Safer sex related knowledge & behavior among brothel based sex workers

In Bangladesh, there are about 14 major brothels operating to accommodate a total of approximately 4000 sex workers. In brothels, they live a sub-human life and are denied of basic human rights including rights of health. They are exploited by different vested groups. The sex workers in Bangladesh brothels report having the highest turnover of clients in Asia, at an average of 18.8 clients per week. This high turnover is very important because it means that once a woman has STI/STD or HIV/AIDS, she can pass infection on to many people very quickly as condom use is very low while someone is buying sex in Bangladesh. STIs are often not recognized until they have progressed to serious complications. As many as 70% of infected women and 30% of infected men are either symptom-free or don't recognize the symptoms caused by infection. Even, those who suspect they have STI/STD may not seek care, because they do not appreciate its possible serious consequences, or because they lack access to services. This study was an attempt to overview the situation of the largest brothel of Bangladesh in context of the safer sex related knowledge and behavior of sex workers.