Status of Commercial Sex in Females Selling Local Beverage: Their Risk Perception Towards Hiv Infection and Condom Use in Towns of Gojjam, Ethiopia

Selling local beverages by females is a widely practiced activity in Ethiopia. Some of these females are practicing commercial sex with their beverage customers. It is assumed that commercial sexual transaction by these females play significant role for the growing rate of HIV transmission in Ethiopia. Out of the studied 354 females, 38.7 % have ever practiced commercial sex and 27.7 % are still practicing. Educational status, duration of engagement in local beverage selling, age and lack of additional means of income have significant associations with engagement to commercial sex work. Family, marriage and other socio-economic factors are found to be statistically significant factors for commercial sexual engagement. About 40 % of the studied females had at least one misconception about HIV transmission. Twenty nine percent of them have ever tested for HIV of which 88 % have taken their results. About 43 % of the studied females have moderate/high & 55.8 % have nil/low risk perception towards HIV infection. Eighty eight percent of the studied females and 63 % of them have knowledge of male condoms and have ever used it respectively.