot-tested standardized risk assessment questionnaire. We applied the logistic regression model to investigate the correlates of induced abortion among FSWs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 863 participants with valid responses to the abortion variable, 35.3% (95% CI: 32.1-38.6) acknowledged ever induced abortion and the annual rate of abortion was estimated at 20.7 per 1000 women. Around 31.2% of FSWs reported no usual contraceptive use, 32.6% barrier method, 23.6% non-barrier modern contraception methods, and 12.5% dual protection. In our multivariable model, older age (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 1.74, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.02, 2.96), group sex (AOR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.10, 3.35), history of travel for sex work (AOR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.09, 2.20), sexual violence (AOR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.25, 2.50), STIs in last year (AOR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.09, 2.14), and accessing family planning services (AOR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.24, 2.49) were significant predictors of lifetime abortion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The reproductive health needs of Iranian FSWs are unmet and around one-third of FSWs reported induced abortion. Scaling-up comprehensive family planning services and empowering FSWs to have safer sex practices may help them to prevent unintended pregnancies and further risk of HIV transmission.
authors.affiliation: HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.|School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karamouzian
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States of America.|HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mirzazadeh
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.|HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shokoohi
authors.affiliation: Modeling in Health Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Razieh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Khajehkazemi
authors.affiliation: Center for Disease Control (CDC), Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sedaghat
authors.affiliation: Modeling in Health Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali Akbar
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Haghdoost
authors.affiliation: HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sharifi
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D062486:Public Health Surveillance; D060728:Reproductive Health; D012309:Risk-Taking; D057566:Self Report; D060386:Sex Workers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult