Abstract
Understanding the pregnancy experiences of female sex workers (FSWs), especially in the context of high rates of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), is essential to tailoring services to meet their needs. This study explores FSWs' experiences with intended pregnancy and access to antenatal care and HIV testing in two regions of Tanzania. Thirty in-depth interviews and three focus group discussions were conducted. FSWs sought to become pregnant to gain respect as mothers, to avoid stigma, and/or to solidify relationships, sometimes posing risks to their own and their partners' health. Pregnant FSWs generally sought antenatal care (ANC) services but rarely disclosed their occupation, complicating provision of appropriate care. Accessing ANC services presented particular challenges, with health care workers sometimes denying all clinic services to women who were not accompanied by husbands. Several participants reported being denied care until delivery. The difficulties participants reported in accessing health care services as both sex workers and unmarried women have potential social and health consequences in light of the high levels of HIV and STIs among FSWs in sub-Saharan Africa.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 55-71 |
| Number of pages | 17 |
| Journal | Studies in Family Planning |
| Volume | 46 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 1 2015 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Demography
- Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
- Medicine(all)
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Female sex workers' Experiences with intended pregnancy and antenatal care services in Southern Tanzania. / Beckham, Sarah; Shembilu, Catherine R.; Brahmbhatt, Heena; Winch, Peter John; Beyrer, Christopher; Kerrigan, Deanna.
In: Studies in Family Planning, Vol. 46, No. 1, 01.03.2015, p. 55-71.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Female sex workers' Experiences with intended pregnancy and antenatal care services in Southern Tanzania
AU - Beckham, Sarah
AU - Shembilu, Catherine R.
AU - Brahmbhatt, Heena
AU - Winch, Peter John
AU - Beyrer, Christopher
AU - Kerrigan, Deanna
PY - 2015/3/1
Y1 - 2015/3/1
N2 - Understanding the pregnancy experiences of female sex workers (FSWs), especially in the context of high rates of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), is essential to tailoring services to meet their needs. This study explores FSWs' experiences with intended pregnancy and access to antenatal care and HIV testing in two regions of Tanzania. Thirty in-depth interviews and three focus group discussions were conducted. FSWs sought to become pregnant to gain respect as mothers, to avoid stigma, and/or to solidify relationships, sometimes posing risks to their own and their partners' health. Pregnant FSWs generally sought antenatal care (ANC) services but rarely disclosed their occupation, complicating provision of appropriate care. Accessing ANC services presented particular challenges, with health care workers sometimes denying all clinic services to women who were not accompanied by husbands. Several participants reported being denied care until delivery. The difficulties participants reported in accessing health care services as both sex workers and unmarried women have potential social and health consequences in light of the high levels of HIV and STIs among FSWs in sub-Saharan Africa.
AB - Understanding the pregnancy experiences of female sex workers (FSWs), especially in the context of high rates of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), is essential to tailoring services to meet their needs. This study explores FSWs' experiences with intended pregnancy and access to antenatal care and HIV testing in two regions of Tanzania. Thirty in-depth interviews and three focus group discussions were conducted. FSWs sought to become pregnant to gain respect as mothers, to avoid stigma, and/or to solidify relationships, sometimes posing risks to their own and their partners' health. Pregnant FSWs generally sought antenatal care (ANC) services but rarely disclosed their occupation, complicating provision of appropriate care. Accessing ANC services presented particular challenges, with health care workers sometimes denying all clinic services to women who were not accompanied by husbands. Several participants reported being denied care until delivery. The difficulties participants reported in accessing health care services as both sex workers and unmarried women have potential social and health consequences in light of the high levels of HIV and STIs among FSWs in sub-Saharan Africa.
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U2 - 10.1111/j.1728-4465.2015.00015.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1728-4465.2015.00015.x
M3 - Article
VL - 46
SP - 55
EP - 71
JO - Studies in Familiy Planning
JF - Studies in Familiy Planning
SN - 0039-3665
IS - 1
ER -