Can women with special needs (prostitutes) participate in development of health learning materials for control of AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases

Researchers analyzed data on 291 15-45 year old prostitutes in Kenya to determine their knowledge attitudes and practices toward HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) so they could produce a useful brochure to inform the prostitutes about the control and prevention of spreading STDs/HIV. Most women never engaged in anal sex (99.3%) or had sexual intercourse during menses (84.3%). 6 (2.1%) always had sex during menses. The leading reason for using condoms was personal concern about STDs (83.3%) followed by contraception (17.4%) request from clients (10.1%) and personal concern about AIDS (4.6%). Only 12.1% always used condoms. 17.4% used condoms >50% of the time. 55% never did use condoms. 3% had as many as 6 clients/day; the median number of clients was 3. 52.6% reported none of their clients used condoms. 69.1% of those using condoms claimed they would never stop using them. The reasons for those who would stop using them included if client refused to wear condom (10.3%) they wanted to become pregnant (5.9%) developed AIDS (1.5%) and had to buy them (0.7%). The women tended to supply their own condoms (74.3) usually from the clinics (91.7%). 51.9% were unfamiliar with STDs yet almost all (97.9%) knew about AIDS. The radio friends and health personnel were the leading sources of AIDS information. Even though most (92.4%) knew that intercourse is a leading means of HIV transmission only 2.4% knew about blood transfusion and 3.55 about mother to infant transmissions. Some even thought mosquitoes living with someone with AIDS wearing the clothes of someone with AIDS and eating contaminated food were also means of HIV transmission. 45.3% and 35.4% mentioned reducing the number of sexual partners and using condoms as a leading means to prevent HIV transmission respectively. Most women (80.7%) knew AIDS has no cure. 92% wanted more information about AIDS. Overall the prostitutes approved the AIDS/STD brochure and the poster on STD transmission.